Autumn Savings: Get ready with these amazing budgeting tips!
Days become shorter, the weather is colder, and leaves fall from the trees. This is what autumn looks like. But besides this beautiful picture, autumn is also the time for yearly financial exams, recovering from a not-so-cheap summer vacation, looking for Christmas gifts for the entire family, and so on.
Frugal Americans’ writers advise on how to maximize the season without going over your budget. Here are some of the best ways to treat yourself during one of the most gorgeous seasons while still saving money.
Meet your deadlines for filing taxes
The end of the year also signals the coming deadlines for various tax-related purchases and expenses, such as those related to flexible spending accounts. Make sure to use your flex spending allocation for child care, transportation, and health care expenses before it’s too late.
Start your holiday shopping early
Another method of saving money during the fall is to think in advance about all the Christmas shopping you have to do. Maybe you have a bigger family and you have to buy a little something for everyone, or maybe you host the Christmas dinner this year and you will spend a bit more. Everybody has their reasons, but if you don’t want to end up borrowing money because of the expenses, try to think ahead of time.
Seek out products that are heavily reduced or on clearance to benefit from the discounts before stores are aware that you will be making Christmas present purchases. Shopping earlier for the holidays will help with impulse buying as well!
Organize a garage sale
Do you want to clean your closet but also make some extra money? Then why not organize a garage sale? Make a list of everything you and your family no longer wear and then sell it. This applies to home decor or any other appliances that you don’t use anymore. There are a lot of people who are looking to buy second-hand items because they can’t afford new ones.
If garage sales aren’t for you, you can also opt for online sales or exchange clothes that are still in good condition. Thred Up and eBay are two great places in which you can sell your stuff and earn quite a bit of money!
Cook more at home
When it comes to autumn savings, one of the best things you can do is cook at home as much as possible. Ordering food is nice and all, but the food tends to be very expensive, so if your goal this season is saving money, then you may want to reconsider this habit.
There’s never been a better time of year to make roasted veggies, pies, and fruit crumbles because squash, apples, and roots are all in great supply. You may save money whether you stock up at the grocery store or pick your own from a nearby farm. Oh, and cooking at home will also keep your place warm too!
Prepare your home for the winter season
If saving money is your number one priority this fall, then you should add a few more things to your to-do list. Make the effort to make sure your house is well-insulated and energy-efficient if you want to reduce the amount you spend on those anticipated high heating bills.
Take a look at all the gaps surrounding your house and check if they are as well sealed as possible. Inspect your windows and doors for drafts. To drive warm air down, turn your fans so they are moving in a clockwise direction.
You can do many of these jobs yourself to save money, especially if you already have a basic toolkit. Remember to change the batteries in your smoke detector for further protection.
Try to negotiate the bills
An increasing number of people are afraid of the rising cost of electricity bills. If we use air conditioning in the summer, we use heating to the maximum extent possible in the winter, so this is a loop, and we always end up paying a lot for the services.
However, the good news is that you can save a little more money by turning on the heat in the morning for a few hours and then turning it off until late October, depending on your local location. By utilizing the sun’s energy and keeping your windows open to let in some more warmth, you may further improve the energy efficiency of your house.
In America, we are so lucky that we can also try and negotiate the price of our bills. Not many countries can do that! So if you want to save money this fall, it is in your best interest to try and negotiate a discount, especially if you are a loyal customer.
Saving money was never easier! In my case, I started doing the 100-envelope challenge a year ago, and I am very proud of my progress. Write down your goal on the tracker, and then save money equal to the number of envelopes. The kit is available on Amazon for just $9.98. If you start doing this challenge, let me know how it goes.
Check all the subscriptions you don’t use anymore
Do you know what else might eat up a lot of your budget? Unused subscriptions. It’s a good idea to review your subscriptions at the beginning of each season and decide whether you want to keep paying the monthly payments. Instead of subscribing to four streaming services, consider sticking with the one you watch the most.
Leave the car at home when the weather allows you to
Even if riding a bike becomes impractical during the winter months, you may still save money on transportation or fuel by cycling for a few months. Plus spending time in nature will also help you strengthen the immune system. See? Win-win!
Avoid buying fall decor
Autumn is about Halloween and Thanksgiving, family gatherings, delicious and cozy meals, but also fun decorations and catchy costumes. The only downside to this excitement over these celebrations is that we all end up spending a lot of money.
But how do you feel about limiting the costs while you’re also having fun? Think about making some DIY décor. Look for lovely items in the outdoors, such as branches, colorful leaves, pinecones, or other fall-themed accents, to utilize as decorations within your house.
Furthermore, for Halloween costumes, you can also use some of your clothes, maybe some that aren’t exactly new, and tweak them to look scary and funny. This is a great activity that your kids will love. Plus, it helps you save money!
Reuse shopping bags for garbage bins
All those trash bags end up in the trash, so why spend a ton of money on a roll when you can reuse the plastic shopping bags and put all the garbage in them? If you ordered food, don’t throw away the plastic boxes. Reuse them to store the leftovers in the fridge.
Avoid impulse buying
You saw a beautiful dress in the store near your apartment. Or a nice and fancy tie that would look great with that tuxedo? Well, how about you don’t buy it right away? Go home and think if it’s worth it or not. Give the thoughts a rest for 24 hours. Watch your budget and see if you can afford it. Do you need it, or is it just another impulse buy?
How do you manage to save money during the autumn season? Tell me in the comments section.
…psst! Are you interested in more frugal advice? We got you! Check out: Frugal and Healthy? Skip Adding These To Your Shopping Cart!
