Autumn Money Saving Tips

As the days get shorter and the air turns crisp, it's the perfect time to get cosy and re-evaluate your spending. The autumn season brings with it plenty of opportunities to save money and prepare for the Christmas season without breaking the bank. Here are a few ideas to help you embrace the autumnal season while keeping your budget on track...

Here's our top Autumn themed money saving tips...

Autumnal Fun on a Budget 🍂🍂

1. Enjoy free entertainment. Autumn is known for its beautiful scenery. Instead of spending money on indoor activities, go for a hike, visit a local park to see the autumnal colours, or have a picnic. You can even make a scavenger hunt to find different types of leaves, pinecones, or acorns, a great outdoor activity for the kids!

2. Attend a free community event. Check local libraries, community centres, or online event calendars for free events like storytelling hours, art exhibitions, kids activities or farmer's markets. For example, in Guernsey, the Guille-Allés Library offer a whole range of free to attend events for all ages from babies through to seniors. View the full list here - Free events at Guille-Alles Library.

Free events at Guille-Alles Library

3. Go to the library. The library is a great free resource for books, movies, classes and events. Grab a book to read by the window on a rainy autumn afternoon. You can also download tonnes of free digital materials including ebooks, audiobooks, newspapers and magazines.

Here in Guernsey the Guille-Allés Library offer a wide range of creative equipment and technology housed within the Fab Lab. It's a great place to discover your inner creativity. Sign yourself up for a free to attend induction course to get an overview of all the equipment which is available free to use (just pay for materials used). More information here - Guernsey Fab Lab.

Guernsey Fab Lab

4. Create art with fallen leaves. Collect colourful leaves, acorns, and twigs to make collages, wreaths, or other decorations at home. This is a great, creative activity for all ages.

5. Host a 'bring-a-dish' night. Instead of going out to restaurants for dinner, invite friends over for a cosy evening of food and fun. Ask your guests to bring a dish (known as a 'potluck party' in the US), and you'll have a delicious meal with a variety of food without the high cost of dining out. You can even make it a theme, like "Italian Pasta Night", "Homemade Soups and Breads" or a "Curry Cook-off."

Autumn Bakes and Treats

6. Bake seasonal treats. Use affordable autumn produce like apples, pears and pumpkins to bake pies, crumbles, cakes, biscuits, jams, muffins or other yummy treats and desserts. You can use some of your homemade produce as gifts for the Christmas season. Or why not book a selling table at one of your local fetes and sell your homemade produce 🤩

If you find yourself with an abundance of Apples, or your neighbour has a glut of them, try making a Guernsey Gache Melee.... it's so simple and easy and uses minimal cost ingredients. In fact we calculated at just 20p per serving!

Be Savvy on your Spending 💰💰

Prepare for the Christmas season and cooler weather without overspending by changing how you shop.

7. Start your Christmas shopping now. You don't have to wait until Black Friday to start thinking about gifts. Spreading out your purchases over the next few months can help you avoid a big financial hit in December. Look for sales on items you know you'll need, and consider making some homemade gifts yourself. Remember to check online stores for sales and offers. Websites regularly run sales and promotions to clear their warehouses of all the summer stock to make way for the arrival of Christmas.

Keep an eye out in our online deals and offers Facebook Group over at SuperSavvySavers Online Deals where we post daily offers from Amazon and other well known online stores including Boots, MandM, Dunelm, Discount Dragon, WeirdFish ... If there's a bargain to be had, we'll find it!

Find a Better Bargain Online!

8. DIY your decor. Get creative with your autumn decorations instead of buying new ones. Collect pine cones, colourful leaves, and acorns on your walks. You can use these natural elements to create beautiful centrepieces, wreaths, or garlands. A few small pumpkins or gourds from a local farm stand can also add a festive touch for a low price. Take a look at these Autumn Crafts with Leaves ideas.

Autumn Crafts with Leaves

9. Layer your wardrobe. Instead of buying new heavy coats, wear layers by pairing summer clothes with sweaters, cardigans, and scarves. This helps you transition your existing wardrobe into the new season. For instance, wear your favourite tee shirt with a long sleeve top underneath, or wear your favourite lightweight V-neck jumper with a scarf.

Layering your wardrobe for the autumn season

10. Shop for deals. Keep an eye out for end of season and pre-Christmas sales like Black Friday or for discounts on items like jeans in October or winter coats after Christmas. Shopping second-hand is another excellent way to save on clothing and decor. Guernsey offers an abundance of charity shops - view our blog post Charity Shops in Guernsey.

Charity shops in Guernsey

You will also likely find outdoor car boot sales where you can search for bargains and there are usually a variety of indoor school and church fetes and fairs during the run up to the Christmas season. Check your local community calendar for events.

Cut Your Energy Bills ⚡️💡

Reducing your energy consumption as the weather gets colder is one of the most effective ways to save money during the autumn months. Small changes to your habits and a few simple maintenance tasks can make a significant difference to your bills.

11. Check for energy leaks. With temperatures dropping, you'll be using your heating system more. Before you crank up the heat, check for draughts around windows and doors. Sealing these gaps can significantly lower your energy bill. A simple DIY solution is to use weather stripping or a door draught excluder.

Sealing windows for draughts

12. Use window film. For single-pane windows, a clear plastic film can be applied to the interior frame to create an insulating barrier that traps heat inside.

13. Adjust your thermostat. Set your thermostat to around 68°F (20°C) when you're home and lower it by 7-10°F when you're asleep or away. For every degree you lower your thermostat, you can save about 1% on your heating bill.

14. Use natural light and warmth. During the day, open curtains and blinds to let sunlight warm your home. Close them at night to trap heat inside.

15. Check your fireplace. If you have a fireplace, ensure the damper is closed when not in use. An open damper is like an open window, allowing a huge amount of heat to escape up the chimney.

Door Draft Excluder Strip

Thermo Cover Window Insulating Film

Halloween 31st October! 🎃👻

And of course Halloween falls on the 31st October, a time for ghoulish delights, spooky costumes, and mountains of treats. But let's be honest, it can also be a fright for your finances if you're not careful!

Read all our Halloween money saving tips, ideas and inspirations over on our Halloween on a Budget - Killer Ways to Save blog post!

Halloween on a Budget - Killer Ways to Save

I hope you have enjoyed reading our recommendations of Ways to Save money this Autumn season.

Keep warm and Enjoy the Autumn colours! 🍂🎃

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