This is the time of year where the little boys and girls dress up as cowboys, tigers, and princesses, roaming the streets for candy. As I fondly remember some of my favorite Halloween costumes growing up, I also think back to my strategies.

Of course I had a strategy! How could I optimize my route to get the most candy in the allotted hours? Who had the best candy in terms of size and flavor? And what would be the best-shaped, lightest, and largest candy container I could use?

These sound like such little questions now, but they were a big deal back then.