3 Reasons Costco Is the Best Place to Shop for Halloween

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Have a Costco membership? Read on to see why it pays to put it to good use for Halloween purchases. 

In my household, Halloween is a big deal. My daughters in particular love not just the actual holiday, but the many pre-Halloween events that tend to take place in town, like trunk-or-treat events and parties.

Even though Halloween can get expensive, I try not to skimp on it too much because it only comes around once a year and it’s so important to my kids. But I still try to find ways to save money on my Halloween purchases. And my Costco membership makes it possible to do just that. Here are a few reasons you may want to head to Costco for your Halloween shopping, too.

1. You can save on bulk candy

In my neighborhood, we tend to get lots of trick-or-treaters. So I know that it’s smart to err on the side of buying extra candy, just in case. (Besides, if there’s candy left over, my kids and I can just eat it. That’s not such a raw deal.)

What I love about Costco is that it sells bulk packages of well-known candy at affordable prices. A 90-ounce bag of popular chocolate miniatures costs just $22.99 online right now, and prices tend to be even lower in stores. All told, with the online price, you’re paying $0.26 per ounce. By contrast, a bulk bag of candy at my local grocery store would have me paying $0.44 per ounce.

2. You can purchase a costume on the relative cheap

Costco carries a range of costumes — and it even has costumes for dogs. Now, the price you pay may or may not be comparable to what you’ll pay at a specialty store. A Disney princess costume will cost you $39.99 at Costco.com, and that’s in line with the prices I saw at my local Spirit Halloween a few weeks ago.

But Costco also has some lower-priced costumes on its shelves. When I was there, I found several options in the $30 range. That’s a bit cheaper than what you’ll find elsewhere.

Plus, if you have an Executive membership at Costco, your Halloween costume purchase will result in 2% cash back on top of whatever cash back your credit card gives you. That’s a good way to offset your cost.

3. You can return any purchase you aren’t satisfied with or don’t end up using

Costco has a really good return policy. With limited exceptions, you can bring back items you don’t like or need and get a full refund. That’s an important option to have on Halloween.

Let’s say you buy two bulk bags of candy at Costco because you anticipate a lot of trick-or-treaters, but you only get half your usual crowd this year. Unless you want a massive sack of candy at home (and no one would judge you for that), you may want to return the bag you didn’t have to bust into. Costco will allow you to do that.

Similarly, your child may decide at the last minute that they don’t want to wear their costume, or that they won’t be comfortable trick-or-treating in it. If that happens, just bring it back — and get your money back.

You certainly have options when it comes to shopping for Halloween. But Costco is my go-to place, and you may want to make it yours as well.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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