Last updated on September 25th, 2024 at 11:29 pm
For some of the us, the first whiff of pumpkin spice or even a two-degree dip in temperatures can be enough to signal a life-giving change in seasons.
(It is me. I am that lady. When fall rolls around, I am Julie Andrews singing and spinning in an alpine meadow.)
I think it’s wonderful and natural to be excited about the seasons changing. But do we really have to spend the big bucks to fully embrace the season? What if we’re on a budget, we’re stretching to feed our families, we’re out there substitute teaching to add extra household income?
After experiencing a few autumns of financial belt-tightening, I learned I didn’t have to go out on shopping sprees or daily coffee shop runs to truly savor the cozy vibes of the season. I could cultivate the autumnal wonder right here in my home without spending much money at all— through some simple DIY projects or long-lasting, low-cost purchases.
Today, I’d like to share with you all my best tips for enjoying the fall season. Gather around, fellow Gilmore Girls. Materialize, my mum-raising mavens! Congregate, my creatively cost-conscious queens!
Here’s how to live in your pumpkin-spice era without dropping major funds:
Three Coffee Shop-Worthy Drinks That Won’t Break the Bank
Homemade Marshmallows Frothing Sweetly in a Warm Mug
Homemade marshmallows are one of those recipes that look super impressive and time-consuming to make but are actually quite simple! These fluffy, sticky, sweet cubes of goodness require no more than five ingredients and come together in no more than 10 minutes of actual kitchen work time.
Gold standard, in my book.
Many of the recipes I found online were pretty similar: They include about a cup of sweetener (sugar, honey or maple syrup), combined with a few tablespoons of gelatin.
Get the powdered gelatin– it’s crucial for this recipe. Besides, there are supposed health benefits to the gelatin! You can’t skip this crucial ingredient, although I believe there are vegan alternatives, if you choose to go that route.
I followed this recipe from Eagle Holistic Health. The marshmallows turned out fluffy and stretchy. After refrigerating them, I cut them into cute squares and housed them in their own little container, ready to go for my morning brew.
These squishy treats can be eaten by themselves, incorporated into desserts (see below!) or plunked on top of a coffee for that ultimate creamy, melty result. It truly becomes a showstopper in your own kitchen. Again, it looks (and tastes!) impressive, like some boutique coffee shop.
So skip the expensive restaurant treats– marshmallows are a cheap and simple-to-make addition to your kitchen this fall.
Simple Homemade Pumpkin Cream
Another simple way to make mug after mug of delicious, pumpkin-spiced coffee is to whip up a quick and easy pumpkin cream.
After making the pumpkin cream, you can get several more servings of it by keeping it in a closed jar in the fridge and spooning generously over a steaming mug of Joe when the time is right.
This cost-effective, easy pumpkin cream comes together with just four ingredients. Here’s how. Gather:
- 1/2 C whipping cream
- 3 tsp maple syrup
- 3 heaping tsp canned pumpkin
- generous sprinkles of cinnamon
This comes together super easy if you have a stick (immersion) blender. If not, this can also come together in a standing mixer or blender!
Pile the ingredients into a blender cup or bowl and blend together until it becomes a luscious whipped cream. Spoon generously into your coffee cup, and store the rest in the refrigerator for next time!
Coffee creamer: Fun Fall Flavors
Here we go the easy-peasiest route: purchasing a fall-flavored coffee creamer to set off the seasonal festivities with taste and simplicity!
Even if you’re a homemade-brigade-type mama like me, you may be pleasantly surprised how far some of these creamer brands have come. The ingredient list is truly not as spooky as it can be.
And to have your simple source of fall joy waiting for you, already prepared?
Bless. Give thanks. Pour with abandon. You’ll fit in twenty of these tasty caffeinated concoctions for the price of one in a coffee shop.
Embracing Beautiful (Cheap!) Fall Decor
Florals to Last the Entire Season
I don’t know about you, but I feel that to fully embrace the wonders of the new season, I have to include natural flora in that celebration!
Naturally, I look to fall foliage and flowers to add the necessary warmth, coziness and color of the season. But there’s no reason to constantly chalk up funds– spending on florals once in the beginning can make these beautiful plants last the entire season.
Here are a few long-lasting floral/plant ideas for fall:
- Learn proper mum care to extend the life of the mums for an entire season (or longer!)
- Decorate with dried florals, branches, cinnamon brooms, etc.
- Decorate with uncarved pumpkins (these last quite a while on a porch!)
Proper Mum Care
I’m no expert Chrysanthemum mother, but I have managed to keep this particular breed of Asters alive for an entire fall two years in a row!
I started on the advice from Skye Hamilton, who goes by hamiltonhousedesigns on Instagram. She advocates for repotting the mums after purchase. A lot of store bought mums tend to be terribly root-bound. Soften up and free those tendrils by adding them to a completely new pot with a bit of fresh potting soil. Water regularly.
When the mums have displayed a gorgeous spray of blooms for a while and you see some start to die off, you can dead head (or cut) the blooms off. This encourages new growth, and the plant will probably continue to flower over and over again!
It truly is the gift that keeps giving. Learn proper mum care, and you won’t need to break the bank over florals.
Embrace the Sustainable, Elegant Twig Wreath
Also known as grapevine wreaths, these simple wispy rings can serve as a canvas for any season.
This is great for simplicity chasers, budgeters and sustainability-minded mamas alike: No more replacing a wreath every few months.
The interlaced twigs are perfect hideaway slots through which to wedge any seasonal bloom– fresh or artificial. Slip in your floral of choice to arrange on the wreath. Change it up, follow your inspiration, and use it again and again!
Save Money by Baking Your Own Indulgent Fall Recipes
You don’t need to gain entry to the hippest big-city cafes to taste exciting new fall flavors– you can experiement with creating them yourself! Go ahead, I give you permission to release your inner chef and play with the season’s most enticing ingredients to put together the loveliest desserts and shareable dishes. You’ll learn a lot, get your creative juices flowing, and save money by cooking it all up yourself.
Here are some fall treats I’ve made recently:
S’mores Cake
I consider S’mores to be the gooey, chocolately, perfect bridge between summer and fall.
The summertime campfire treat blends well into autumn bonfires– and, truthfully, is the first time us Floridians dare whip out fireside treats, because we know the summer’s still way too too hot for that.
I’ve done a S’mores cake but never with a graham-based cake before. I had to try the recipe calling my name from Baran Bakery!
I suppose I went too far: I even made my own homemade sourdough graham crackers (recipe from Cultured Guru!), but the result was satisfyingly incredible. (And no industrial seed oils, to boot.) The cake is held together by the best-tasting glue of homemade marshmallow sauce (YUM) and the richest, darkest chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream I. have. ever. whipped. up.
No joke, she was a crowd pleaser. I even topped it with the aforementioned homemade marshmallows. Each component melts together in this sticky symphony of nostalgic flavors, practically beckoning you to the bonfire from the confines of your living room. I’d say, Make the Cake.
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream
Every fall, a few particular products tend to stand out to me, beckoning me in their Consumer Siren Call.
One of those is the lusciously creamy, perfectly spiced pumpkin ice cream from Trader Joe’s.
Sure, if I bought a carton, it wouldn’t break the bank like revisiting an ice cream shop multiple times to get my fix.
But I’m a recent ice-cream maker hobbyist thanks to my new mixer attachment. I’ve been creaming and churning and digging in. And I won’t stop this obsessive new hobby for a favorite flavor– I’ll recreate it!
For the ice cream base, I mixed together:
2 C cream
1 C whole milk
1 C canned pumpkin
Generous sprinkles of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
I churned with my machine, which is an attachment on my mixer. Once the pumpkin ice cream came together, I crumbled homemade oatmeal cookies into the blend for a final few minutes of mixing.
The result was a creamy, spiced, delicious paradox in a bowl that radiated both autumnal warmth and icey coldness– the perfect treat, if you ask me. The oatmeal cookies I used were thin and soft, crumbling naturally into the mix and adding heartiness and flavor. I’d imagine any oatmeal cookies would go well with this ice cream, but homemade cookies really take it to the next level. Try it if you like!
Soundtracks for Setting the Autumnal Mood
There are dozens of dreamy playlists you can pop on to romanticize your life with this fall. Press “play” and enjoy these while doing dishes– let their soothing notes carry you to the cobble stoned steps of a brisk, romantic cityscape, all from your own home.
I found many quality playlists on Spotify by typing in “Autumn in New York” and filtering for playlists.
Here is a list of my favorite fall playlist titles on Spotify:
- Autumn in New York
- Meg Ryan Fall
- autumn vintage jazz
- Cozy Autumn Instrumentals
- ‘Tis Autumn
- 90s fall vibes
Quality Products to Massage Your Senses (Without a Spa Reservation!)
Nothing can refresh a normal day like a few of my favorite, simple things that comfort my senses.
An afternoon of baking can be elevated into fall bliss by lighting a favorite candle and popping on a pretty playlist, for example.
Keeping quality candles around are an inexpensive way to bring comfort, light and relaxation to the home, as well as a reminder to enjoy our current settings. I like to purchase candles made with tallow and scented simply with vanilla or cinnamon.
After these beautiful afternoons, complete with a flickering candle, soft jazzy notes from Norah Jones tinkling in the background and a warm, sweet loaf of something cooling on the kitchen table, I like to draw a warm bath full of Epsom salts.
I particularly love the warm silkiness of Dr. Teal’s Milk and Honey Epsom salt soaking solution.
No matter what this fall season brings you, I hope you’re able to treasure these moments with your loved ones. Please don’t waste the time wishing it away– enjoy the beauty around you. Try these ideas to bring some fall magic into your home– on a budget.
Have you tried any of these autumn ideas? What would you add to the list? I also have an article with easy fall craft ideas if you’re interested. Happy fall, ya’ll!
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