Fall in Chicago Without Blowing Your Budget

There’s something about fall in Chicago.

The heat finally starts to let up. Football is back. Neighborhood calendars fill up. The lakefront feels different. And suddenly, staying home all weekend doesn’t sound like an option.

The only problem?

Having fun can get expensive fast.

A couple of dinners out. Tickets to a game. Fall activities with the kids. A weekend getaway. Coffee here, parking there—and suddenly you’ve spent a lot more than you realized.

At Vicinity Credit Union, we don’t think enjoying your neighborhood and reaching your financial goals have to be competing priorities.

So before your fall calendar fills up, here are a few ways to enjoy the season without spending the rest of the year recovering from it.

Start With a Fall Fun Number

Here’s a budgeting strategy that’s considerably more enjoyable than being told to stop spending money:

Decide how much you want to spend on fun.

Maybe you can comfortably spend $200 each month on restaurants, activities and entertainment.

Maybe it’s $500.

The number isn’t the important part. Knowing the number is.

Look at what you have coming in, subtract your regular expenses and savings commitments, and determine how much you can comfortably dedicate to enjoying the season.

Then use it.

Financial wellness isn’t about seeing who can spend the least amount of money. It’s about making choices that allow you to enjoy today and still feel good about tomorrow.

Become a Tourist in Your Own Vicinity

You don’t have to travel far to have a good weekend.

One of the best things about living in and around Chicago is that there’s always another neighborhood, park, restaurant, museum, trail or community event to explore.

And sometimes the least expensive adventures are practically in your backyard.

Pack lunch and spend the afternoon by the lake. Explore a neighborhood you’ve never really walked around. Check out a local farmers market. Visit the library. Find a free community event. Take the kids to a park you haven’t visited. Grab coffee from a neighborhood business and go for a walk.

The goal isn’t to spend nothing.

It’s to get more enjoyment out of what you do spend.

Give Yourself a Weekend Spending Limit

Chicago weekends have a funny way of becoming: “We’ll just grab dinner.”

Then dinner becomes drinks. Then parking. Then brunch tomorrow.

Then you remember you bought tickets to something Sunday.

None of those decisions is necessarily a problem individually.

It’s the total that can surprise you.

Before a busy weekend, decide what you’re comfortable spending.

For example:

Friday dinner: $75
Saturday activity: $50
Coffee/snacks: $25
Sunday plans: $50

Weekend budget: $200

Now you can make tradeoffs.

Want the nicer dinner Friday? Great. Maybe Saturday becomes a free activity.

The point isn’t to remove spontaneity.

It’s to give your spontaneity a budget.

Make Your Money Work Harder Between Adventures

Fall is also a good time to look at money that’s just sitting around.

If you’ve built up savings, ask yourself:

Is it in the right account?

Money you’re keeping for emergencies has a different job than money you’re saving for a holiday or vacation. And money you won’t need for a longer period may have different savings options available.

Vicinity CU offers traditional savings as well as money market accounts, certificates, Holiday & Vacation Club Savings and other options members can explore depending on their goals. 

You don’t necessarily need to change anything.

But it’s worth asking whether your money is doing as much for you as it could.

Start Your Holiday Fund Now

Yes, we know. It’s September.

We’re talking about the holidays anyway.

Because December You is going to be very happy if thought about this in September.

Consider what you typically spend on:

• Gifts.
• Food.
• Travel.
• Decorations.
• Parties.
• Family activities.
• Year-end giving.

Come up with a rough number and divide it by the number of paychecks you have before you expect to start spending.

Want $800 available?

If you have eight paychecks to get there, setting aside $100 from each gets you to your goal without having to find $800 all at once.

Vicinity CU also offers a Holiday & Vacation Club Savings Account, specifically designed to help members put money aside for upcoming expenses. 

Get Your Car Ready for What’s Coming

Every Chicagoan knows what’s on the other side of a beautiful fall.

We won’t say the W-word yet. But you know.

Before temperatures really drop, fall is a good time to check your:

• Tires.
• Battery.
• Brakes.
• Fluids.
• Windshield wipers.
• Heat and defroster.

Preventive maintenance may cost something today, but catching an issue early could help prevent a much more expensive surprise later.

And while you’re thinking about your vehicle, look at your auto loan too.

If your vehicle is financed somewhere else, compare the rate, payment and remaining term with current options. Refinancing isn’t automatically the right choice, but if your credit or financial situation has changed since you originally financed the vehicle, it may be worth asking whether your current loan still makes sense.

Vicinity CU offers auto financing and refinancing options for members. 

Spend Where You Live

There’s another way to make your fall spending count:

Keep some of it close to home.

Try the restaurant down the street you’ve been meaning to visit.

Buy your coffee from the neighborhood shop.

Visit the local bookstore.

Check out a community event.

Supporting local businesses keeps more activity within the communities where we live and work—and gives you a chance to discover something new without traveling very far.

Chicago and its surrounding communities are in our vicinity.

And we’re proud to be part of them.

Make a Fall Bucket List

Here’s our challenge for September.

Sit down and come up with five things you want to do before fall is over.

Maybe it’s:

One thing that’s completely free.

One thing you’ve never done in Chicago.

One local business you want to support.

One experience you’ve been wanting to spend money on.

One thing that gets you outside before winter arrives.

Then decide what those five things will cost.

If the total works with your budget, great.

If it doesn’t, adjust the list—not your financial goals.

Because a budget shouldn’t tell you that you can’t have fun.

It should help you have fun without regretting it later.

Enjoy What’s in Your Vicinity

Fall moves quickly around here.

Before long, the leaves will be gone, the coats will come out, and we’ll all start wondering why we chose to live somewhere where the air occasionally hurts our faces.

So, enjoy it.

Explore your neighborhood. Make plans with people you love. Try something new. Spend some money on things that matter to you.

Just give your future self a little consideration while you’re doing it.

And if you’re trying to save for what’s next, rethink a loan, or simply get your finances into a better place, your Community Champions at Vicinity CU are here to help.