Halloween takes small bite out of wallets

With just over half of Canadians (54%) celebrating Halloween, spooky holiday spending will stay under control with the average spend for costumes, parties and candy around $70, finds a Scotiabank poll.

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“To avoid ghoulish expenses, Canadians might want to consider using banking products that offer cash back,” suggests Mike Henry, Scotiabank senior vice president and head of retail payments, Deposits and Lending.

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Additional findings include:

• The top activities Canadians have planned for Halloween are handing out candy (21%), taking kids trick-or-treating (13%), followed by going to a Halloween party for adults (8%).
• Of those that have planned their costumes for Halloween, the most popular costumes for adults are vampires, witches, fairies and pirates.
• Canadians aged 35-44 are the most likely to take their kids trick or treating.
• Women (11%) and younger Canadians aged 18-24 (34%) are more likely to go to a Halloween party.
• B.C. residents are spending the most for Halloween ($82) compared to Atlantic Canadians ($51).
• 15% of Canadians save in advance for Halloween expenses.

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Staff

The staff of Advisor.ca have been covering news for financial advisors since 1998.