Some scary numbers...

It's a scary time. It seems like everywhere these days we hear stories about the fear that this economy is striking in people.

And yet, the doom and the gloom is benefitting Halloween -- at least the business of Halloween.

People are determined to have a good time today, despite the nation's sump.

I thought that in celebration of the day, I'd review some numbers from a recent story we did.

People's interest in creating their own goblins is driving a modest jump in sales - close to $6 billion - in Halloween-related spending, compared to last year, according to an industry report. 

The average person plans to spend $66.54 on Halloween, a modest spike from $64.82 a year ago, according to the federation's Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey. 

According to the survey, 64.5 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween compared to 58.7 percent a year ago, and all together they will spend an estimated $5.77 billion on everything from Three Musketeers bars at the supermarket to the Gothic Vampire Head I recently saw at local store.

In Los Angeles County, 80 percent of people surveyed celebrate Halloween, and the average L.A. resident plans to spend $43 on candy and deocrations, according to another new survey released by Visa Inc.