Halloween / Trick or Treat

So now that I live in a house, I was thinking of giving out something for trick-or-treaters this year. Of course I don't want to give out candy because of the high carbs and leftovers and stuff.

Additionally, I probably will not actually be getting up to answer the door over and over. I don't exactly like kids, and would prefer to not have to see or interact with them. I'm thinking of putting a bowl or large container of some sort with whatever I'm going to hand out and have a sign. I am well aware of the risk that some greedy kid will take the entire lot and leave none for others, but I'm willing to take that risk.

OK, so what are your suggestions? I was thinking of those tiny Slim Jims (there are some that are like 0.25 oz. or some tiny size like that) or some small cheese sticks (ones that don't need refrigeration, of course). I don't really want to give out stickers or tacky trinkets, but had considered buying a lot of foreign coins. It used to be, for pretty cheap, you could get a mixed bag of various foreign coins on eBay. I haven't looked at that or done it for awhile, but it could actually be an interesting novelty item for kids rather than some dumb spider ring or something. Obviously that depends on cost and pre-planning, which I have time to do at this point.

Any other ideas?

Replies

  • Kimo159
    Kimo159 Posts: 508 Member
    I still intend on giving out candy at the house. It doesn't even call to me anymore so I'm not worried about eating it if it's there. I intend on bringing whatever is left to the office on November 1st. :) Perhaps this is also an option for you?

    I think slim jims or cheese sticks would be a good idea in theory but I think that could get pretty expensive (depending on how many kids come to the house).
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    My nephew always likes the little tattoo things you put on with water
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I just checked and found that Jet.com has the 0.28 oz Slim Jim's for $19.99 / box of 120 and free shipping. I just moved here and have no idea how many to expect. For traffic, it is a moderately busy street for this town and it is a relatively small town. The reason traffic is heavier on this street is because there is a retirement home (apartments, unassisted) 2 blocks down the road and most of the traffic is from senior citizens, not so much parents with kids. But even if I bought 1 or 2 boxes, at least I would be able to eat leftovers myself and it isn't terribly expensive.
  • sammyliftsandeats
    sammyliftsandeats Posts: 2,421 Member
    I just checked and found that Jet.com has the 0.28 oz Slim Jim's for $19.99 / box of 120 and free shipping. I just moved here and have no idea how many to expect. For traffic, it is a moderately busy street for this town and it is a relatively small town. The reason traffic is heavier on this street is because there is a retirement home (apartments, unassisted) 2 blocks down the road and most of the traffic is from senior citizens, not so much parents with kids. But even if I bought 1 or 2 boxes, at least I would be able to eat leftovers myself and it isn't terribly expensive.

    If you chat with neighbours, maybe you can get an idea of how many kids to expect?
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    I just checked and found that Jet.com has the 0.28 oz Slim Jim's for $19.99 / box of 120 and free shipping. I just moved here and have no idea how many to expect. For traffic, it is a moderately busy street for this town and it is a relatively small town. The reason traffic is heavier on this street is because there is a retirement home (apartments, unassisted) 2 blocks down the road and most of the traffic is from senior citizens, not so much parents with kids. But even if I bought 1 or 2 boxes, at least I would be able to eat leftovers myself and it isn't terribly expensive.

    That's a great deal. It's .17 per stick. I buy boxes of 14 from dollar general that are .21 per stick. But I didn't factor in sales tax either...
    My son eats about 4 every day since he eats an early lunch he's "starving" before school is even out. He won't let me put mayo on his sandwich so it's too low fat. Issues...

    Anyway, I also think @auntstephie321 idea was great. Little kids love the tattoos. Dollar store glow sticks are fun too.
    You could even make a mix bowl of those and maybe tiny packs of peanuts too. Depending on how much you want to offer.
    I think it's really nice that you want to offer something even though you don't plan to participate.
  • RowdysLady
    RowdysLady Posts: 1,370 Member
    I'm so very happy I have no neighbors to speak of...my Halloween days are over. One year, though, I bought a bunch of caramel/candy covered apples because one of my kids was selling them for school and I handed them out. Not exactly Keto, but not something I wanted to snack on myself.
  • supergal3
    supergal3 Posts: 523 Member
    Personally, I'd stay away from any nuts due to some kids with severe allegies.Kids in my neighborhood generally want candy, so one year I compromised and bought individual bags of popcorn. (Not too many kids, hence, not too expensive.)
  • RowdysLady
    RowdysLady Posts: 1,370 Member
    good point on the nuts...so many kids have so many allergies today. There used to be a time I could make homemade cookies and send to school but today everything has to be premade, prepacked and tabled with ingredients to be sure it's safe for the whole class/group. I'm shocked these days when I'm handed peanuts on a plane and many times I'm not offered them because someone on the plane has an allergy.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    Yes, that makes sense on nuts. It is surprising to me also that so many people seem to have severe peanut allergies these days. What happened?! Anyway, that is a whole different topic.
  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    But if you have a bowl of options, they can choose something else n stuff..
  • petunia773
    petunia773 Posts: 473 Member
    suzqtme wrote: »
    Or turn off the porch light and turn on your favorite spooky movie. That's my plan. Is there such a thing as a Halloween Grinch??

    I agree. If you aren't planning to get up to answer the door, what's the point? Most likely you'd get a group of older kids that would take it all anyway.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    petunia773 wrote: »
    suzqtme wrote: »
    Or turn off the porch light and turn on your favorite spooky movie. That's my plan. Is there such a thing as a Halloween Grinch??

    I agree. If you aren't planning to get up to answer the door, what's the point? Most likely you'd get a group of older kids that would take it all anyway.

    Like I said, I'm willing to take that risk. The point: I'm just trying not to be the one who doesn't participate. Trying to be nice to the neighbors.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,756 Member
    petunia773 wrote: »
    suzqtme wrote: »
    Or turn off the porch light and turn on your favorite spooky movie. That's my plan. Is there such a thing as a Halloween Grinch??

    I agree. If you aren't planning to get up to answer the door, what's the point? Most likely you'd get a group of older kids that would take it all anyway.

    Like I said, I'm willing to take that risk. The point: I'm just trying not to be the one who doesn't participate. Trying to be nice to the neighbors.

    Speak with your neighbors, that is what we did when we moved into our house. The first Halloween here, we had over a 100 kids. People brought them around in vans. We had been forewarned if the weather was nice (and it was a beautiful evening!!), there could be a lot of kids. I bought a three bags of assorted goodies, HUGE bags, and ended up making another run to the store that night, as it was all gone by 6:30ish. The teens had not even come out yet.

    16 yrs. later, we get about 10 or so little ones and maybe 4-5 groups of teens. We give out plain chocolates to the little ones, and we give out string cheese to the teens and they seem to really like that. Again if the weather is nice. If it is cold, windy/snowy, no one shows up. One year we gave out holiday decorated pencils, those were a big hit.
    We also play Halloween music on my Kindle, Amazon always has some fun stuff to stream. Kids love it.

    With that senior housing down the street, you might get grandkids coming around on the way to the grands? Might want to check with those neighbors for sure to get some idea of activity.

    The slim jims sound like a good idea, especially if you get older kids, they enjoy that stuff better than the little ones.
    Just try to get in the holiday spirit of it all. You can turn off the lights when you are done messing around with it all.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    There's always the old stand by, toothbrushes or religious pamphlets ;)
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    There's always the old stand by, toothbrushes or religious pamphlets ;)

    LOL, I'm atheist in a very conservative xtain area... the pamphlets I would give out would bring mobs with pitchforks.
  • auntstephie321
    auntstephie321 Posts: 3,586 Member
    There's always the old stand by, toothbrushes or religious pamphlets ;)

    LOL, I'm atheist in a very conservative xtain area... the pamphlets I would give out would bring mobs with pitchforks.

    Lol or you wouldn't have to worry about what to put out next year