As Summer wraps up, it’s time for us to look ahead to the fall and plan out ways to save money. Autumn can be a frenzied time of year between back to school and the holidays starting up. So, at this time of year especially, t’s really important to be intentional with your dollars. In this post I will share 7 tips to save money this Autumn.
7 TIPS TO SAVE MONEY THIS AUTUMN
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I want you to have a successful financial fall. If you follow along with these tips (the ones that apply to you at least) I know you will!
Here are 7 tips to save money this Autumn.
GET YOUR BUDGET BACK ON TRACK
Summer seems to derail even the most solid of budgets a little bit. So, Fall is the perfect opportunity to get your budget back on track.
Of course, first you’ll need to have a budget in place.
You should be creating a brand-new budget for each month right before the month begins. If you need help doing that, I have a step-by-step guide that walks you through the process of creating your monthly budget.
Take an honest look at your Summer spending.
Did you overspend?
Make a plan to get back on track this Fall.
And be sure to get your family on board!
- Read: How to Recover from Summer Spending and Get Back on Track this Fall
- Read: How to Get Back on Track when you Break your Budget
GROCERY BUDGET
Your grocery budget is separate from your family’s monthly budget. It’s actually what I call a mini-budget within your bigger budget.
With the kids back in school and rhythm restored to our days, Autumn is the perfect time to be intentional about grocery costs.
And it’s actually easier than you think to cut the cost of groceries!
The first step is to join my Free Grocery Budget Challenge. It will walk you though my insider tips for stretching each precious grocery dollar you have.
The next step is to actually set a solid grocery budget that you can stick to. Here is my guide to help you set the right grocery budget for your family.
Related Posts about Saving Money on Groceries:
- 5 Tips to Spend Less on Groceries
- 10 Tips to Save Money on Meat
- 10 Tips to Save Money on Produce
- 15 Cheap & Easy Weeknight Dinners
FREEZER MEALS
One really smart way to save money on food is to have your freezer stocked full of freezer meals!
I promise, it’s so much easier than it might sound.
It really just takes a few afternoon hours of prepping and you’ll have freezer meals to last you all month long.
If you’ve never made freezer meals before, you can take this free class that will walk you through everything you need to know!
The best part about freezer meals is that they will help you avoid that urge to grab expensive take-out on those super busy Autumn school nights.
START SAVING FOR THE HOLIDAYS
You might not want to think about this yet, but the holidays are heading your way.
And as you know, those holidays tend to be expensive!
So, right now is the perfect time to start saving for the holidays.
Make a plan. Decide if you will cut back, increase your income, or simply set aside a set amount of money each week.
You can use my saving schedule system to make this super easy.
And even though saving ahead for those holidays might not feel fun right now, you will be oh so thankful you did when you can stress less this holiday season.
Related Posts about Saving Money for the Holidays:
TRY A SPENDING FREEZE – NO SPEND NOVEMBER
My favorite way to save for the holidays is by harnessing the power of spending freezes.
If you’re not familiar with the term, a spending freeze is a set amount of time (usually a week or two) in which you don’t spend any money.
Then, you use the money you saved for a specific purpose – like paying for the holidays!
I do this each November for two weeks and I use that money to pay for most of my holiday gifts. I’ve been doing this for 4 years now, and it’s been working so well for me.
If you’ve never tried it before, I highly recommend challenging yourself to a spending freeze.
Just be sure that you don’t blow your savings on other things. Set it aside for the holidays!
Related Posts about Saving Money with a Spending Freeze:
- How to do a Spending Freeze
- Everything you need to know about No Spend November
- 7 Steps for a Successful No Spend November
- How to do a No Spend Month
SAVE MONEY ON BIG PURCHASES
Okay, so let me start by saying that you should not make a big purchase ever unless you actually need that item. But, if you’ve been on the market and shopping around for a big ticket item, then Autumn might be the best time to buy.
This is the time of year that all types of retailers are trying to fill their stock with new models. Thus, those old models are on sale and usually for a pretty hefty discount.
Appliances are generally on sale this time of year.
I am not telling you to go out any buy all new appliances! But if you’ve been needing a new dishwasher and you know you’re going to have to buy one soon anyway, you might want to take advantage of the sales.
Autumn is also the best time of year to get a good deal on a car. Next year’s models are coming in and the car dealers need to make room.
Again, I am not telling you to go out and buy a new car. But if you need a car, this is the best time of the year to get a good price.
PREPARE FOR WINTER AND PLAN TO SAVE ON HEAT
I live in New England and here we usually get a glorious month and a half between turning off our air conditioning and turning on the heat. And oh boy, do I enjoy those savings!
Autumn is the perfect time to prepare your home for winter before it gets really cold. Do a home inspection and deal with any problems that you find.
Take some preventative measures. Seal up cracks in your home. Tune up your furnace. Change filters. Clean vents.
You’ll be glad you did once the true Winter hits.
Here are 8 Tips to Reduce your Home Heating Costs.
FREE ENTERTAINMENT
There are so many fun, frugal, or free activities to do in the Fall!
It’s such beautiful time of year. The weather is nice. Everything smells good. Take advantage of all that goodness and enjoy some free entertainment with your family!
I remember going on long car rides with my family every Autumn just to drive around and see the foliage. I was so amazed at how beautiful everything was!
It didn’t even occur to me that my parents were entertaining us for free! (Minus the gas expense, which I’m sure was much much smaller back then.)
I urge you to follow in these frugal footsteps and take your own children out to see the leaves. Or jump in them. Or find some pretty leaves to do a craft with.
The possibilities are really endless!
Read: 45 Ideas for Free Fall Activities
SAVE MONEY THIS AUTUMN
Now you are fully prepared to save money this Autumn. Start by getting your budget back on track. Then focus in on your grocery budget too. You can even try out some freezer meals.
Then, start planning to save for the holidays. Try a spending freeze or even a full blown No Spend November. Save money on big expenses. Prepare for winter now and start saving on heat. And of course, take advantage of all the free entertainment that’s out there!
Happy saving!
Psst… Want to save even more? Hop on my email list here. It’s my favorite place to give you money saving tips and insights that I just don’t share anywhere else. Plus you’ll get lots of free financial tools just for signing up.
Related Posts about Saving Money in Autumn:
- 45 Free Family Activities for Fall
- 40 Cheap & Easy Recipes to make this Fall
- How to do No Spend November
- 35 DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids
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