It's officially fall! Doesn't quite feel like it yet, but we'll get there soon hopefully. With the holidays fast approaching, now is the perfect time for some fall cleaning and preparation. Why should we save our big cleans for spring? Fall and winter are jam packed with holidays and events, so it's a perfect time to get organized. I recently read a book that inspired me to finally tackle cleaning out my closet. The book was about spending less and appreciating the clothes you already have by getting rid of what you don't wear. When I was done, it felt so nice to have everything organized and I could actually find the clothes I wanted to wear.
Here are a couple of suggestions for some fall cleaning for yourself:
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Look back on your budgeting
- How have you done with your budget and goals throughout the year?
- Are there any goals that you haven't made a lot of progress towards?
- Re-evaluate your goals and make adjustments.
- Be kind to yourself and realize that life happens, so if you haven't gotten as far along with a goal as you wanted, figure out why and see if you can change anything to help yourself achieve it.
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Clean out your closet as well!
- As we go into a new season, take note of anything that has seen better days and may need to be replaced. This way, if you are shopping, you'll already know what you do and don’t need.
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Looking towards the end of the year
- Are there activities that you do every year or a certain one you just really want to try this year?
- It's a great idea to look ahead at the next couple of months to see if there are big or small events that you should budget for.
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Gift planning
- Gifts can be a sore spot for budgets because unless you have an exact item in mind it's hard to know exactly what you want to spend.
- Think about any upcoming birthdays, events, or holidays that you will need gifts for and set yourself and overall budget, then start figuring out what you want to spend on each person/gift.
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Hosting
- Are you planning on hosting family or friends for the holidays?
- If you are on a tight budget, planning out your meal in advance will help you save money and stay on budget.
- If you are hosting a night for friends, consider doing a pot luck where everyone brings a dish to save you time and money.
Have fun!
This time of year is packed full of fun activities and events so join in! Trying to stay on budget can make it stressful when you want to enjoy the season, so get all of your planning done early, leave some wiggle room for random things that come up, and enjoy time with family and friends.