The last three months of the year are those when we spend the most. Here are some common sense ideas to save a little during this time.
Beginning with back to school, Halloween, passing through Thanksgiving and ending with the holidays and New Year, this is the ultimate sociable season. It’s also the most expensive. And yet, there are small ways in which you can consistently cut some costs. Here are our best fall saving tips.
Chilly days
These nippy, wet, and windy days are always a shock of the system after the summer’s warmth; it’s natural to want to turn to the thermostat to keep it warm inside. But hold off using the heat, if you can. It’s perfectly acceptable to wear thicker clothing indoors and, according to Sleep.org the best temperature to help productive sleep is between 60- and 67-degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 to 19.5 Celsius). That toasty comforter will help you keep your heating bills lower one to two months, and help you sleep better.
Your budget
If there is one fall savings tip to take away today, make it this one: now’s the best time to check on your budget. You’ll be able to see what you can spare each month for shopping, know what you have through the end of the year, and steer yourself clear of overspending. It also gives you time to decide if you want to skip a payment on a debt to provide you extra cash for the holidays.
Seasonal foods
In season fruits and vegetables are always cheaper. Start the chilly season by taking stock of what’s available and cook things that are good for colder weather. Seasonal fruits and vegetables can save you quite a bit of cash. If you cook up larger batches of things you like that you can freeze, you can even extend the savings further. Here are 35 recipes using fall vegetables for you to try
Pre-Christmas savings
While it is a bit too late this year to open a Club Account for this Christmas, we want to bring it up because it’s a great time to open this account for next year. This account, into which you make a monthly transfer or payroll deposit and get an extra juicy interest rate; leave the account be and even forget about it. You’ll have a nice sum of cash come the holidays of next year. For example, $75 a month barely makes a dent now, but add them up and you get $900 plus interest next November. Unbeatable!
This is the best time to plan your Christmas presents: make a list of people who you know you’ll gift before the end of the year. Go through any gifts you’ve already bought and add them to the list. Then you’ll know gifts you’re missing as well as the budget you’ll need.
Back to school and fall sales
Back-to-school sales pose great opportunities to stock up on supplies that you need through the year, even if you don’t have kids. And fall sales, can provide some discounts on early Christmas presents.
Christmas spam
Speaking of Christmas, that season’s spam is about to start (yes, a bit earlier every year!). You will control your shopping -and spending- better if you take 20 minutes now to unsubscribe from all those stores where you seldom do any shopping.
Giving, not buying
Even better, while there is still time before the holidays… why not take a little time to browse some DIY crafts sites to see if there are any things that you could/would like to learn to make? If you’ve never made crafts or homemade items as presents, this is the year to try. There’s a very cool sense of satisfaction in making something that your loved ones can and will use. You’ve got nothing to lose and a lot to gain, not just the money saved!
And if you’re a man and you think that the making gifts is only something women do, there are DIY sites just for you, too!
Go out with friends, safely
The cooler fall months are the best time to walk around and see new places! Here’s the DC area guide to the fall. If you don’t live in this area, just google the name of where you live and “things to do this fall”.
And, if you’re a friend of road trips, here are two must-sees in the autumn.
First is Fallingwater, the house that Frank Lloyd Wright built over a waterfall in Pennsylvania. It’s even more beautiful in the fall.
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