Dads and Rural Americans Spend the Most on Halloween

    SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new survey released
 by Visa Inc. shows that seventy three percent of Americans celebrate -- and
 spend on -- Halloween. According to the survey, among those who celebrate
 Halloween, the average will spend $40 on candy and decorations. Parents
 with children under 18 will spend $54 on candy and decorations while those
 without children under 18 will spend $32. Of mention, Dads tend to go all
 out, spending $63, while moms are more conservative, spending $46.
 
     "You wouldn't think you'd have to budget for something as 'fun' as
 Halloween. But I believe all expenditures, large and small, are better
 planned for in advance," said personal finance expert and best-selling
 author Jean Chatzky. "Whether you are buying candy or a car, planning a
 budget is critical to staying in overall good financial health."
 
     Additional findings in the survey include:
     -- Men ($46) who celebrate Halloween report spending $12 more than
 women ($34).
     -- Younger people ($44) say they spend more than those 55 and over
 ($31).
     -- Those who live in rural areas ($49) spend $10 more on average than
 people living in urban areas ($39) and $13 more than suburbanites ($36).
 
     To help consumers budget for holidays or other financial events, Visa
 Inc. offers parents, teachers and consumers of all ages free access to a
 financial education program called Practical Money Skills for Life.
 
     Practical Money Skills for Life is an award-winning, teacher-tested and
 teacher-approved financial education program that is available in English,
 Spanish and Chinese. The program contains three comprehensive sections,
 complete with money management resources and lesson plans tailored for use
 at home, in the classroom or at work. It also contains an array of tips to
 help prepare for life changing financial events, from planning a baby to
 saving for college and retirement, as well as a number of other budget
 calculators and interactive games.
 
     Visa Inc. also runs What's My Score (http://www.whatsmyscore.org), a
 leading higher education consumer awareness program. The website guides
 college students through the ABC's of a FICO credit score, from factors
 that can lower a score to ways on improving it, at no charge.
 
     Additionally, building on a decade-long commitment to improving the
 financial literacy of all Americans, Visa Inc. has joined with personal
 finance expert Jean Chatzky. A best-selling author who appears regularly on
 "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "The Today Show", as well as hosting a daily
 radio program on Oprah & Friends (XM 156), Ms. Chatzky is collaborating
 with Visa Inc. to promote financial literacy nationwide.
 
     Through this collaboration, Ms. Chatzky is helping to develop new
 financial education curriculum and interactive resources geared toward
 teachers, students, women and parents. She has and will continue to
 participate in a number of Practical Money Skills for Life and What's My
 Score outreach activities.
 
     About Visa Inc.
 
     Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network
 providing processing services and payment product platforms. This includes
 consumer credit, debit, prepaid and commercial payments, which are offered
 under the Visa, Visa Electron, Interlink and PLUS brands. Visa enjoys
 unsurpassed acceptance around the world and Visa/PLUS is one of the world's
 largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in more
 than 170 countries. For more information, visit www.visa.com.
 
 
 
 
 

SOURCE Visa Inc.