40 Frugal Fall Ideas for Your Homestead - Our Frugal Florida Homestead

Tips for Making the Most of Your Budget This Fall

Photo of a farm gate open with 2 brown cattle, corn stalks, pumpkins on bales of straw, and an open barn door.

Whether fall is just around the corner, or you’re in the middle of the season, these thrifty frugal tips will help you stick to your budget. Explore these free and inexpensive ideas that are perfect for the fall season.

Let’s break down these ideas into 4 main categories:

In the Garden
In the Kitchen
Around the Homestead
In the Community
Free Frugal Fall Checklist

In the Garden

Start composting with fall leaves, old pumpkins, and other garden discards.
Save seeds from this year’s garden to plant next year.
Inventory your current seed collection and note what you’ll need for the next season
Start plants now for fall gardening.
Upcycle plastic containers from yogurt, milk cartons, or deep vegetable trays to use as seed-starting containers.
Barter gardening chores or seeds and seedlings with your neighbors.
Make seed-starting pots from recycled newspaper.
Note what’s trending in fall décor. To earn some extra cash next fall, plan to grow things like gourds, pumpkins, or colored corn. Forage grape vines to make wreaths, or learn basket-making and gather materials from nature.
Finish stacking firewood before winter arrives.
For kids: teach them how to start seeds and track their growth, make homemade seed envelopes for saved seeds, do a plant ID or hunt in the garden.

In the Kitchen

foods and ingredients laid out on a wood table for fall baking: eggs, flour, pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate pieces, and a wood rolling pin.

Make your own pumpkin pie spice. Here’s my favorite recipe!
Try a new fall recipe like Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls or Sweet Potato Bread.
Make kimchi or sauerkraut from fall cabbage, or try fermenting the abundance of pickles and peppers this season.
Inventory your dry goods pantry and spices. Dispose of outdated items and make a list of things to stock for the upcoming holiday season.
Make a list of your favorite fall meals for quick reference when meal planning.
Eat seasonally. In-season produce is usually less expensive.
Buy fall foods in bulk. For example, buy a bushel or two of apples for canning pie filling, dehydrating, or making applesauce.
Save bones in the freezer to make bone broth for fall and winter soups and recipes.
Learn to bake bread or yeast rolls. They’re great with fall soups and suppers.
Freeze veggie scraps like onion skins, celery, and carrot peels. When you have enough simmer them to create vegetable stock for fall soups and stews.

Make it yours with reCap mason jar lids.

Around the Homestead

Photo fall decor on front porch steps includes pails of dried flowers, buckets, pumpkins and luminaries.

Conduct a home maintenance review – clean appliances, air filters, and your chimney.
Create a monthly home maintenance checklist.
Gather items from nature to decorate for the season. Choose items like acorns, dried wild flowers, pinecones, or press pretty fall leaves.
Take advantage of good fall weather to line-dry your clothes and bedding.
Review your budget and spending habits. The holiday season is just around the corner!
As the weather cools, take time to fix fences, clean window screens, do exterior painting, or conduct any other necessary repairs before winter
Inside the home, do a thorough seasonal cleaning, replace batteries in smoke/carbon dioxide alarms, and have your HVAC checked. These small things can save you a lot of money by preventing repairs or replacements.
Make your own cleaning products. Here are 5 simple recipes for cleaners for your home.
Learn how to make your own soap, toothpaste, and other personal care products. Home crafted items not only save you money, but can be money-makers at craft shows and online sales.
Start making homemade holiday gifts now. For example, crochet or knit a scarf, make jewelry, or craft personalized ornaments and cards.

In the Community

Overhead photo view of a gathering of people around a campfire at night.

Host a bonfire party with s’mores and finger foods.
Take a nature walk or hike and explore fall flowers and foliage
Visit a farmer’s market to support your local farmers and homesteaders.
Have a yard sale.
Shop second-hand thrift stores for holiday decorations, seasonal clothing, and fall baking and cooking tools – grab a few fall/holiday cookbooks too!
Spend a fun day at a local park with family and friends.
Fall colors are beautiful! Take a scenic drive for a color tour with a fun destination like a park or the local library.
Go fishing. It’s inexpensive fun, plus, you get a cheap meal source, and your kids can learn some basic biology as you teach them to clean the fish.
Camp out in your back yard, do some stargazing, and tell some scary stories around a campfire.
Create fun activities for the kids: a fall scavenger hunt in the back yard, play board games, teach them to bake cookies (or pumpkin pie), or learn a new craft together.

Get Your Free Frugal Fall Checklist Here!

Checklist of 40 frugal activities related to the fall season. — Get your 40 Frugal Fall Ideas Checklist Now!

I hope you’ve found some great ideas for your frugal fall season! These are some of my favorite and most useful activites for this time of year. If you’d like to learn more about living a frugal lifestyle, visit my Frugal 5 Page and explore even more ideas!