“Aren’t you a little old to be trick-or-treating?” If you’re reading this right now and you still go door-to-door on Halloween, then chances are you’ve heard this question before. But is there really any good reason to skip the festivities purely for the sake of your age?

Okay, so maybe it is “immature” to dress up as your favorite superhero or animal or ninja turtle, but if it will earn you a pillowcase full of free candy, I’d say it’s a small price to pay. At the very least, it beats handing out the candy: one can only handle so many grabby four-year-old fingers trying to take more than one piece before reaching a breaking point. Sure, you could always turn out all your lights and pretend not to be home, but sitting in the dark all night is equally as bothersome. And don’t even try putting out a bowl with a “Just take one” sign – unless, of course, you’re willing to give away your entire selection of grocery store goodies to that one kid who thinks dressing as a makes it okay to steal candy.

So really, what else do you have to do but run around in a Halloween costume all night? In addition to the free candy, there’s the added bonus of homemade haunted houses crafted specially to scare the living daylights out of you – and who doesn’t want that? Plus, you never know when candygivers will get creative with their handouts. A few of my personal favorites have been hot dogs, Kool-Aid, glow sticks – even slices of pizza. A veritable treasure trove of goodies awaits!

Besides, there’s a good chance you’ll being doing this again anyway – odds are, your niece and nephew or little cousins or future children will drag you along on their Halloween plights, and you may as well practice hauling candy now.

If you like excessive amounts of sugar, heart attack-inducing haunted houses, and running around strange neighborhoods dressed as a Disney character, then trick-or-treating is for you – that is, of course, if the thick skin of your Incredible Hulk costume can withstand a little judgment.