Target or Walmart: Where Should You Shop This Halloween?
Spooky season has arrived! But the greatest scares are the unexpected ones on our credit card statements. Fortunately, GOBankingRates has found the best prices so there will be no evil surprises.
Whether you’re getting kids ready for the big night and making sure you’re stocked with enough candy to give the neighbors, or you need a last-minute costume for a party, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to get all the treats without any tricks when you shop at Target and Walmart this Halloween.
Candy
Walmart: The lowest priced variety pack has 35 pieces, or about a pound of mini 3 Musketeers, Twix, Snickers and Starburst for $5.78. You can get 90 mini pieces of Crunch, Baby Ruth and Butterfinger for $9.94.
Going big? You can get 400 pieces–or just over seven pounds–of mini Reese’s, Whoppers, Bubble Yum, Twizzlers, Kit Kat and Jolly Rancher for $31.75.
Target: Target’s lowest priced variety pack has 25 pieces (a little more than half a pound) of mini Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish for $3.29. The next biggest variety pack includes 50 pieces (just over a pound) of Sour Patch Kids, Twizzlers, and Jolly Rancher for $5.99.
For a bigger bag, you can get 365 pieces (six pounds) of Milky Way, Twix, 3 Musketeers, M&Ms and Snickers for $34.99.
Winner: Walmart–Although the small bags are mostly a toss-up, you can get over seven pounds of candy for $31.75, as opposed to six pounds of candy at Target for more money.
Costumes – Babies
Walmart: Part of the fun of having a baby is putting them in an adorable costume. At Walmart, you can dress up your newborn as a teddy bear starting at $3.49. For toddlers, a Bam Bam costume starts at $11.99.
Target: The least expensive costume for 0-24 months at Target is a Dory costume for $15.99. Toddlers can also be Harry Potter for $17.99.
Winner: Walmart by far. Walmart has multiple costumes for under the starting price at Target.
Costumes – Kids
Walmart: The least expensive kids’ costume Walmart offers is a pirate for $10.97. This is followed by a witch for $14.23.
Target: Anna and Elsa costumes are the cheapest kids’ costumes Target has to offer. Both cost $7.69 each. Next up is a Poppy costume from Trolls for $9.99. A Ryan’s World lab costume will also cost you $9.99.
Winner: Target — There’s a variety of costumes to choose from under $11, which is Walmart’s starting price for kids’ costumes.
Costumes – Adults
Walmart: For affordable costumes, pirate seems to be the way to go. An adult pirate costume will actually cost you less than a kids’ one at $9.98. You can also get a Cleopatra costume for the same price. Be a pumpkin for slightly more at $11.99.
Target: The cheapest costume is a holiday elf for $13.99. For this price, you can also get a belly dancer outfit, or a Wonder Woman costume. Target does offer a variety of capes and animal ears starting at $3.00.
Winner: Walmart — Across the board, Walmart offers less expensive costumes for adults.
Decorations
Walmart: The cheapest creepy piece of decor you can get at Walmart is a foot long hairy spider for $5.63. These spiders range from a foot long to an over 6.5 ft. long crawler for $10.99. Get web to accompany the spiders starting at $8.89. A 3 ft. skeleton that lights up will cost you $7.56.
Target: Decorative pumpkins are the cheapest Halloween item you can get at Target for $3.00 each. You can get a light up pumpkin for $5.00. A 7.5 in. puppy skeleton will also cost you $5.00.
Winner: Target — There’s more of a variety of items you can purchase for a lower price.
Party Supplies
Walmart: Throw a spooky soiree with some themed plates for $0.98 a package. A package contains 8 plates. Themed napkins sell for $5.69 for 16. Finish everything off with a Happy Halloween banner for $7.98.
Target: Get 30 “Happy Halloween” paper plates for $3.00. Orange napkins come in a package of 60 for $3.00 as well. A “trick or treat” banner is also $3.00.
Winner: Target — You can prepare for a party for just under $10, as opposed to Walmart, where it’ll cost you close to $20.
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All prices are subject to change. Prices accurate as of Oct. 7, 2022.
