Its officially Fall and I for one am extremely excited for what this season will bring. Usually I’m not super excited for this time of year, because I’m not the biggest fan of colder weather (I love the hot-ness of summer!!) but for some reason this year I literally have pumpkin spice running through my veins. As much as I would love to decorate my room head to toe in pumpkins and leaves and drink Starbucks every day, I am a poor college student and cannot possibly afford all of that. Luckily, I’m learning how to “fall” out on a budget (instead of ball out get it hehe) and I will share my tips with you.

• Get into the fall season with a scented candle, or in my case a Wax Melter. Adding a fall scented candle or wax into your home automatically puts you in a cozy and festive mood. You can find these at any Target, Walmart, or Bed Bath and Beyond. They have tons of different scents to choose from, which is great because I am a scent SNOB. My current favorite is “comforts of home” scent from Bed Bath and Beyond, it makes me want to cuddle up and watch Hocus Pocus on repeat every day.

• Clothes shopping is one of my greatest pleasure in life, however when you can’t afford to buy every new trendy item that comes out, you learn how where to buy them for way cheaper. My favorite stores to buy the cutest clothes for cheap are TJ Maxx, Discovery Clothing, and SHEIN. TJ Maxx has high end clothing for the fraction of the cost and their supply is constantly being update with new shipments. Discovery Clothing is somewhere I have been shopping since middle school and it KILLS me that there are only a few locations in the USA. This is my go-to place for trendy and cheap clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Lastly, SHEIN is an online store where they have almost everything you could ever think of. I am very careful of what I buy at this store and I always read the reviews of the item. Some people have had bad experiences with this store; however, I always got the items I ordered, and they’ve always been great! I make a point not to buy expensive items here, just in case something does go wrong. They have tons of cute fall clothing and accessories!

• FOOD!  My absolute favorite thing to talk about. An easy way to get into the fall mood is to make dishes that reflect the season and changing weather. Crock-pot dishes are 100% my favorite to make because they’re extremely easy and delicious. Chili, pot roasts, and soups are my go-to for colder weather. Chili and soup are good for your gut and overall a healthy meal option, depending on what you put into them. Chicken noodle soup and good hearty Chili are necessities for a cold fall night! Apple pie or any other desserts are also delicious during this season! Take advantage of the fruits and vegetables that are in season during the fall months! Grocery stores also get specialty items during the fall season. My current favorite is pumpkin spiced whipped cream. I add it to my coffee in the morning and once it melts into my coffee it takes just like an expensive Starbucks drink, but for way way cheaper

• Fall-festivities are always a must when you want to celebrate the season. Going to a pumpkin patch, apple picking, watching scary movies, corn mazes, and Halloween crafts are always so much fun. If you go to a free admission pumpkin patch you can have just as much fun as a patch you have to pay to get into. If you want to carve pumpkins I always go to a store like Jewel or Walmart to buy a pumpkin for way cheaper than they cost at the pumpkin patches. Crafts are always a fun idea to do too, Michaels craft store has tons of craft sets to buy ad they have lots of coupons online that you can use to get them for cheaper! Freeform also airs Halloween movies all month, which are a must-do every year. Set those movies to record and have a Halloween movie binge night with your friends.

Getting into the fall season can be so easy to do without breaking the bank. You just need to get creative and think outside the box sometimes. This year I am learning how to embrace the changing of seasons and actually enjoy the cooler weather instead of dreading it until summer comes back in 8 months. So take advantage of the unique activities this season holds!