Mental Floss

Cash for Candy Will Pay You for Halloween Leftovers—and Then Send Them to Troops

Support troops with a sweet tooth by donating unopened Halloween candy this November. You can even make a few bucks in the process.

Jake Rossen|
You can do something good with unwanted Halloween candy this year.
You can do something good with unwanted Halloween candy this year. | NoDerog/GettyImages

Unless your neighborhood is full of particularly ravenous children on Halloween night, you’ll likely end up with leftover candy on November 1. One solution is to eat it yourself (which has probably already occurred to you). Another is to donate it to a good cause. A third option? Sell surplus candy that will then be redirected to active troops and veterans.

The Cash for Candy program is operated by HealthyWage, a health and wellness portal that offers cash incentives for weight management. Consumers can fill out a donation form [PDF] and send it with their candy to Friends of the Troops, a nonprofit supporting military personnel. HealthyWage will pay $10 per pound of candy sent, with a maximum of 10 pounds ($100) per person.

The candy will then be distributed to service members, veterans, and families both domestic and abroad. HealthyWage estimates that cash compensation for candy will be sent four to six weeks later via check or PayPal.

Participation comes with a big caveat: The shipper is responsible for mailing costs. If you donate a small amount, you may find it’s not worth it given the price of UPS or USPS.

Only unopened and unexpired candy is acceptable, so anything you’ve bitten into is best left at home. The candy must be sent by November 15, 2024. HealthyWage is allotting a total of $10,000 for the program, which operates on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Cash for Candy isn’t the only way to deal with excess candy after Halloween. Treats for Troops allows businesses to sign up as collection sites for leftovers, which are then forwarded for redistribution. (You can find a searchable map of locations here.) Similar programs may be set up at local dental offices. Alternately, you can just freeze the candy for an occasional snack if your willpower permits.

Just be sure not to donate any candy to household pets; dogs and cats alike are both intolerant of theobromine, an ingredient in chocolate that can prove toxic to them. Sugar and sugar substitutes can also provoke adverse reactions.

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