Pumpkin Spice and a budget with a good price!
It’s time for the leaves to turn into those beautiful red, oranges, and greens, but with the changing of leaves does this also mean the change in your bank account? Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are right around the corner which means these next few months will test our bank accounts to the limit. Christmas presents, food, decorations, and new clothes for those holiday parties can be some of the few things you will spend your money on this season, but is there a way to possibly save on those costs? Cutting a few edges in cost does not mean you’re broke; it just means you will have enough at the end of the holiday season to make sure you bring in the new year with a head start.
With the beauty of autumn comes a series of expenses that can strain our budgets like pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween costumes, plus necessities like heating bills and flights to see our out of state loved ones. There are so many ways to overspend, but fear not there are some ways to help you spend more wisely. Firstly, creating a fall specific budget is a great way to start. Start by listing all the expenses you anticipate for the season including decorations, groceries for the holiday meals, travel, and of course your new seasonal wardrobe additions. Once you have it all written down for a visual representation, deal out a specific amount to each category. You’ll know exactly how much you can afford to spend on each item, which can prevent you from dipping into your savings. A budget is not meant to make you think you can’t enjoy the holiday; it just helps you spend within your means.
Use those points during this time of year. Credit cards can be dangerous and sometimes put you into debt that you didn’t even know you’ve created. Cashback offers, bonus points, airline miles and more are some benefits to these deals. Take advantage of those fall sales and discounts. In October Amazon has their prime day and Target will offer longer sales around the same time. These sales usually are a month before the usual Black Friday deals to keep you ahead of the game. Grocery stores also tend to get stocks of the holiday goodies and discount them before the holiday festivities to make sure they don’t run out so keep an eye out for those. With a bit of planning, you can make the most of this season while staying on track with your financial goals.
