The fall season brings many things: beautiful colors, nice weather (depending on where you live), and football. It is also a sign of what’s to come: the hustle and bustle and cost associated with the holidays, as well as the price you pay for heating your home. Fall is a wonderful time of year and an even better time to visit your financial situation. You can go over your budget, see where your expenses are going, and find areas where you can cut some costs. Here are three tips on how to save some money beginning this upcoming weekend:
- Prepare your house for the winter – There are a variety of things you can do to prepare your house for the coming cold. Caulk the outside of your windows and doors to seal the warmth inside, install a weather strip to the bottom of your door to prevent drafting, and reverse the direction of your ceiling fans. Prepping your house for winter is a great way to save money on heating costs. For more tips about winter preparation, visit Money Talks.
- Cut the cord – An easy way to save money this weekend is to finally cancel your cable or satellite TV. This could save you money each month. When my wife and I moved into our home when chose to only buy internet service. Cable TV is expensive and unnecessary. We are able to watch the shows that we want with a subscription to Netflix. We also bought “rabbit ears” so we can get local channels and watch our Packers play every Sunday. With all the other subscription TV services available (like Netflix, Hulu, or Sling) it really doesn’t make sense to pay so much for cable. For more tips about cutting the cord, visit the Saving Advice forums.
- Invest in meal preparation – Planning your meals for the week ahead does two things. First, everything you will eat for the week will be bought at a grocery store, which will save you money by not going out to eat or order take-out. Two, it forces you to eat healthier. The food you buy and prepare yourself will, most likely, be much better for you. So while you are saving money, you are also providing your body with healthy nutrients. To learn more about meal prep, visit Meal Prep Haven.
Conclusion
During this time of year, there are many things that we would like to do on a weekend. Sometimes we don’t want to do anything besides sit on the couch and watch football. However, there are some things we can do to prepare our finances for the coming months. If you live somewhere in the north, preparing for the cold to come is a great way to save on energy costs. A couple of others ways would be canceling TV service and preparing your meals for the week ahead. Though there are many other ways to save some money, I feel these three, in particular, warrant special consideration.
Photo: American Advisors Group
Jacob G. Sensiba is a third generation Registered Representative/Investment Advisor Representative at CRG Financial Services, Inc., Having grown up surrounded by wealth management. He is a licensed Registered Representative for the states of Wisconsin, Nebraska, Arizona, and Virginia. He is a licensed Investment Advisor Representative for Wisconsin. Jacob is a husband, father and self-confessed finance nerd. In spare time he enjoys family, golf, travel and personal finance.
You can also read his other articles at The Free Financial Advisor
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