Seasonal Saving: Spring Edition

Lots of people talk about (or write about) when to buy certain things like appliances, cars, or other equipment to get the best deal. They say to buy cars at the end of the year, houses in the spring, and furniture in the summer. But what about the smaller stuff? What can you do seasonally to save on the small stuff? Since Spring is just around the corner (hopefully) I thought I’d share my favorite ways to save money this season.

1. Turn off the heat and open those windows!

Once the weather is nice, I’m all about leaving the windows open as much as possible. You’ll save on heating/air conditioning and air out that winter funk! (Does anyone else notice that the house smells different after being closed up all winter?) Fresh breeze, lower electric/gas bill…it’s a win/win!!! And as it gets warmer try using fans before turning on the air conditioning to prolong those savings!

2. Exercise outside.

Get rid of that gym membership and hit the trails (or streets) for your daily exercise! Save some money and lose that winter insulation by running, walking, or biking outside. It’s way cheaper than a gym (like, free) and you’ll get some Vitamin D while you’re at it. Even just taking a nice stroll after dinner will be better than sitting around on the couch all night! And let’s face it, we’re all much more likely to get out and exercise when it’s nice outside!

3. Plant a garden.

While you’re outside being all healthy and getting a nice tan, plant a garden. Vegetable seeds are ridiculously cheap and with a little skill and some dedication you can save yourself some money by growing some of your vegetables at home. A few favorites are tomato, cucumber, and herbs (I know, not vegetables, but they’re still yummy!). They’ll also be more fresh than from the grocery and you’ll know exactly where they came from and how they were grown!

4. Do some yard work.

Rather than pay someone to mow your lawn and weed or redo your flowerbeds this Spring, do it yourself and save some cash! Plants don’t have to be expensive and you’ll certainly be saving money doing the labor yourself. If you don’t have the tools you may need to make a small investment there but it’ll certainly be saving you money in the long run. And all that garden planting, lawn mowing, and shrub trimming will be good exercise!

5. Check out your city’s warm weather activities.

There are way more free things to do once the weather is warm. Festivals, fairs, farmers markets. (Is there anything that doesn’t start with F?) These sorts of events are usually usually cheap or free and can be fun for singles, couples, or families. Basically, everyone. 🙂 My husband and I love to go stroll around the farmer’s market for fun on the weekends. Sometimes we do spend a little money but it’s well worth it for the awesome produce and just the fun of going out to the farmer’s market.

So who’s ready for Spring, warm weather, and money saving!?