It’s that time of year.

Most children in Illinois will parade through the streets on October 31st begging for treats instead of tricks. The truly savvy candy hunters know exactly which neighborhoods hand out the best of the best. And there is a ranking system, as all parents likely know.

Almost as if these same children were raised by the famed Coneheads of Saturday Night Live fame they will begin consuming mass quantities of sugar-laden goodies the same night. And well into the next day or so.

Dentists are smiling everywhere.

Chicago contributes greatly to this sugar feast. The city has connections to some of the most popular candy brands. Did you know Chicago’s McCormick Place for many years hosted the annual “Sweets and Snacks Expo”? In the past, this city has been known as the “Candy Capital of the World!”

As for brands, let’s start with the Wrigley Company.

Founded in Chicago in 1891, Wrigley was initially a soap and baking powder manufacturer offering gum as an incentive to buyers of the company’s primary products. Gum turned out to be more popular than the other stuff. Wrigley retooled and, in 1893, the company introduced Juicy Fruit and Spearmint brands; Doublemint was introduced in 1914. (Mars acquired the brand in 2008 for $23 billion.)

The Chicago based Schutter-Johnson Company introduced us to Bit O’ Honey in 1924. This honey-flavored taffy product had bits of almond embedded throughout. This candy brand was sold to Pearson’s Candy Company of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Now let’s get down to serious business. The Curtiss Candy Company!  The headquarters is no longer located in the Chicago area. The iconic brands are, however, still manufactured in the Franklin Park area: Baby Ruth (1920) and Butterfinger (1936).

Other candy makers with Chicago connections include Brach’s, DeMet’s Candy Company (known for the Turtles brand, and Tootsie Roll Industries. This enterprising business also increased holdings to include DOTS (1972); Junior Mints, Sugar Daddy, Sugar Babies and Charleston Chew (1994); and Dubble Bubble (2004).

And finally these brands also have a history in Chicago: Whoppers, Jolly Rancher, Milk Duds, Payday and Heath Bar.

Hungry yet?

So without parental supervision, overconsumption of candy and other sweets are trademarks of the Trick or Treat season. And let’s not kid ourselves, adults may actually be buying bags of candy with themselves in mind. (Did I say that??)

Overconsumption is just part of American life. Anyone you know shop at Costco or Sam’s Club? Have you ever heard someone admit, “I couldn’t get out of there without spending like $150!!?” Or was it…$250? Or $500?? Excluding jewelry or furniture, I’d be curious to know the most a person has ever spent at Costco.

It’s not just these stores. For men, it’s also Home Depot or Lowe’s. For kids, it used to be Toys R Us. And I read recently that even Buc-ees (you know, the locations with 100+ gas pumps) is becoming cult-like for buyers of all things not really needed.

When will it ever stop?? Wait. The trend may be changing…to something called “underconsumption.” Perhaps just a fad, Rosie Albrecht from Chicago is taking the high road. A social media voice, she chooses to make her voice known as a “defluencer.”

Instead of passing along her hot tips of what to buy, build, or brag about, the Chicago Tribune reports Rosie advises followers to step back. Rethink your purchases. And she now has over 40,000 followers. They are celebrated as the “underconsumption core.”

The Trib reports “‘Underconsumption core’ normalizes conscientious purchasing habits of high-quality or secondhand items and a reliance on tried-and-true products. The suffix ‘core’ is used in slang on social media to describe an aesthetic, vibe, trend, or movement.”

Such a reductionist idea should not be seen as novel with true followers of Jesus. In His marvelous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (Matthew 6:19-21 NLT)

So try to avoid mass quantities of consumables. Whether it be Costco, Home Depot, or Butterfingers.

Instead, how about a nice fall garage sale?