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STEALS & DEALS: No tricks for treats needed to find the best deals this Halloween- ANDREW M. SEDER

Monday October 26, 2009 | 01:16 PM

Candy is great. Free candy is better.

Halloween gives kids a chance to stock up on all the best chocolates and sweets neighborhood homes have to offer.

There are ways to double and even triple dip if you don’t mind a few short drives.

Area malls are known to host “safe” trick or treat events so that children, especially younger ones, don’t have to stay up late or walk too far to enjoy the holiday festivities. Children can dress up and go from participating store to participating store where they can get goodies.

On Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m., both the Wyoming Valley Mall in Wilkes-Barre and the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City will hold their events. All children ages 12 and under can get treats at stores that display a balloon. Besides the candy, each mall will have a giant haunted house in its center court.

At the Shoppes at Montage in Moosic, the safe trick or tricking parade is Saturday at noon. Children 12 and under and in costume can participate. Merchants will be distributing candy and novelties and tickets will be distributed for a grand prize drawing.

For readers in the western part of the county, the Columbia Mall in Buckhorn is hosting its trick or treating parade Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It starts at the gazebo and all children in costume receive a trick-or-treat bag with goodies and parade through the mall collecting treats from the stores.

Stock up now on whatever you’re going to be giving to those trick or treaters who may be visiting your home.

Bags of candy are on sale at pretty much every retail outlet in the region. Check out today’s inserts to compare prices to get the best deal.

Some of my favorite giveaways are not chocolate, nor any kind of candy. They’re not even edible in the form you hand them out in but they’ll certainly turn into something tasty. They’re coupons that you can buy at some fast food joints.

Wendy’s has a booklet of 10 free junior frosty coupons on sale for $1 and McDonald’s has a sheet of 12 coupons on sale for $1.

McDonald’s sheet includes three coupons for a free ice cream cone, three for a free apple juice or milk, three for a free apple dippers and three for a free hamburger. The coupons can be redeemed from Nov. 1 until Dec. 31 but only by children ages 12 or younger.

So all you grown-ups out there without kids, I know it seems like a good idea to keep some coupons for yourself, but it won’t work in this case. Wendy’s, however, has no age restrictions.