Pumpkin spice and everything nice! The seasons may change but one thing always stays the same: the opportunity to begin saving money. Now that fall is here, you can use the cooler weather to refresh your sense of physical, emotional and financial well-being by doing these things this month:
1. Protect yourself online
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. Use this time as a reminder to update your online passwords. At a minimum, you should be changing your passwords every year to prevent identity theft. And make sure you have different passwords for each site. The Internet touches almost all aspects of our daily life, and identity thieves know this. Check out these resources to protect you and your family.
2. Enjoy the cheap fall foods
Nothing says comfort foods like pumpkin spice, but don’t forget the ingredients of the season like apples, squash, and root veggies which are plentiful in autumn. Visit the local orchards, farmer’s markets and fall festivals for the freshest supplies then check out our pinterest board for great recipes.
3. Best time to buy a car
If you’ve been eyeing this year’s models or were thinking about refinancing your current vehicle to lower your payment, this is the perfect month to get the best deals and save money. Dealerships start receiving next year’s product around this time and are looking to unload to make room. Financial institutions know this pattern and start advertising lower rates! Make sure you check out these Car Buying Negotiation tips, get pre-approved to lock in an awesome rate, and drive home with your new wheels!
4. Start planning next summer
Wait what? You heard us! If you started saving $10-25 a week right now, you’d have $390-$975 by the time summer rolled around. Open a Vacation Savings Account and set up automatic transfers so you don’t even miss the cash. Then earn interest while you plan for warmer weather to come back!
5. Apply for Financial Aid early!
File your FAFSA papers! If you need financial aid to help you pay for college, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The 2019–20 FAFSA form will be available on October 1, 2018. This money is first come, first serve, so you should fill it out as soon as possible at the official government site, fafsa.gov.
