Interested in Your Own Personally Branded Magazine? Click Here!

Want to customize this content for your business?

Learn More

Categories

  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining

  • Printables
  • Videos


General

  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers


Editorial

  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea

American Lifestyle Magazine Logo
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
  • Search
  • Follow
  • 0 Heart
  • |
  • Food & Recipes Categories
    • All Recipes (761)
    • Appetizers (138)
    • Breakfast (62)
    • Cooking Tips (42)
    • Desserts (219)
    • Dinner (229)
    • Drinks (59)
    • Gluten Free (9)
    • Healthy (65)
    • Lunch (6)
    • Quick & Easy (60)
    • Vegan (32)
    • Vegetarian (48)
Desserts | Dec 22, 2022

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies

  • Holiday & Entertaining Categories
    • Celebrate (2)
    • Christmas (81)
    • Easter (14)
    • Entertaining (40)
    • Fall (9)
    • Father’s Day (6)
    • Halloween (29)
    • Hanukkah (17)
    • July 4th (34)
    • Mother’s Day (8)
    • New Year’s (22)
    • St. Patrick's Day (11)
    • Thanksgiving (36)
    • Valentine’s Day (5)
    • Winter (11)
Family & Pets | Dec 14, 2022

Customize Your New Year’s Eve Celebration

  • Decor Categories
    • Crafts & DIY Projects (273)
    • Curb Appeal (5)
    • Decorate (72)
    • Interior Design (85)
Interior Design | Feb 1, 2023

Houston, We Have a Rebuild

Decorate | Jan 19, 2023

Elegant Decor for Any Budget

Interior Design | Jan 12, 2023

Finding Art for Your Home

  • Real Estate Categories
    • Buying & Selling (203)
    • Home Trends (23)
    • Staging (20)
    • Your First House (34)
Decor | Nov 14, 2022

Design Trends to Follow in 2023

Real Estate | Sep 23, 2022

How to Shop for a Home Loan

Real Estate | Sep 21, 2022

Tips for Preventing Homeowner Identity Fraud

  • Life & Culture Categories
    • Editorial (311)
    • Family & Pets (202)
    • Finances (32)
    • Health (159)
    • Travel (249)
Editorial | Feb 3, 2023

Block Party

Travel | Jan 18, 2023

Winter Vacation Destinations

Finances | Dec 23, 2022

A Look Back at Inflation in 2022

  • Home Categories
    • Cleaning (43)
    • Organizing (48)
    • Home Improvement (124)
    • Outdoors & Gardening (87)
Home Improvement | Jan 18, 2023

4-Week Home-Improvement Challenge

Home Improvement | Jan 6, 2023

Value-Adding Winter Home Improvements

Decor | Nov 14, 2022

Design Trends to Follow in 2023

Follow us on social media today!

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

A Fall Financial Checklist

Family & Pets | By Matthew Brady | 0 Likes
SHARE
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn More

For many, autumn is the best time of year. The return of cool breezes, comforting foods, and pumpkins can be invigorating. It’s also a bookmark of sorts, especially for your finances—a perfect time to take stock of your spending after the summer’s over to see what lies ahead. These tips can help you make simple, sensible choices and take action to make the most of your money, from your food choices to your financial options to protecting your most valuable assets.

Bask in the Bounty

Autumn is all about fresh food, and you can get more bang for your buck with these tips.

Fall Fruits & Veggies:

This one’s all about supply and demand: you can usually get good prices on in-season fruits and veggies because they’re so plentiful. So stock up on autumn produce like apples, beets, pomegranates, squashes, and sweet potatoes, to name a few. They’ll be bursting with flavor and health benefits—especially at the local farmers market—without busting your budget.

produce-section

Store Up Soup:

Speaking of fresh vegetables, they go really well in soup, another fall favorite—making it easier for you to maximize the produce you buy. A bonus for your bottom line: soup also freezes quite well. It can last up to three months frozen, so you can make one large pot of it and feed your family for weeks.

Focus on Financials

It’s been said that planning is bringing the future into the present so you can do something about it now, and that’s especially true when it comes to your end-of-year finances.

Work Benefits:

Company benefits often begin on January 1, so pay close attention to your company’s open enrollment period to determine the best insurance option for you and your family. Consider benefits like a flexible savings account (FSA), a health savings account (HSA), and a 401(k) (especially if there’s company matching) to determine what would best suit your family. Two important things to keep in mind: just because your benefit choices worked for you this year, it doesn’t mean they will next year, and for an existing FSA, make sure to use your money if there’s an end-of-year deadline! Finally, any company-sponsored discounts (such as a weight-loss program or gym membership) need to be submitted by the end of the year, so make sure to submit the paperwork to cash in.

financial-wellness

Education:

If you have kids in college, look ahead to the spring semester. Granted, you may think “They just went back to school,” but now’s the time to focus on financial education planning. Keep an eye out for federal financial aid (FAFSA) application deadlines (which usually open in early fall). Spring tuition for many colleges can be due as early as November and as late as January, so mark it on your calendar and plan accordingly—especially with holiday bills also on the horizon—to avoid getting docked with late fees.

Investments:

Things change all the time in the finance world, especially taxes and laws, and these tend to go into effect in the new year. If you’re looking ahead with your other investments, such as your stock portfolio or loans, be well educated about your options and about what’s happening—and expected to happen—going forward. The best course of action? Touch base with your financial advisor, who can steer you on the path that’s right for you.

Holiday Shopping:

Many times, I’ve paid the price (literally and figuratively) for waiting until December to take care of my holiday shopping—when you’re desperate, stock is depleted, and the calendar is dwindling down, you’ll tend to pay full price. But if you’re smart about it, you can plan ahead and enjoy the holiday rush.

During the next several weeks between now and Black Friday be intentional as you prepare for what you want to buy—and what you want to pay for it. Scour the internet, and keep a spreadsheet of prices; that way, you’ll get a sense of what you can expect to spend and what’s a good deal. Also, be sure to set aside a little money out of every paycheck for the holidays—or do what I do: know your calendar. If you get paid biweekly, two months out of the year have an extra payday, and one of them is typically an autumn month. If you do have an extra paycheck, see if you can dedicate part or all of it to your holiday shopping, which will really help when the January credit card bills arrive.

fall-home

Don’t Wait for Winter

Take advantage of the lovely autumn weather to cut down your bills—and prevent costly ones.

fall-finances

Home:

Fall is a great time to get your home ready inside and out for winter, which can offer big cost savings. Cleaning out your gutters in late autumn, when all the leaves have fallen, can help you avoid drainage trouble in winter, when it might also be difficult to remedy the situation. If your driveway or sidewalk needs repair, do it now before rain and ice seep into the cracks and holes, potentially causing costly underlying damage. And speaking of ice, if you live in a cooler climate, make sure that you remove outdoor hoses, turn off your water supply to outdoor spigots, and drain the spigots; otherwise, when the nighttime temperatures creep toward freezing later in the season, you may find yourself in a world of financial hurt when your pipes freeze.

Inside, you can cut down on future bills by ensuring your home is warm during the coming months. Have your furnace (and fireplace, if you have one) serviced and change its filter so it’s at peak capacity, and check your windows and doors for drafts and cracks, sealing where needed.

Car:

Much like you can with your home, taking necessary steps to winterize your car now can save you financial headaches down the (icy) road. Check your antifreeze level and temperature, tread life and balance of your tires (which should also be rotated), and the status of your wipers and windshield fluid. Have your heater and defrosters checked to make sure they are functioning well, and make sure you have an emergency kit.

A Downloadable Financial Checklist to Stay on Track

8142 Views

This article is tagged in:

Finance TipsFinancesFinancial ChecklistHomeLifeMoneySavings

Related Posts

Life & Culture | Dec 23, 2022

A Look Back at Inflation in 2022

Life & Culture | Dec 13, 2022

How to Prepare for Retirement

Life & Culture | Dec 7, 2022

Getting Your Finances on Track after the Holidays

Life & Culture | Nov 30, 2022

Banks vs. Credit Unions: What’s the Difference?

Holiday & Entertaining | Nov 11, 2022

Inflation and Holiday Shopping

Popular Posts

can-planters-card
Decor | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Home | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

Life & Culture | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

spring-cleaning-countdown
Home | Mar 23, 2021

Spring-Cleaning Countdown

Real Estate | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist


You may also like:

can-planters-card
Crafts & DIY Projects | Mar 25, 2020

Make Your Own Can Planters

Outdoors & Gardening | Jul 8, 2021

Tips for Redesigning Your Patio Space

Health | Feb 17, 2020

Trash vs. Recycle: Do You Know When to Trash it?

spring-cleaning-countdown
Cleaning | Mar 23, 2021

Spring-Cleaning Countdown

Buying & Selling | Dec 14, 2017

House Selling Checklist

home office with white furniture
Health | Mar 30, 2020

Everyone Is Working From Home—Here’s How to Do It Effectively

decorating-basics
Interior Design | Jun 9, 2020

These Tips Are Your North Star For Home Decorating

Share on Social Media

Our mission is to deliver entertainment that inspires and motivates our readers, encouraging them to follow their passions as they explore new horizons.

© 2023 American Lifestyle Magazine

General
  • About the Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Copyright
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
Editorial
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Issue Archive
  • Contact Us
  • Pitch an Idea
Categories
  • Home
  • Decor
  • Real Estate
  • Life & Culture
  • Food & Recipes
  • Holiday & Entertaining
Follow Us
Facebook Pinterest Instagram Youtube

Customize this content for your business!

Learn More

,