It’s the end of September tomorrow, October is here and we are officially in to the fall season. And what’s not to love about fall? We get to wrap up warm in fluffy clothes, the trees turn beautiful colours, there are leaves on the ground to crunch through and we get to go splashing about in puddles in our rain boots.

However, what cost does fall bring with it? In the summer, it’s easy to get outside and do activities that don’t break our budget but in fall, when it’s pouring with rain, we won’t always want to be outside so are we going to have to spend a lot more to go places and do fun things? Well, our answer is no! And to prove it we’ve come up with a few ideas for things you can do throughout October that won’t pull on the purse strings…

Bake at home – autumn is the best time to bake, especially using fruit such as apples and berries. Spending a Saturday morning baking an apple and blackberry pie, making the whole house smell of sweet, warm pastry, whilst outside is chilly and raining, and then sharing the pie with your family after dinner is a great way to spend the weekend. Baking at home doesn’t cost much as you can get most ingredients cheaply from your local supermarket.

Have a film day – instead of spending money going to see a movie on the big screen, why not buy some popcorn, invite your friends over and spend the day on your sofa watching your favorite films. If everyone brings snacks, drinks and a film they love you won’t have to break the budget buying movie tickets or food at the movies! Sounds perfect to us.

Start reading – whether you’re a book lover or not, autumn and winter are the best times to get back in to reading. Curling up in front of a warm fire with a good book in hand is one of the best things about staying inside and it costs next to nothing! If you have a Kindle (or similar device) you’ll know you can get books for next to nothing, and in some cases for nothing at all, but if you prefer to read traditionally with a paper book you can get some great ones for great prices from Amazon.

Go for a walk – this activity will cost you absolutely nothing at all! Wrap up warm with your hats and scarfs and head off to the woods for a nice, long walk. If you do some research online of your local area, and maybe a bit further out, you’re sure to find some lovely places to walk. Maybe make it romantic by going with a loved one as the afternoon is turning to evening. You could also stop for a bite to eat on your way back if you wanted to turn it in to a date.

There are so many great things you can do throughout October that won’t cost you a fortune so you won’t have to go over your budget for the month. What have you go planned for October?