4 Reasons To Be Even MORE Frugal This Fall
Brace your wallet for the winter....
Fall is here...and it's time to up your frugal factor even more. Why embrace life using less cash this season? Here are four great reasons to do just that:
An Uncertain World
Just a quick glimpse at the headlines reveals a number of world events that promise to have intense impacts on the economy, political stability, and your personal finances. For example, tensions in the Middle East are causing gas prices to wobble and rise, meaning you'll need more cash at the pump and grocery store as fuel prices impact food prices.
Frugality is a great response to uncertain world events because it puts you in control of your pocketbook. By embracing a frugal lifestyle now, you'll be able to better withstand whatever comes your way. You'll also train yourself to take care of yourself first, making you more likely to ride out short-term crises.
An Approaching Winter
If you haven't noticed, the past few winters have been doozies-and with winter on its way yet again, it makes sense to hedge your bets now. They don't call it "the winter of our discontent" for nothing: the season is associated with treacherous traffic conditions (car repairs!), gnarly weather events (new roofs, increased heating costs), and the king of big-ticket holidays, Christmas.
As winter approaches, resolve to hold back on the money you harvest this fall. Building up even a tiny emergency cushion will help you buy unexpected oil, replace blown-out pipes, or just enjoy a fancier Christmas this year.
A New School Year
Some associate Back-To-School with plenty of spending, but there's no reason to turn it into a financial bloodbath. Back-to-school purchases can be a great place to flex your frugality. What will you invest in this season? What can you stretch or repurpose? Where are the best deals?
Speaking of school, there's no better time to educate yourself about the best ways to spend and save your money than now. While your kids head back to the classroom, resolve to learn about different ways to leverage your cash on behalf of your family. Maybe it's time to start a new savings goal or begin to mastermind a much-needed remodel. No matter what your goals, knowledge is power. Why not gain a bit more this fall?
A Chance To Plug In
Fall is a vastly underrated season. Abundant in natural beauty, relatively mild weather, and a sense of crisp change, autumn can be a great chance to plug in to yourself and your family's needs. What really feeds you? What will you need to face the winter ahead? What's important in your life?
When you reconnect with those values, you can start to feel a real purpose to your shopping decisions, whether this involves learning to coupon or thinking through a big-ticket purchase instead of succumbing to an impulse buy.
Whether you spend this autumn planning, learning, recommitting to your values or just enjoying the simple pleasures of changing leaves and crisp apples, fall can be a great time to transition to a more frugal life. Think about some ways you can use the season to become more fabulously frugal-then grab a coat, get outside, and enjoy some frugal family fun!