LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As Halloween quickly approaches, vampires and clowns aren't the only things that have been scaring people this spooky season.
Experts have said that they expect inflation to impact some people's Halloween plans this year.
The spookiest holiday is less than two weeks away and people many people have been heading to stores such as Party City to get what they need.
However, the price in stores could be a real scare for some.
"The price of helium has gone up [and] the price of candy and decorations," James Greenwood, Party City employee, explained.
The manager of the Little Rock location, Teresa Dow, said that fortunately, her store has been in good shape.
"So far, we hadn't had any price increases," Dow added.
Though that hasn't been the case everywhere.
Associate professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas, Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl explained that recently, prices have been up more than in years past.
"We know that the prices are up a lot. If we look at overall prices, [they] are up 8%. Things like candy are up a lot more than that," Dr. Horpedahl said.
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, candy prices are up 13% from last year— and according to Dr. Horpedahl, other things like pumpkins are up a dollar from last year.
"A lot of this is just because of all the supply chain issues and other issues going on around the world," Dr. Horpedahl said. "Whether you're looking [and] whatever you're getting for Halloween, it's going to be a little bit more than last year."
This is just one more example of things that have made things hard for families this year, but despite that, Dr. Horpedahl explained that he believes there's a silver lining.
"We're getting to enjoy probably what feels like a very normal Halloween for maybe the first time in a while, but it's going to be a more expensive Halloween, so that's the downside," Dr. Horpedahl said.
For families who have been looking for ways to save money, Dr. Horpedahl explained that his suggestion would be to find creative ways to make costumes, shop at secondhand stores, or use items you already have at home.