Ways to start saving on your expenses this fall

Fall, as every squirrel knows, is the perfect time to start saving money (or nuts). September and October are the calm before the storm of everything that’s in store through early winter – holiday gift shopping, higher heating bills, plus the all-important Halloween candy expenses.  

So, the earlier you get a jump on finding savings and opportunities to reduce expenses, the better, right? With that in mind, here are some useful apps, links, and resources to help you save money heading into the end of the year:

Banking & saving

Chime (Android, iOS) is a super popular online bank that, because it has zero brick-and-mortar stores, can keep costs lower, which translates into lower fees for you. Just like “real” banks, Chime has a full suite of options: early paychecks with direct deposit, credit building programs, and automatic savings options.

Help with bills

Another good way to reduce expenses is to see if you are eligible for any of the US government’s benefits, grants, or loans. The USA.gov site has a lot of information about all three at https://www.usa.gov/benefits-grants-loans.  

For help with bills specifically, the site has a page for help with energy, medical, and phone bills, along with rental assistance, and prescription drug costs. Definitely worth checking out.

Cutting home expenses

The site Debt.org, as you might guess from the name, is a one-stop shop for all things debt. The site has info and links on everything from student loans to mortgages to debt consolidation. It also has a very useful page of great tips on how to reduce your household expenses.

Get free stuff

You know what’s a good price for something? Zero. The financial planning site Well Kept Wallet has a detailed page with lists of sites that have free giveaways, along with strategies on how to get free stuff from major retailers like Walmart.  

Get free phone service

And you can get something for free right now from TextNow. Did you know there’s a way to never pay another phone bill again? It’s true! Who doesn’t love the idea of paying $0 for phone service?

Enter TextNow. Download our app today and start talking and texting as much as you want for free – all with a real phone number. And with a one-time purchase of a TextNow SIM Card for only 99¢, you can connect to the largest 5G/LTE network in the US, so you can enjoy unlimited talking and texting from your smartphone from anywhere in the US. Yes, for free! Then you can ball up your old phone bill and use it for kindling for a nice autumn bonfire. Perfect!