Fall is in the Air! Fall Traditions, Savings & Tips

Happy first day of Fall! I love Fall. Although we do not get a "real" fall here in California, the winds do kick up, days get a little more overcast, & there's definitely a fall feeling in the air. This is my favorite season. It means there are only 3 months left in the year to celebrate, and the holidays are right around the corner. I'd like to share some things I've done to make fall fun, frugal & a little simpler in my household.

Fall Tree
First, I consider the first day of Fall in my house September 1st. Our new family tradition is to put up our Christmas tree on that day. Yes, I said Christmas tree! It's a small fake tree I purchased back in my single days about 10 years ago probably for around $50. It has definitely gotten some great use! We decorate it with orange lights, spiders, jack-o-lanterns, gourds, and some garland of autumn leaves. When November hits, I take off the spiders and turn around the jack-o-lanterns so they look like plain pumpkins for Thanksgiving. Then, the weekend after Thanksgiving all we have to do is swap out the decorations. Being a small tree it's a fairly easy task for our busy family. It's also super frugal since we do not have to spend money on a tree & it lasts a lot longer than a real one. It's a really green option too. We may decide to one day opt for a bigger or even real tree (hopefully a live one that can be replanted), but for now this fits our budget wonderfully and is fun! If you are considering starting a Fall Tree tradition, you might want to mark the day after Halloween on your calendars to hit the craft stores & score some great deals on decorations. Don't forget your coupons! Joann's usually has some wonderful coupons in the Sunday paper.

Halloween Costume Savings
Some people are just now starting to think about what Halloween costumes their kids, or even themselves are going to wear. I want to encourage you to think differently & plan way ahead next year. You could try to estimate what size your kids will be next year, and shop the stores & online for deals after Halloween. I found my kids costumes on www.thredup.com a few months ago. Each box listed is only $5 plus shipping, usually totaling $15. They may still have a deal going where your first box is free. I was able to score 3 Halloween costumes for a total of $25. One box had 2 costumes. So, I sold one costume at a local consignment sale (www.BabyGreenResale.com) for, if memory serves me correctly around $8. I also sold another costume we used from last year there. It does take a little estimating to figure out what size growing kids will be. Estimate on the generous side! If you're lucky enough to have hand-me-downs from family & friends that can be a great way to save too! Last year we borrowed a costume from a friend. I also received a costume as a hand-me-down which will most likely fit my daughter next year. I will also be saving my son's costume in hopes that it will fit my daughter the following year. Goodwill is also an excellent place to shop for costumes. Also, if you are handy with the sewing machine, you will have a lot more variety at your fingertips for not too much cash!

Slow Cooker & Freezer Meals
I'd like to highlight 2 websites I recently discovered and absolutely love!
With the cool & busy days upon us, I would like to implement more Crock Pot Meals.
http://crockpotgirls.com/
Also, I know a lot of people in colder climates do freezer cooking for the winter. I hope to do some of that too. Passionate Homemaking has what they are calling their "Nutritious Freezer Meal Carnival": http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2009/01/nutritious-freezer-meal-carnival.html
This is where I will be turning to stock my freezer soon!

Pumpkin Spice Lattes
Ahh yes, it's that time of year where you can once again enjoy Pumpkin Spice Lattes (PSL's) at Starbuck's again. I have successfully not bought a Starbuck's Latte in a long, long time! Instead, I have been turning in Starbuck's coffee grounds packages for free cups of regular coffee (You can get it iced too). But, I got to thinking, what if I could create my own at home & stumbled upon this at home recipe. Enjoy!
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/beverage/diy-pumpkin-spice-latte-096277