Preparing for Spring

Aaah - spring!  With a couple of feet of snow still on the ground here, spring still seems far off, but it actually starts in a just a few short weeks.  In order to handle them as frugally as possible, I always try to prepare for upcoming seasons and holidays ahead of time.  I often find that a little planning goes a long way towards not spending extra money.

Here are some of the areas in which I am trying to start planning for this spring:

- Garden - I am determined to make our garden better and more fruitful than it was last year, so I am trying to learn what I can now.  I signed up for Home Depot's garden club, which has some useful online tools, as well as coupons.  In the next few weeks, I hope to come up with a tentative spring garden layout, so that I can start seeds as soon as possible.

- Clothing - I already mentioned that I am going through my daughters' clothing in preparation for an upcoming consignment sale.  I also took them to have their feet measured so that I know exactly what size shoes I need.  This way, if I see a great deal, I can take advantage of it, and I am also not distracted by looking for items that they already have.

- Vacations and trips - We will probably be taking one or two trips this summer, although in our case we do not have to book hotels or flights.  However, if you do, now is the time to be checking out prices and maybe even booking.  I'm sure that camps and other summer activities for children are filling up as well, so now is definitely the time to make plans for your kids' summer fun.

- Cleaning and decluttering - I think everyone gets a bit of a "spring cleaning" bug this time of year.  It's a time to throw off the "heaviness" of winter and lighten your household.  We have been working on organizing our basement since last summer, and we are finally on the home stretch.  It's amazing how much we have been able to get rid of or consolidate.  A great incentive to start decluttering is to plan a spring yard sale to make a little money from your newly decluttered house.

- Budgeting - If you didn't get around to making financial goals and/or an updated budget at the beginning of the year, spring is great time to make a new start.  Be sure to take into account summer plans and vacations and how those will work into the budget.  My husband and I are planning a "meeting" very soon to go over some of our goals and budget needs and work out an updated plan for the spring and summer.

Chances are, if you take a little time to plan and dream in these last doldrums of winter, you'll be able to look forward to enjoying a fun, relaxing, and frugal spring and summer!

See more great frugal tips at Frugal Fridays.