BJ's Is Selling Giant Halloween M&M'S Jars for $9.56 — Run the Per-Ounce Math Before You Load Up
A 42% markdown on a bulk candy jar sounds great, but the number that actually tells you whether it's a deal is cost per ounce — and, if you're not already a member, cost per year.
Warehouse clubs treat Halloween like a holiday of their own, and BJ's Wholesale Club is currently marking down its oversized M&M'S Halloween jars to $9.56 for members — a roughly 42% cut off the regular shelf price. Bulk candy bags in the same aisle are also showing up with stackable coupon offers, which is where the discounts can get genuinely interesting.
Here's the short version: at that price, the jar is almost certainly cheaper per ounce than grocery-store fun-size bags. But "cheaper per ounce" and "a good use of your money" are two different questions, and the second one depends on how much candy you actually need and whether you're paying a membership fee to get there.
The quick answer: If you already hold a BJ's membership and you hand out candy to a real crowd of trick-or-treaters, this is a solid buy. If you'd be purchasing a membership specifically for it, the math almost never works on a single $7 savings.
What the discount actually amounts to
A 42% markdown to $9.56 implies a regular price of about $16.48. So the raw savings on one jar is roughly $6.92. That's a real discount, not a rounding error — but it's also the ceiling on what this particular offer can do for your budget unless you're buying several.
The other piece worth understanding is BJ's coupon stacking. The club allows shoppers to combine a manufacturer's coupon with a BJ's club coupon on the same item, which is why bulk candy bags sometimes carry "double" offers this time of year. That stacking is often where the deeper per-ounce discounts live — arguably more so than on the headline jar. Check the digital coupon section in the BJ's app before you shop so you know which bags qualify.
One caution: jar sizes change between seasons and between chocolate varieties. Before you assume you're getting a bargain, look at the unit price printed on the shelf tag or product listing rather than the sticker price.
The per-ounce math, worked out
Say the jar holds 62 ounces — a common size for these club-store candy tubs, though you should verify the one in front of you.
- Sale price: $9.56 ÷ 62 oz = about 15.4 cents per ounce
- Regular price: $16.48 ÷ 62 oz = about 26.6 cents per ounce
- Typical supermarket fun-size bag: roughly $4.49 for 10.5 oz = about 42.8 cents per ounce
Translated into trick-or-treaters: fun-size M&M'S packets run around 0.55 ounces each, so a 62-ounce jar works out to roughly 110 pieces, or about 8.7 cents apiece. Hand out two pieces per kid and one jar covers something like 55 visitors for under ten dollars. If your street draws 30 kids, you're buying about twice the candy you need — and the leftover isn't savings, it's just candy sitting in your kitchen.
If you're not a member yet
BJ's runs frequent promotional rates on first-year memberships, and the base Club Card tier typically lists around $60 annually at full price. Discounted sign-up offers can bring that well below the list rate.
The break-even test is straightforward: annual membership cost ÷ your realistic average savings per trip = the number of trips you need to make. If a promotional membership runs $25 and you genuinely save $15 to $20 per grocery run on staples you'd buy anyway, the fee clears in two visits. If you'd visit twice a year for seasonal candy, a $6.92 discount on a jar of chocolate isn't going to get you there.
The candy deal is a fine reason to notice a membership promotion. It's a weak reason to buy one on its own.
Alternatives and next steps
- Compare across clubs. Costco and Sam's Club run parallel Halloween candy promotions. Bring the per-ounce figure with you rather than comparing package prices.
- Check store-card stacking elsewhere. Target, Walmart, and major drugstores frequently pair candy sales with gift-card-back offers or digital coupons that can beat a club price without any membership fee.
- Wait for November 1 if you can. Post-Halloween clearance routinely hits 50% to 75% off. That's useless for handing out on the night itself, but it's excellent for holiday baking, classroom treats, or office candy bowls.
- Count your crowd first. Look at how much candy you had left over last year. That number, not the discount percentage, should size your purchase.
- Split with a neighbor. Bulk sizing is friendlier to your budget when two households divide one jar.
Bottom line
At roughly 15 cents an ounce, a $9.56 Halloween M&M'S jar is priced well below typical supermarket fun-size math, and the stackable coupon offers on bulk bags may be the better hunt of the two. Existing BJ's members with a busy front porch have an easy decision. Everyone else should treat it as one data point in a broader comparison — and remember that the cheapest candy is still the candy you don't over-buy. Prices and promotions change without notice, so confirm current terms before you shop.
FAQ
How long will leftover chocolate stay good?
Manufacturers generally list milk chocolate as best within several months to a year when kept cool, dry, and out of direct light. Check the printed best-by date on the packaging. Heat and humidity are the real enemies — chocolate stored in a hot garage may develop a whitish "bloom" that's harmless but unappetizing.
Does buying candy earlier cost more than waiting?
Generally yes for the pre-holiday window. Candy prices tend to soften as October 31 approaches and collapse on November 1. The tradeoff is selection: popular varieties sell through, and waiting until the last week can mean settling for whatever is left.
Can I stack more than two coupons at BJ's?
BJ's policy permits one manufacturer coupon plus one BJ's coupon per item. It does not allow stacking two manufacturer coupons on the same unit. Policies do get revised, so the club's current coupon terms are the authoritative source.
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