Tomorrow is October 1st which means that we are heading into the holiday season! This is the time of year when it seems as though there are expenses that can sneak up on us if we don't plan ahead for them. Here are a few items that you might want to add into your October budget.
Decorations & Pumpkins - Whether you are decorating for the season or getting pumpkins for the kids to carve, it is the time of year to be stopping by the pumpkin patch!
Family Pictures - This is the time of year that many people get their family pictures taken for Christmas cards and that sort of thing.
Costumes - It's time to be buying a costume for the kids if you celebrate Halloween!
Gifts - Whether you are buying hostess gifts or starting to plan ahead for Christmas, it is a good idea to add this into your budget as early as possible. We are big fans of Dave Ramsey's advice to save all year for Christmas gifts because then it isn't such a hit to your budget in the last couple of months.
Apple Picking - Many local orchards have U-Pick apple picking going on and this can be a cheaper (and more fun) way to get your apples but it is more of a cost up-front since you typically buy a bigger bag than what you would in the store.
Candy - Whether you are giving out candy for Halloween or just buying it for yourself, this is that wonderful time of the year where all the mini candy bars are available and they are hard to resist when you walk past them in the store. Just me?!
Travel - I know we are all traveling less right now but if traveling is in the plans for the holidays, starting to build it into the budget now will help you spread out the expense over a couple of months!
Hopefully this got you thinking about things you might need or want to add into your October budget.
If you are looking for ways to save money and/or make extra money, check out this article from Dave Ramsey's budgeting program, EveryDollar: