Pumpkin spice season is back, but it can cost extra; See how much

Pumpkin spice-flavored products are taking over menus and grocery aisles again as the traditional fall flavor returns. A new report, though, finds that people who are eager to pick up some pumpkin spice comfort for the cooler nights will have to pay for the privilege, and this year, they will have to pay even more. 

Big picture view:

In general, getting a pumpkin spice version of a product will cost a little extra when compared to the regular version, a LendingTree report finds. The study’s authors also noted that at some stores and shops, that premium is even bigger, and they go on to say where it is the biggest.

"No one pumpkin purchase is likely to wreck your budget, but the trouble comes when you’re paying extra for multiple things week after week," LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst Matt Schulz said. "These purchases should be part of your fun-money budget, not something that gets a free pass because it’s temporary."

Ranking Pumpkin Spice Interest

Unsurprisingly, the states where the most interest in pumpkin spice was found are mainly ones where fall brings those crisp, cool nights that make someone think of comfort foods, cozy fires, and the first snowfall of the year. The report found that the highest interest, based on Google Trends data over the past five years, was in West Virginia, followed by Maine and Pennsylvania.

By the numbers:

At Trader Joe’s, a box of Pumpkin O’s cereal can carry a 75.4% premium over a regular ol’ box of Joe’s O’s, the report found. That was by far the largest markup researchers found in its survey of six retailers where pumpkin spice products can be featured: Dunkin’, Foodtown, Starbucks, Target, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods. 

Trader Joe’s pumpkin spice coffee and its pumpkin bisque also finished in the top five for products with the largest markups among the surveyed stores. Target’s Jade Leaf organic pumpkin spice matcha latte mix and Favorite Day pumpkin spice whipped dairy topping rounded out the list. Here is the full list of 100 items compared. Not all of them included a premium, and some were cheaper than the standard brand.

The Starbucks Premium

Pumpkin spice products cost nearly 20% more than their basic counterparts at one of the companies that made pumpkin spice famous, Starbucks. Its 19.7% premium is far higher than Trader Joe’s, the retailer with the second-highest markup of the ones checked, which had an 11.8% difference.  

What they're saying:

But none of that means customers should necessarily stick with the regular version when they would rather have pumpkin spice. Schulz, who authored the book "Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life," explained that someone can still enjoy a treat; they just might want to keep some things in mind so they do not break the bank.

"You don’t have to give up your favorite guilty pleasure; you just need to be thoughtful and planful about it," he said. "Buy it once or twice instead of every week. Get a small or medium instead of a large. Skip another favorite of yours for a little while to make room for it in your budget. The goal is to find a way to enjoy the things you value most without letting them take away from bigger priorities."

Dig deeper:

To come up with these numbers, LendingTree’s researchers compared 200 items, 100 pumpkin and 100 non-pumpkin, from the six stores and examined their unit cost over the first week of September. 

Food and Drink