Halloween candy. Credit Flickr/.imelda

Growing up, the most coveted stop in the neighborhood on Halloween night was the one house that gave out full-size candy bars. The big Hershey bar amongst the fun-sized and miniature versions was always a special treat. But one of those houses in the New York area is “fun-sizing” this year, and they are likely not alone.

A listener in Ketonah, NY shared the following story with WNYC’s Uncommon Economic Indicators project:

“For the first time since we moved into our home in northern Westchester County 14 years ago, we will not be giving out full-size Hershey bars this Halloween.

Our little ‘hood is an increasingly popular trick-or-treating destination for our and neighboring towns, and we will easily get 600 visitors on our porch Saturday night. With me laid off from my publishing job several months ago, and my husband’s design firm experiencing the expected revenue falloff, we could no longer justify our confectionary largesse. We’ll be handing out puny little candy pieces just like everyone else.”

But on a brighter note, here are some lighter tricks and treats for the Halloween weekend:

The Christian Science Monitor has a list of scary Wall Street Halloween costumes, including a Ponzi scheme and an insider-trading pirate.

And some good news – new jobs being created to staff theme parks on Halloween, from New Hampshire Public Radio.

Have a happy Halloween!