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10 Frugal Ways to Save This Fall

By WTOP Staff

Get ready for winter.

When the leaves start changing color, you know it’s almost time for holiday shopping, end-of-year deadlines and annual financial checkups. The U.S. News Frugal Shopper bloggers have tips for how you can make the most of the season while keeping your budget in check. Here are 10 money tips:

Cook hearty, seasonal meals.

Squash, apples and roots are in plentiful supply this time of year, which means making roasted vegetables, pies and fruit crumbles has never been more affordable, either. Whether you pick your own at a local farm or stock up at the grocery store, you can save. Savings.com editor Susan Yoo-Lee offers winter soup ideas as a great way to take advantage of the season’s harvest, and they freeze well, too.

Take advantage of fall sales.

The back-to-school deals and Black Friday sales tend to grab the limelight, but ShopGirlDaily.com founder Lisa Koivu also suggests more under-the-radar discounts that you can nab if you know where to look. Halloween, Veterans Day and Small Business Saturday, which is the day after Black Friday, all feature steep discounts at participating stores.

Gear up for the holidays.

Planning your holiday shopping list weeks and even months in advance is the key to staying within your budget. RetailMeNot editor Trae Bodge suggests making a list of all of your gift recipients, a budget, gift ideas and then actual gifts purchased. That level of organization prevents duplicate purchases and waste.

Protect your money.

Scammers pick up the pace with the frenzied holiday shopping season, so you have to be prepared. If you get an email that looks like it’s from your bank or a familiar retailer and it’s requesting information from you, treat it skeptically. Scam artists often operate by masquerading as a legitimate business and pursuing the victim to share personal information.

Enjoy the football season on a budget.

Cooler temperatures also coincide with the start of football season, but rooting for your team can be a pricey hobby. Instead of stocking up on expensive apparel and blowing your budget on tailgating parties, BeFrugal.com founder Jon Lal suggests buying team apparel in the offseason, getting your big TV for watching games on Black Friday and hosting potlucks around the big games.

Prep your home.

Cleaning out your furnace filter, making any necessary roof repairs and checking up on your insulation are all part of a smart and frugal plan for preparing your home for winter, says Frugal Rules founder John Schmoll. To save money, you can tackle many of these tasks yourself, especially if you already have a basic tool kit on hand. For safety, don’t forget to replace your smoke detector batteries, too.

Audit your normal spending.

Most of us experience a big shock to our budgets over the holidays, but you can help prepare for the seasonal expenditures by reviewing your typical monthly spending carefully. If there are areas where you can cut back, such as on restaurant meals or entertainment, then you’ll be able to manage the cost of gift purchases more easily.

Make your tax deadlines.

The end of the year also means deadlines are approaching for flexible spending accounts and other purchases and expenditures with tax implications. If you haven’t used up all your flex spending budget for health care, commuting or child care costs, be sure to do so before it’s too late.

Save more for retirement.

For 2014, you can contribute up to $17,500 (or $23,000 for those age 50 and older) to your 401(k), and the deadline is April 15, 2015. If you’re not sure how much you’ve put into your retirement account for the year, you can check with your benefits provider and make any necessary adjustments.

Check up on your insurance policies.

Disability and life insurance aren’t really cheery topics, but making sure you have all your essential paperwork and policies in place can help you relax and enjoy the season. If you haven’t checked up on your policies lately, take the time to make sure they are up to date and you have the coverage you and your family need.

More from U.S. News

10 Ways to Cut Your Costs This Week

10 Ways to Protect Yourself From Online Fraud

10 Strategies from Super-Saver Shoppers

10 Frugal Ways to Save This Fall 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
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