2. Start planning for higher utility bills

This is an obvious money move for all U.S. citizens, but it is especially important for retirees. Most states end up getting colder and colder weather come fall, and this will both mean that you will be spending a lot more time inside, but also that your bills will see an increase of at least a couple of bucks, if not a significant increase in the next few months, and definitely over winter.

Since the cost of keeping warm during the cold season can blow a big hole in your budget, it is important to plan ahead so that you do not have to face a crisis.

Indeed, the hot months mean that you will be using air conditioning, but when fall hits and nights start to get colder, you will find that keeping warm will rack up that bill higher. not to mention that you cannot find the leniency of getting by with a fan or open window like in some warm months.

There is nothing we can do about heating prices, no matter what you use in order to achieve that. However, the smart money move to make this fall is to look for all the places where you could be losing heat and make sure you have your home properly insulated. This means looking for any weather stripping and scheduling any furnace tune-ups and heating system maintenance.

Another smart move would be to get a home energy audit and make any adjustments or repairs before the cold comes so that you will not have to shell out more money than you would. Most times, these audits will also come with some plans to reduce energy costs that you could put into action!