Here’s your guide for what to remember to budget for in October including some budgeting challenges to partake in, what produce is in season, what’s on sale this month, and more!
Don’t forget to budget for:
- Halloween (Oct. 31)– plan for home decor, costumes, candy, and events for spooky season. Check your city’s calendar for free events!
- Seasonal clothing – cool weather is coming! (in most places) inspect your cool weather clothing and make a list of items you’ll need. Last year’s sweaters may have holes or shrunk, boots sell out fast if you wear a in-demand size and hats, scarves and gloves may be needed before you know it! Look for sales. Have stuff you no longer want? Learn how to easily sell your stuff here!
- Fall Events – Tis the season for pumpkin spice lattes, apple or pumpkin picking, hay rides and fall festivals! Budget for these events so they don’t surprise you!
- Sports – Whether its college football games, NFL watching parties or kids sports/ marching band/ associated activities, sports costs major moolah. Plan for travel costs, eating out, gear, training fees, tournaments, etc.
- School photos – If you have kids in school, it might be school picture time. Packages can cost from $50-$200, remember to budget for it if you want them, or pull out your phone and do your own photo shoot for the fam.
Need some fun, free things to do this fall? Check out this post filled with 40+!
Coming up fast! What to remember to budget for soon!
- Holidays and Christmas – Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali, holiday breaks and travel are coming FAST. Start saving now to avoid debt at New Year’s!
Need help planning? I have a holiday budget and spending tracking spreadsheet that is just $3.99 and comes with a printable and digital planner. Don’t forget a thing this year! Get it here.
October Money challenges
1: Start holiday shopping
It is never too early to start holiday shopping, especially if you want to get deals! Shipping delays worldwide may also make it very difficult for last-minute shoppers to get what they want this year, so start now with a list and a budget. See my holiday budget planner above for an easy way to not forget anything!
Make lists of all your gift recipients, ideas, budgets, meals to cook, decor to replace, and don’t forget travel expenses, tips for service people and teacher gifts! It may sound overwhelming, but lists will help you stay organized so you don’t over or under-buy or duplicate items!
If you want to give financial or money-related gifts, check out my Frugal Gift Guide!
2: Prepare your home for winter
For homeowners: Clean your furnace filters, check your roof, reseal your windows and check for gaps in the insulation. These small things can help you save a ton in the upcoming winter months!
It also may be a good time to blow out your dryer vents or hire a professional to do it. This task should be done at least every three years to drastically lower fire risk, plus it can save electricity by improving the effectiveness of your dryer!
Make sure your home is ready for Fall and Winter with this free checklist!
3. Consider a ban on buying new holiday decor
I know how fun it is to buy new holiday decor but sometimes the prices can get really expensive. Instead, get inspiration from your favorite places to buy holiday decor and see if you can repurpose and DIY some new decor with stuff you already own. It’s also a good time to go through what you own and declutter and purge your holiday stash.
What’s on sale in October?
Everything goes on sale eventually! If you shop smart, you can save big. Please don’t allow this list to encourage you to buy things you don’t want or need! instead Let it educate you and allow you to plan better!
October sales
- Outdoor furniture – September or October will have bottom barrel clearance on outdoor furniture. Now is the time to buy if you need or want these items.
- Air Conditioners – Now is the cheapest time to purchase A/C units or to get yours serviced. If you live somewhere where winter is mild, you might consider now a good time to do upgrades or work as service-people’s schedules have emptied.
- Laptops – If you can wait til mid to late summer, you can save big with back to school sales. (See Apple exclusions below)
- Summer Clothing – Summer clothing will be on clearance and big sales to clear out for winter wear. This will likely be the last chance to buy before March in store.
- Christmas decor – Discount stores like Dollar Tree and Walmart are starting to release their Christmas items and may or may not restock popular things that are good prices. If you are on a budget, shop those now, or wait until after the holidays have passed!
Wait to buy
These items will be at or near their top prices in October, wait if you can! You can find better deals if you wait until later in the year.
- Electronics – Hold out for Black Friday!
- Kitchen goods – Hold out for Black Friday!
- Jewelry – Hold out for Black Friday!
- Fall clothing – Fall clothing will start to show up in stores, but they’ll be at peek prices. Watch for Black Friday sales on essentials like hats, gloves, coats, boots and scarves.
- Pumpkins – gourd prices will fall immediately after Halloween, so if you can wait, it may save a pretty penny.
- Baking supplies – These will go on sale in November!
What’s in season in October?
Save money in October on groceries by shopping seasonally. Here’s what’s in-season and therefore likely on sale, nutritionally dense and super fresh in stores!
Fruits
- Apples
- Bananas
- Winter Cherries
- Chestnuts
- Carob
- Figs
- Grapes
- Prickly Pear
- Pineapples
- Persimmons
- Pomegranates
- Plums
Vegetables
- Chard
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Chicory
- Onion
- Beet tops
- Mushrooms
- Beans
- Endives
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Peas
- Leeks
- Radicchio
- Horseradish
- Turnips
- Radishes
- Celery
- Spinach
- Artichokes
- Pumpkin
For even more ways to save on your grocery bill, check out:
What are you making sure to remember to budget for in October? Did i miss anything?
Also check out:
7 Ways to Cut Down on Food Waste
Things to STOP Wasting Money On
