This is what my friend’s dining room table looked like after trick or treating on Saturday night. Clearly, she has more candy than any one family could ever need. But, hey, if you’re watching your pennies, that is free candy after all. So how do you make the most of it? Here are 5 frugal ways to reuse Halloween candy.

1. Freeze it for later use. Toss the chocolate candy in the freezer so it doesn’t melt or spoil before you can enjoy it. When you get a sweet craving, you’ll know where your stash is (albeit cold but fresh).

2. Bake with it. I know plenty of at-home chefs who raid their kids’ M&Ms and Snickers bars, and use them to whip up some delicious desserts. (Check out these mouth-water confections on Epicurious.com.)

3. Pack it in lunches. To me excess Halloween candy=saving money on packed lunches. You can probably get away with no snacks necessary for a month if you start using the Halloween candy in your kids’ (or your own) lunchboxes.

4. Use it for crafts. I think the best crafty way I’ve seen for reusing Halloween candy is to use it to make an Advent calendar.

5. Stockpile it for future celebrations. I’ve heard of moms who repurpose Halloween candy into the goody bags they give out for the kids’ birthdays. Guess that would be a money saver, huh?

Do you have any creative ways for reusing Halloween candy–you know, besides trying to eat all your favorites before your kids notice or your husband figures out where you’ve put the stash?