5 Tips to Save Money this Fall

With all the pumpkin patches, Halloween decorations, and fall coffees, the Autumn season can get pretty expensive. For a couple of years now, I have been focusing on saving money during the fall months, so I wanted to talk about the tips to save money that I have been using.

Whenever fall comes around, I start thinking about the holidays, and I know I need to start saving money for gifts and so I am able to see friends and family. Last year I did a “No Spend September” where I tried to limit all of my extraneous spendings. I made coffee at home, I didn’t buy any fall candles, and I didn’t do any fall decor shopping. This was hard, especially because I worked in a mall last year! I was nowhere near perfect, but it made me realize how much unnecessary spending I was doing.

Before I start, I am writing this post from a place of privilege, where I can even think about extraneous spending. I know people are living without the means that I have, especially during the global crisis we have all been experiencing for the past two years. So, take this post with a grain of salt when it comes to money. I am just trying to share what I do to save a little extra money during the Autumn months.

Also, another disclaimer, I am not a financial advisor at all. All of this is coming from my experience as a young adult trying to make enough money to live in the expensive society I was dropped into. So I am just trying to share some tips to save money that I use throughout the fall.

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1. Thrift

One of my favorite things to do during the fall is shop for decor. I love walking through Target or T.J. Maxx and seeing all the adorable Autumn and Halloween decorations that are released. However, this can get pretty expensive. So whenever I get the urge to walk around stores with a pumpkin-spiced latté in my hand, I drive myself to some of my local thrift stores instead.

You can find some adorable and unique fall and Halloween decor at these stores, for really great prices. One of my favorite finds was an adorable set of pumpkin lights that I still put out every year, and they were only $2.99! They retailed for $29.99. I have found so many amazing things in thrift stores, and they are all so unique because most of them aren’t being sold in stores anymore.

2. Stay in

I know, I know. Most of those classic fall activities, like pumpkin patches and corn mazes, involve leaving the house. And those activities can be so fun, but they all require money. Everything has entry fees now, and it requires gas or transportation fees to get there. But don’t fear, there are so many fun fall things you can do without ever leaving the house.

This money-saving trick is super easy for me, as an introvert, but I love having a Halloween movie marathon or baking pumpkin-flavored treats. I actually made a whole list of activities you can do without ever leaving your home, which you can see here. If you aren’t an introvert, invite some close friends, or family to join in. Have a board game night with fun fall snacks and warm cups of apple cider. Honestly, this sounds way more fun than any outing!

Bonus, staying in is also super COVID friendly!

3. Plan ahead

For this one, I am mainly talking about your food and drink needs. When the weather gets cooler, one of my favorite things is grabbing a warm meal from a restaurant and bringing it home to eat in front of the TV, watching a Halloween movie while cuddling with my dogs. I don’t have to cook or do any of the clean-up, it’s beautiful. However, after multiple times of doing this, I am losing money that I could be saving.

So, meal planning is everything for me when it comes to saving money. I can make multiple delicious meals with the same amount of money I would have spent on one take-out dinner. And it’s usually a lot healthier as well.

I use this same principle when it comes to coffee. If I am going out for the day, I know I am going to have the urge to stop by Starbucks and pay 6 dollars for a coffee. So I make sure to crew a cup of coffee beforehand and bring it with me. Don’t get me wrong, I have already had my fair share of iced pumpkin spiced lattés this year, but the more I make at home, the more money I am saving.

4. Don’t turn on the heater

Autumn brings chilly days and windy nights. With the air getting cooler, it is easy to want to turn on your heater, but there are other ways to keep yourself warm! The obvious answer is to bundle up. Throw on some comfy sweats, a sweatshirt, and some warm wool socks! Wrap yourself in all the blankets you can find! You can even invest in a heated blanket. It will be an expense upfront, but in the long run, you will save money from heater costs.

Another way to stay warm during these months is to exercise! I love doing some indoor exercise, like yoga and dance, and then immediately taking a warm shower. The best type of exercise to warm up your body is not high-intensity. Yes, that will make you sweat, but a slow, long stretch will get the blood moving in your body and warm up your muscles for a longer period of time. After I stretch, my body is warm for hours as it slowly cools down. I also just feel better overall. It gets rid of those frigid shivers and goosebumps.

5. Find a side hustle

There are so many different side hustles out there. I have tried a few, like online surveys and transcription gigs. Although those won’t make you a ton of money, they do add a little supplemental income to your life, which can be super helpful during the holidays. Try driving for uber, or doing delivery for companies like door dash or instacart. With the world changing drastically over the past two years, there are so many opportunities out there to make a little extra money, just do some research. And always make sure what you are doing is legit, and not a scam. If it is too good to be true, it probably is.

I am not an expert on this subject, but I recommend checking out sites like The Penny Hoarder, which posts online jobs, entry-level opportunities, and side hustle gigs. Or simply type in “side hustles” into the google search bar and you will find thousands of results. There are a lot of resources out there!

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I am always looking for more tips to save money, especially during the second half of the year. Life is getting more expensive with every passing year. I am just trying to live in a world where Jeffery Bezos owns an astronomical portion of all the money in the world, and I just want a little piece of it. Eat the rich.

Anyway, let me know in the comments if you have any tips to save money! I would love to continue this conversation!