Skip to main content

Spring Savings

Ah, spring. The weather is warmer. Easter, the celebration that reminds us of new life, is right around the corner. And early spring flowers like crocuses and tulips are starting to poke their heads through the earth’s surface.

Spring cleaning also happens this time of year. I don’t know about you, but something about this year makes me want to spend money reorganizing the house, sprucing up the yard, or on some cute new clothes for Easter Sunday. However, with inflation being what it is right now, it would be smart to be careful–see if there are some ways you can save.

Reorganizing the house is fine, just resist the urge to spend money on the nice-to-have-but-not-totally-necessary organizing bags and bins.

Now for the yard–see what seeds you have left from last year (many stay good for a while). Talk to neighbors about getting some starts from them. If you must buy some new plants, consider edible bushes and trees that grow well in your area. Then plan to eat what they produce and save some money down the road (have you seen the price of produce?). Be sure to consult your local garden professional, because that is not me.

And, while I want you to look your best on Easter, you don’t NEED to get a new outfit for it. If you really have nothing else and need something new for a special event, try a second-hand store, consignment shop, or off-price retail store.

A change of season doesn’t have to be hard on your wallet.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

One More–Christmas Experiences Part II

Christmas is just a week away. Hopefully you’ve checked everything off your to-do list and can spend some quality time “experiencing” Christmas gifts with your family. Because, after all, your loved ones will be far more touched by how you made them feel than they will be with what you gave them. This week, I want to share with you my sister, Carey’s, family Christmas experience. “One Christmas, when my boys, now 18, 23 and 28, were little, we gave them an experience that is still talked about now. And it’s something so easily replicated that any family can do it, and it’s not too late to do it for Christmas (even ON Christmas) this year. We drove around our neighborhood and looked at all the homes decorated for the holiday. We took note of the addresses as we numbered them. We talked about what made each ornamented yards stand out. And at the end of the night, we voted for our favorite. I had my sons help me make some of our favorite holiday desserts and, in addition to taking p...

Books Equal Bucks

 In November PBS always hosts their  Annual Reading Marathon . “Wow. That’s the  second  time this month that our financial blogger has gone off the rails regarding blog topics. What does reading have to do with finances?” My answer? Everything. Establishing good reading habits in children–reading 20 minutes a day–can literally change their financial future. Good readers do better in school. Good readers are more likely to graduate from high school. Good readers will probably make more money as adults. Reading changes EVERYTHING          . That being said, books  can  be expensive, but they don’t have to be. Libraries are some of the best resources for book access–they play SUCH an important role in our community. You can also share/trade books with your neighbors, friends, and family members (just make sure you have a good system for tracking book ownership). Second-hand stores or garage sales are awesome places to s...

Bon Voyage

Many of you are aware that I like to travel. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a few foreign countries and taking a handful of cruises, and I intend to do more in the not-to-distant future. Because you know me, you know I don’t finance these trips–I plan ahead and save for them. And if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you are also aware that I do use one credit card for which I earn flight miles, and I use this card on the trips where I see the world. There is one thing about my credit card for which I am especially grateful–whenever there is suspicious activity on my account, I get a text notification. The credit card company recognizes that charges abroad MIGHT NOT BE LEGIT, and they send me a message. All I have to do is confirm that it is, in fact, me that made the peculiar purchase, and I’m good to go. If I did not make the purchase, I respond in kind, and my card is deactivated. Note to self and others: one could avoid these potential interruptions if one calls credit car...