Autumn Is A Fresh Start For Saving
There’s a quiet magic in the air when autumn starts to creep in. Though I don’t want to see summer pass by, I have always loved the season of Autumn. Even before the leaves change colour, there’s a noticeable shift — cooler mornings, earlier evenings, a return to routine. Some people say spring is the season of new beginnings, but I’ve always felt that fall has a similar energy. September feels like the “other New Year.”
With kids heading back to school, schedules settling down, and the carefree pace of summer behind us, this season is the perfect time to pause, reset, and get organized at home. And that, of course, includes organizing our finances.
Back-to-School Mindset — Even For Grownups
Remember how a new school year felt growing up? Fresh notebooks (have a look at some of the lined journals that I create on Amazon), sharpened pencils, clean pages full of potential. That feeling doesn’t have to be just for students.
As adults, September gives us a chance to evaluate our household routines. Meal planning feels easier when life is back on a schedule. We’re home more often, which makes it easier to prepare meals and avoid takeout. Even small habits — like brewing coffee at home again or packing snacks — can suddenly feel easier, just because autumn gives us that little nudge toward structure.
Back-to-school mindset
Make a plan to put saving money back into action this fall
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Fall Is the Perfect Time to Start Saving (or Recommit)
If you’ve been wanting to start saving money but feel like you’ve fallen off the wagon, this is a great time to begin. Make autumn your financial reset season:
Do a pantry clean-out: See what meals you can make from what you already have before buying more. If you want to save, always use what you have first before buying more.
Start a fall savings challenge: Even $5 a week set aside now adds up by Christmas.
Set one new financial goal for September: Pay off one bill faster, build an emergency fund, or track every dollar for 30 days. (Don’t forget your freebie, a 100-Day Challenge Tracker, when you subscribe to this website.)
These don’t have to be big, dramatic changes. Like I always say, saving isn’t about one big leap — it’s about tiny choices repeated over time. Fall is full of small comforts, and a lot of those comforts cost nothing: cozy sweaters, evenings in, candles you've already got, and a library book or two.
The Peace of Being Prepared
Heading into the end of the year with a plan—instead of panic—can make a huge difference. Even if you haven’t saved much this year, starting now can still put you ahead for Christmas or set you up for a better January.
Let autumn be your reminder: a new season can mean a new habit. Look at this time as your second chance at a fresh start — without the pressure of making resolutions like we do in the New Year.
Simple Ways to Get Started This Fall:
✅ Make a warm, cozy drink at home instead of buying one
✅ Check subscriptions — cancel any you forgot you were even paying for. (I just had to do this recently. I was caught on an item I thought I had cancelled, and when my credit card bill came in, I realized I hadn’t cancelled it.)
✅ Choose three to four nights a week for home-cooked meals, and write them on a calendar
✅ Put a small jar on the counter for loose change (yes, that still adds up!)
✅ Create a fall household budget — even a simple one that shows what is coming in and what has to go out in the form of utilities, groceries, gas, etc.
Get started this fall
Make a warm, cozy drink with what you already have at home
Final Thought
Autumn invites us to slow down and settle in — and there’s something very comforting about knowing you're in control of your money as the colder months approach. So take this season like a brand-new notebook — clean pages waiting to be filled with better habits, cozy routines, and maybe even a little savings tucked away for a rainy day.
Let fall be the season you gently begin again.