By Tom Shaw

It’s nearly that time of year again: Halloween is fast approaching—and with it, the trails of children going door-to-door with the unmistakable line: Trick-or-treat!

And there’s a way you can treat them that doesn’t require handing out poisonous candy—a way that actually supports their freedom.

For the past few years, the Solari Report has been promoting subscriber Susan Luschas’ “Cash Is King” Halloween. Instead of a consumable “treat,” Susan hands out dollar bills, placing “Cash Is King: Why Pay with Cash?” stickers on each bill. This has made her house one of the neighborhood’s most popular Halloween destinations, prompting the eager trick-or-treaters to run home and tell their parents about the merits of paying with cash.

Other Solari subscribers are finding great success with this idea, too. Last year, one of our subscribers shared this story with us:

“I told my sisters that I was giving quarters out for Halloween, and they both told me the kids would not like it. So I broke down and got some chocolates. But [I] gave out both a chocolate and a quarter. The kids were so excited about the quarter that every single one of them ran back to the sidewalk saying “that lady gave me a quarter!” I had at least 30 little ones show up with parents, and they all walked away talking about the quarters. So I asked what they would do with it: in their piggy bank; in their bunny bank; in the gumball machine. Made me laugh. Next year, two quarters and no chocolates.”

In this and other feedback from our previous Cash Is King Halloween and our 60-Day Cash Challenge and our comments on the Educational Power of Cash, the lesson is clear: we don’t need any “tricks” to entice youngsters to think seriously about cash. Download labels here to print off and attach to the coins and dollars you plan to hand out—or perhaps you’ll feel inspired to make your own using some of the Solari Builders’ Keep-It-Cash haikus?

As the threat of digital IDs and an all-digital control grid becomes ever more apparent, subscribers keep asking us what they can do. We have consistently replied that one of the most user-friendly actions anyone can take is to simply use and promote cash. This Halloween, you have the perfect opportunity to do just that—and get a whole new generation excited about receiving and exchanging with physical, non-programmable money.