Halloween spending scares Americans as inflation forces many to skip the holiday

Nearly one in five Americans are planning to skip Halloween this year as rising costs and inflation concerns force families to make tough financial decisions about holiday spending.

A new CouponFollow survey of 1,000 U.S. adults reveals that 19% of Americans aren't celebrating Halloween in 2025, with 72% of those skipping the holiday citing inflation as the primary reason for cutting back. Nearly half of those avoiding Halloween said they simply can't afford to celebrate.

The financial squeeze appears to be hitting older generations the hardest. Half of baby boomers are sitting out Halloween this year, compared to 22% of Gen Xers, 16% of millennials, and just 10% of Gen Z.

Many of them are still nursing financial wounds from last year, the survey found, with 8% of Americans saying they regret spending too much on Halloween in 2024.

For those who are still celebrating, budgets are shrinking significantly. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans have a lower Halloween budget in 2025 compared to last year. Almost as many people who are skipping Halloween are planning to still celebrate this year but cut back significantly on spending.

The average cost for Halloween this year is $220 for costumes, decorations, candy and parties, according to the study.

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