10 Easy Frugal Living Tips for Fall
Updated 2024.09.04. This page contains affiliate links and this site earns from qualifying purchases made through these sponsored links.
Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. The light is golden, the leaves change colors, and many things are coming ready for harvest.
With this abundance on the market, there are many ways you can maximize your resources and get the most out of your life, and what you enjoy.
Because frugal living is all about optimizing your value, below we are going to share ten ways you can maximize your resources, both those you have already, and those in accounts nearby to have the most abundant autumn yet.
1 - Layer your rewards programs
Or in another example, if you have card rewards, use that card when making a purchase at a store where you get store points - expand your bonuses by two fold.
2 - Stock up for the year on favorites
Lots of stores do buy one, get one sales and double points days gearing up for the holidays. If you have certain things you buy month after month, and you can store them, project yourself into the future, and consider your needs, get as much as you can for the next four seasons while these BOGO sales are in season.
You also often can get a cheaper price when buying more, with bulk price discounts, increasing your potential return.
When you have done your shopping, enter your pre-discount total and put it over your new total with discounts in a percent decrease calculator to see how much saved - then save it!
3 - Use your coffeehouse’s rewards programs
If you are out and about, and happen to run out of your favorite beverage, you may decide to get some nourishment at your favorite coffee or tea house.
Maybe you don’t do it all the time, and that’s alright - you need to eat but see if they have a rewards program that earns you free drinks. Some coffeehouses offer a free drink a week during certain seasons and promotions.
If you are going there anyway, may as well pay yourself forward on a future trip, even if you do it slowly.
Hesitant about joining a rewards program because you don’t want all the emails? Most email services let customers adjust their settings - you can set up your rewards program, so that you login to the app when you want to engage, and opt-out of messaging encouraging you to when you’d rather not.
4 - Wear a sweater
Rather than turn up the heat during a cool day, why not add a layer?
Your warm layers you buy once, and maintain periodically with washing and occasional stitching of repairs. The heat costs resources every second it is in use. In the grand scheme of things, layers are less maintenance, often the most cost-saving option over heat fuel in cooler weather.
Further, wearing a sweater may please your housemates as your base body temperature may run cooler, but a housemate may run warmer. Adding layers to individuals, provides localized heat only to those who need it, making everyone happy, even the naturally warmer ones.
5 - Consider holding off on new investments for after Christmas clearance
If you have forecasted a need for yourself in the future, but you don’t need it right now, see if you can wait until the price drops really low for it.
Many retailers clearance out things like clothing, shoes, housewares, or decor starting December 26th and into mid January. Your money may stretch farther during this window of time, so if you can wait, put it on your after-Christmas list.
Bonus: Perhaps start a new Christmas tradition. The period of Christmastide runs from Christmas Eve to January 5th. If something you know will be going on sale, you could put off your gift giving until this period, allowing family and friends to take advantage of the lower prices. If you still want a traditional Christmas gift exchange, gift wrap images of the gift to come and give those.
6 - Shop around for bargain meat prices
Roasts, birds and other family shared meats often go on sale by the pound near the holidays, and sometimes the prices get so low you don’t see them that low for the rest of the year.
Make a note of the lowest prices you see starting six weeks out from each major holiday each for the roasts you buy and eat, and mentally bookmark these price points.
If you have a freezer, buy the best price you see, when you see it, and jump on these remembered best prices when you see them again that same price or lower next year. These amazing holiday meat prices can start for Turkey, for example, as early as mid-October.
7 - Keep your thermostat between 60-68 degrees
Get a good night’s sleep and conserve your money.
The best temperature for sleep is somewhere between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit (15-19 degrees Celsius), with the average temperature being 65 degrees. Think of your heat bill and average setting for temperature in the colder seasons, now think how it could be 10% less.
The Department of Energy estimates that you can save 10% on your heating by lowering the thermostat 7-10 degrees from your normal, pre-conservation mode settings.
Even if you lower it to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) for just 8 hours a day for example when you sleep.
8 - Inventory your cupboards
Before shopping for something new to stock up on this winter, from cans of beans to toothpaste to a new appliance, scan your cabinets to see if you have the item or a similar replacement already buried somewhere.
Resources often go bad simply because we are not using up what we have first - something you stockpiled this time last year, maybe just waiting to be used now!
9 - Try a no spend week
Freeze your spending for 7 days. Swipe your library card, or use a library mobile app like Libby and Hoopla which allow you to get audio books for free in addition to ebooks.
Cash in your store points, add saved rewards to coupons. See what the stores are giving away for free this week and go get it. Put into use something you already have.
10 - Review your accounts and see if you could be paying less
Autumn is a time of year when we naturally begin taking stock. While you take stock of the year, take a look at your accounts. Who and where do you pay on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis?
Login to these accounts, reach out to your representative, and see if there are any new rewards you have yet to apply or ways to optimize your account that you don’t know about yet. You may also find that some accounts could be charging you less.
Prepare to be surprised by the benefits or savings you may find!
Alright so there you have it.
Do you see an easy and fun way to begin your frugal fall lifestyle above that you can work on today?
Which is it?
Choose one way to begin and you’ll be well on your way to an abundance of fall resources at a value you can afford -
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