As we reported last month, Halloween spending is down this year. Overall, we will shell out about $7 billion in 2015, down from $7.5 billion last year. That’s about $74 per household, down from $77 in 2014.
However, as you pinch your pennies, don’t forget to invest in safety for your little goblins! In that vein, here’s a classic bit (as if) from years past, “Halloween Safety for Nerds and Other People.” This is not so much a consumer piece, other than the fact that you are spending $75, and you would like to get your kids home in one piece.
When I was a kid, Halloween safety consisted of my dad telling me not to accept any apples, because hippies were hiding their drug needles in them. “That’s it! Now go run in the night streets in your dark gray Batman costume!”
So, to pay it forward, I will share a few Halloween safety tips from the National Safety Council.
Motorists: BE COOL! Seriously, I don’t even have kids, but I spend half the night screaming at the idiots driving 45mph on my street!
Parents: Basically it’s your job to suck all the fun out of it. Make your kids tell you their precise route. Give them a curfew time. And make them wear bright or reflective clothing, even if it ruins their Zombie costume.
Kids: Use some common sense! Don’t go to dark houses. Don’t eat your stuff until mom inspects it and steals the Kit Kats. Carry dad’s best flashlight, which you will surely break. And stay out of the abandoned mill, even if they dare you!
OK, enough sarcasm. You should download the list. There are tons of great tips to keep Halloween safe. The alternative is a “Trunk or Treat” in the middle school parking lot…and nobody wants that!
Be sure to check out the rest of our Halloween 2015 coverage:
And have a safe and happy Halloween!