(WHTM) – The Halloween decorations are up, you have a couple of buckets filled with candy and you are ready to welcome all those young goblins to your front door on October 31.

But there are still some important things not to do on the big night.

No matter what you think of Halloween and trick-or-treating, no one wants to be looked at as the neighborhood wicked witch, or Scrooge, who ruins the holiday for the local kids. That’s a reputation that can last all year.

A report in Parade magazine says: Don’t be cheap with candy, such as giving out a handful of candy corn, or one Tootsie roll. You are better off not participating. Kids remember the neighborhood Halloween cheapskate, forever. Instead, hand out a few pieces, or at least a larger bar (which makes you a favorite neighbor).

Don’t hand out toothbrushes or dental floss, even if you come from a family of dentists. And skip the “candy and a toothbrush,” which still comes off like you are lecturing.

Don’t dress any young children as “sexy” anything, just to be safe. Reputations last a long time in elementary school.

And don’t dress up, or let a child dress up, as something reflecting recent news or political events. And from the “doesn’t that stink” file, one of the worst things you can do on Halloween: leaving your front door light on if you are out of candy.

If you have no more treats to hand out, you could receive a trick, such as a toppled pumpkin or an “egging.”

Lock the front door, shut the blinds, and turn off the lights when you run out, or if you are not taking part in the Halloween festivities.

That way, you don’t waste your money.