Every family group costume debate follows the same script. One kid wants superheroes. Another wants something from a video game nobody over the age of eleven has heard of. A parent suggests a pun costume that requires everyone to wear a sign explaining the joke. Somebody vetoes wigs. By the time anyone agrees on anything,…
Somebody has to organize the trunk-or-treat. Every year, that somebody gets a text in early October that says “hey, are we doing the thing again?” and then spends the next three weeks juggling a group chat, a sign-up sheet nobody fills out correctly, and a theme that got decided by committee and pleased no one….
Somewhere between the pop-up costume shops and the fortieth “can I be a different thing this year” conversation, Halloween spending sneaks up on families. It’s not one big purchase that does the damage. It’s the accessories, the last-minute wig, the pair of boots that only work with this costume, the candy haul, the decorations you…