The rising cost of essentials can be scary, especially when it comes to Halloween. From pumpkins to candy, you can expect to pay a lot more this year, but local families have some tricks to deal with the creeping inflation.
The U.S. inflation rate rose to 8.2% in September and farms like the Carlsbad Strawberry Company are feeling it. The family-owned farm hosts a popular pumpkin patch every year.
Fall Fun in San Diego
“Labor, cost of water. It’s just gotten expensive. For us to stay sustainable in this economy we have to increase our prices as well. Price of admission. Price of pumpkins. Everything has just gone up,” said Robyn Ukegawa, manager at Carlsbad Strawberry Company.
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Families at the pumpkin patch on Saturday are finding ways to save in other places.
“Usually for Halloween we make our own costumes and we’ve had the same decoration for the last few years,” said Amy Grisenger, a San Diego resident and mother of two.
Despite rising Halloween costs, people aren’t scared away. The average American household is expected to spend $100 on Halloween this year. That's up from about $86 in 2019, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
“My kids, as soon as we were pulling up, were so excited and that’s what’s more important to us. Even if we buy one less pumpkin or do one less activity. For them running around the pumpkins and the hay bales and hanging out with their friends is worth it for us,” said Grisenger.
Halloween spending in the U.S. is expected to reach a record $10.6 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation, surpassing last year's record of $10.1 billion.
