Dave Ramsey Says 20% of Americans' Halloween and Pet Budgets Could End Hunger: 'There'd Be No Hungry Kids'

In a recent episode of The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, financial expert Dave Ramsey shared how 'we the people' are very much capable of ending hunger in the US and even putting the government out of business if we 'take care of each other.'

'If we took 20% of our Halloween budget and 20% of our pet budget, we the people could take care of we the people. Easy. There'd be no hungry kids,' Ramsey said during the interview.

There'd be no hunger, but systemic problems would likely stay. However, mathematically, there would be the money to feed every child in America.

On how much Americans are spending on Halloween and pets, Ramsey said it is billions of dollars every year. According to data compiled by the American Pet Products Association, Americans are set to spend a total of $165 billion on pets in 2026, up from $158 billion a year earlier.

According to the National Retail Federation's annual consumer survey, Americans were expected to spend a record $13.1 billion on Halloween in 2025. The data showed that total spending on candy alone was expected at nearly $4 billion, followed by $4.3 billion on costumes, $4.2 billion on decorations, and $700 million on greeting cards.

'I am not even touching Christmas. I am not the Grinch,' Ramsey said, adding that when it comes to our consumption versus generosity, people are not very generous and think it's the government's job. 'No, it is your job,' Ramsey had remarked.

'If we take care of each other, we can put the government out of business, we can make them irrelevant,' Ramsey had concluded.

According to Gallup's initial measurement of Americans' 2025 holiday spending, consumers were expected to spend an average of $1,007 on gifts last Christmas, up from $923 in 2023. While lower-income householders earning below $50,000 annually had planned to spend $651 on holiday gifts, compared with $776 in 2024. These trends demonstrate the impact of surging inflation on rising prices and households navigating financial stress for years.

Social Media Users' Diverging Views on Ramsey's Hunger Solution

While some users on the social media platform X concurred with Ramsey's idea of helping each other as a community to eliminate hunger, many questioned why billionaires couldn't give up some of their wealth to help those in need.

'Why can't billionaires take care of the financial problems that exist? Everyone knows that even if their own families keep half the wealth, they'll never miss the other half because they'll never be able to spend it! Open your eyes and think!' wrote one X user.

Another noted that any funds saved through Halloween and pets would go directly into fraud.

However, many Silicon Valley billionaires are leaving California as the wealth tax proposal to tax the ultra-rich in the Golden State has received sufficient signatures to head to the upcoming 2026 ballots.

Billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Page have already purchased mansions in Florida, given the state's tax-friendly regulations. The exodus is being directly linked to the wealth tax, which has been fiercely opposed by tech titans across the country. Most of the billionaires fear the wealth tax would drive out businesses from the state and considerably impact local economies.