5 Surprising Fall Splurges That Can Easily Bust Your Budget
Fall splurges can feel fun as the excitement for cooler weather and falling leaves grows, but some of those splurges can easily bust your budget and leave you scrambling in the later months.
Whether you’re back to school shopping, adding a few Halloween decorations or need a few clothing items to get you through the colder months, planning ahead and setting some spending limits can help you avoid busting your budget.
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Here are a few of the common splurges to be on the lookout for this fall.
Back-to-School Shopping
According to the National Retail Federation, families with K-12 students plan to spend around $860 on average to get them ready for the school year, though it was unclear how many children they were shopping for. The bulk of these costs are for electronics ($293.11 on average) and clothing and accessories ($250.29 on average).
An analysis of school supply costs from Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation revealed that a typical school supply list — think notebook paper, tissues and lunch boxes — is up 7.7% from last year and costs families almost $175.
With this amount of money headed out the door this fall, it’s easy to see how it could bust your budget, especially heading into the holiday season.
After-School Snacks
While you may not be responsible for feeding kids lunch now that summer is over, don’t forget about after-school snacks. When they come home from school hungry, they can go through a lot of food in a short amount of time.
Stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables can be costly and buying pre-packaged snacks can run your grocery budget up quite a bit as well.
Halloween Decor
Decorating for Halloween can make for a fun spooky season, but it can also drain your wallet and bust your budget. Amazon alone offers a wealth of decor options, from hanging witch hats for $8.99 to solar halloween lights for $25.99 to skeletons carrying a coffin for $209.99. If you want to go really big, a 62-inch groundbreaking skeleton from Costco costs $359.99 and will successfully creep out your neighbors.
All of this fun, however, adds up. A few impulse purchases, and your wallet will feel much lighter. In a Reddit post from last year, the poster says they spent $615 and expected to spend up to $200 more by the time they were done. Commenters on the post shared that they routinely blew past their budget — reaching up to $700 in one case. Others set a smaller budget and estimated that they spent between $55 and $100. Another shared that they spend between $100 and $200 on candy alone.
Fall Decor in General
Some people love Halloween decor in particular, while others fall hard for fall decor in general. Because it can stay up for longer, it’s easy to justify the purchase, but one pumpkin here and a few candles there can add up.
Even just setting a few mums outside to add some fall spirit can add up at the Walmart price of $24.84 per 1 gallon planter.
Cool Weather Clothes
With cooler weather comes the desire to snuggle up in something cozy. When you restock your closet or head out for the latest fall fashions, you may end up spending more than you expect.
A quick Google Shopping search for “fall clothes” brings up options between $15 for a basic shirt and $220 for an all-season jacket. If you’re watching your budget, grabbing a few essentials is fine, but make sure you plan for any larger purchases and avoid splurges to protect your money.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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