Skip to main content

How to Save on Holiday Home Prep

By WTOP Staff

The summer heat is quickly fading, and before we know it, the leaves on the trees will start to turn. That means holiday season is just around the corner. If your family is anything like mine, holiday season is hectic season. From Halloween on, it will be a nonstop parade of people and activities all the way through to the New Year. Is your home ready for the change in seasons?

I’ll admit, I’m not quite ready yet. But, I have a plan that will save me money and hassle, and I’m happy to share it with you.

Clean:

Now is the perfect time to open up all the windows in the house, let in the cool, fresh air, and clean the place. It’s probably something I picked up from my mom, but we never touched any of the seasonal decorations until after the house had a thorough cleaning. Mind you, this is not your typical weekend cleaning, either. It involves moving the furniture around, brushing the baseboards and corners that usually get ignored and dealing with the dust bunnies living under beds and rugs. Your guests with allergies will appreciate your hard work.

Cleaning on this scale gives you a chance to think about how traffic flows through your rooms and opens opportunities to give each room a free makeover. It’s amazing what rearranging the furniture can do for a room that you’ve been living in for years. Fall cleaning also sets the stage for the pretty seasonal decorations that make this time of year so special. Plot, plan and imagine while you’re cleaning.

Take inventory:

Once you’re in cleaning mode, it’s much easier to motivate yourself to pull all of your seasonal décor out of storage and sort through it. Never shop for holiday decor without going through the holiday boxes first. You will avoid the impulse to buy things you already have and can plan ahead for the things you need to replace.

Don’t stop with just your fall and Halloween items. Go through Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s and even Valentine’s Day if you have it. Making your way through all of it early will help you to see how to repurpose and use seasonal items in ways you’ve never used them before. Refreshing your memory early also sets you up for the next step.

Swap:

Admit it; you have a couple of friends or family members that have a few seasonal pieces you totally adore. If you get the jump on cleaning and inventory, you have the opportunity to organize a seasonal swap. Don’t limit the swap to just the strictly seasonal stuff. This is a chance for all of you to rethink pillows, throws, lamps, art, rugs and guest bedding. Exchanging just a few key pieces could be all it takes to reinvigorate a room without spending a dime.

Returning the swap at the end of the season becomes the reminder to take advantage of the post-holiday markdowns. You’ll get up to 80 percent off brand new seasonal items and the fun of unpacking those goodies when you do the inventory dive next year.

Make small changes:

Now that you’ve gotten your seasonal stuff sorted, take a look around the house for opportunities to make small changes. Rather than repaint the whole room, what about repainting the trim or adding a contrasting feature wall? As you start to think about how your rooms function for guests, you may find there are little things that need to be repaired or updated. Don’t turn it into a big make-over. Keep the projects small and you’ll accomplish them quickly without a big expenditure of time or money.

Do little things:

What little details will make out-of-town guests feel most welcome in your home? The little things make all the difference, and they usually require more thought than money. Take a trip to the dollar store to stock up on tissues, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner and all of the other little sundries that you would find in a well-appointed hotel room. Planning ahead will save money and time running around for those last-minute things that are often forgotten when packing.

Seasonal fragrance is another little detail that can make a big impact. Don’t forget to evoke those memories of grandma’s homemade pies and cookies. Spending $5 to $10 on candles, scented oils or potpourri can makeover a space even when you don’t have a budget for lots of decorations.

Knowledge is power when it comes to decking the halls and saving money. Now that you have the holiday entertaining basics covered, you can keep an eagle eye out for the amazing deals on seasonal items yet to come.

More from U.S. News

10 Quirky Ways to Save Money

10 Ways to Cut Your Costs This Week

12 Habits of Phenomenally Frugal Families

How to Save on Holiday Home Prep originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote