These Fall Saving Tips Will Help You Make The Most of Your Money

Money’s getting tight with rising prices across the board. Nobody wants to live in a cardboard box, but we’re all looking to find ways to make our dollars stretch. With a bit of planning ahead, you can make things work, but sometimes you need a little extra. So, here are some fall saving tips to help you make the most of your money in Cache Valley.

1. Buying In Bulk

With prices steadily rising, it can be good to buy in bulk where possible. If you have membership, Sam’s Club provides bulk options for all kinds of needs at good prices. You can stock up on food and keep yourself fed to fend off rising prices for a while.  Also, consider Gossner’s shelf-stable UHT Milk. As long as the seal isn’t broken, the milk stays good for up to a year. The variety of sizes they offer means you can get it in amounts just right for cooking and not have to worry about needing to use the rest before it goes bad.

With the right planning, you can save yourself the trouble of shopping regularly, cutting down on food and gas bills for driving.  Just be sure that if you buy in bulk, you’re buying things you’ll actually use.

2. Buying Slightly Used

People always jump on buying new, but you can save yourself a lot of money if you’re willing to get things second-hand. Consider Little Sprouts Resale Boutique. When you consider how quickly kids grow, not to mention how quickly they wear things out while playing, you can save yourself some money by buying quality used clothes for your kid. They look brand new, but cost half as much. When your kids outgrow them, you can sell them back to recover some of the costs, too. It’d be a great way to prepare for your kid’s back to school days coming at the end of the month.

Or there’s the king of used goods here in Cache Valley, Deseret Industries. It can take a bit of looking, but you can find just about anything you want there, from books and movies, to kitchen appliances. With everything there being donated, they’re sold at hugely discounted prices no one else in the valley can match.

3. Loyalty Programs

Businesses love loyal customers, but it can be hard to build that loyalty. Some try to do so with loyalty programs that reward you for repeatedly coming to them. Pauni Island Grill, for example, has a loyalty card you can get with all kinds of rewards (need more details) on top of their consumer friendly prices. It’s a great way to try something different from the usual fast food around Cache Valley.

Lee’s Marketplace also has a rewards system for regular customers. Signing up for a Lee’s account will let you earn points that give you money off at the beginning of each month depending on how much you spend. It also gives you access to special discounts on select items. You might get some products half-off, or you might get a free lunch – and where else can you get a free lunch?

Various places around Cache Valley also offer loyalty perks for gas, too. Speaking of gas . . .

4. Energy Efficiency

The biggest rise in costs over the past few years has been energy costs, whether it’s gas for your car, or heating and cooling for your house, your energy bills are probably going up. The EPA reports that energy costs are the biggest expense most homes have. Why not improve the energy efficiency of your homes and reduce it? Most energy spend on heating and cooling your home gets lost due to poor insulation.  Proper insulation can help reduce heat loss in the most common areas of your home.

You can further improve this by cleaning your HVAC system, including your air ducts and vents. Getting rid of dust and debris in your ducts will improve the airflow, meaning your HVAC system has less friction. This not only means your HVAC doesn’t have to work as hard to get the same results, but also wears out slower, reducing maintenance costs over time.

5. Planning Ahead

The final tip to save money is to be better prepared for the future.  There are always going to be things you need to spend some money on and you should make a list of them so you can budget them in.  For example, car maintenance can be super important; a little preventative maintenance every year can save you from an expensive breakdown later.  Since you know this, plan your budget around needing to do this and save up for it.

It’s also a good idea to set aside extra money for savings.  While this sounds obvious, you’d be surprised how many people don’t do it.  Try to set a reasonable goal for an amount of money to save from your paychecks every month and stick to it.  This can provide you with a safety net in the case of unexpected expenses.  This can help you avoid going into debt, or help you pay off previous debts.

And finally, take a look at all the things you might need and consider buying things in bulk on a schedule, spacing them out so you’re never spending a lot of money all at once.  Canned foods (Lee’s frequently has discounts on these), diapers, cleaning supplies.  Stocking up on individual items over a period of months can build up to a solid window of not needing to spend money later.

Use These Fall Saving Tips to Get You Through The Hard Times

You often hear that it’s a good idea to save money for a rainy day. You’ve probably noticed that Cache Valley has had quite a few more rainy days than usual this year. And I mean that both literally and figuratively. With the extra expenses we’ve had to deal with, it’s definitely smart to find whatever ways to save money that you can. Our fall saving tips will help you do just that. Cut down on your expenses so you’ll have less to worry about as the year comes to a close.

Header image Photo by Karolina Grabowska