The Ultimate Fall Bucket List: 95 Cheap & Free Things to Do This Fall

Fall is one of my favourite times of year. I love the crisp air, cozy sweaters, changing leaves, comfort food, and the way the light changes in the evenings.

But you know what I love even more? You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy fall.

Some of my favourite fall activities are really simple. A walk through the leaves, a cozy movie night at home, homemade apple crisp, or an afternoon spent at the library can be just as enjoyable as an expensive fall outing.

After nearly 18 years of living a frugal lifestyle, I've learned that saving money doesn't mean skipping out on the fun stuff. It's about finding ways to enjoy the things you love without automatically spending money every time you want to do something.

So, if you're looking for some fun things to add to your fall calendar, I've put together this ultimate fall bucket list for frugal people.

There are plenty of free and inexpensive ideas here for families, couples, friends, or anyone who just wants to enjoy the season without blowing the budget.

The Ultimate Fall Bucket List:

Get Outside

1. Go for a fall hike. The cooler temperatures make hiking much more enjoyable than those hot summer days.
2. Take a walk to see the fall colours. You don't need to go anywhere fancy. Check out your own neighbourhood or a nearby park.
3. Have a fall photo walk. Take your phone and see how many beautiful fall photos you can capture.
4. Go geocaching. Turn an ordinary walk into a little treasure hunt.
5. Take a scenic drive. Pack some snacks and explore an area you've never driven through before.
6. Have a picnic with a fall twist. Bring homemade sandwiches, apples, muffins and a thermos of something warm.
7. Visit a local park you've never been to.
8. Go for a bike ride.
9. Collect colourful fallen leaves. Use them for crafts, decorating or one of these creative ways to use fallen leaves.
10. Jump in a giant pile of leaves. Yes, you're an adult. Yes, you should still do it.
11. Help a neighbour rake their leaves.
12. Have a backyard bonfire, if you have access to a safe and permitted fire pit.
13. Stargaze on a crisp fall evening.
14. Go apple picking at a local orchard.
15. Visit a pumpkin patch and enjoy the atmosphere without feeling like you have to buy everything you see.
16. Find a free fall festival or harvest event in your community.
17. Visit a local farmers' market.
18. Go on a hayride if you can find an inexpensive local option.

Cozy Things to Do at Home

19. Have a fall movie night. Skip the expensive theatre snacks and make your own popcorn at home.
20. Have a Halloween movie marathon.
21. Build a cozy reading corner.
22. Visit the library and borrow some fall-themed books.
23. Make a big pot of chili. This slow cooker turkey chili is a great place to start.
24. Try a new soup recipe.
25. Make homemade apple crisp. Here's my old-fashioned apple crisp recipe.
26. Bake pumpkin cookies. Or these Fall M&M Monster Cookies.
27. Make pumpkin bread or muffins.
28. Toast pumpkin seeds after carving your pumpkin.
29. Make homemade apple cider.
30. Make your favourite coffee shop drink at home.
31. Have breakfast for dinner.
32. Make a big batch of soup and freeze some for later.
33. Have a candlelit dinner at home. No special occasion required.
34. Have a pajama day.
35. Do a puzzle.

Fall Activities for Families

36. Have a pumpkin carving contest.
37. Make your own Halloween costumes.
38. Shop the thrift store for Halloween costumes.
39. Create a DIY haunted house at home.
40. Have a Halloween scavenger hunt.
41. Make Halloween decorations from things you already have at home.
42. Decorate pumpkins without carving them.
43. Have a family board game night.
44. Make a fall-themed craft.
45. Have a leaf-art afternoon.
46. Make a blanket fort and watch a movie inside it.
47. Have a family bake-off.
48. Have a backyard football game.
49. Attend a local high school football game.
50. Check your kids' school calendars for free fall events.
51. Check your local library calendar for free children's activities.
52. Look at your city's website for free family events.
53. Have a family fall photo shoot. You don't need a professional photographer. Use your phone, find some pretty leaves and have fun with it.
54. Make a fall bucket list together. Let everyone in the family choose a few activities.

Fall Fun With Friends

55. Host a potluck football watching party. Everyone brings something, so one person isn't stuck paying for all the food.
56. Host a fall brunch at home.
57. Have a soup swap. Everyone makes a big batch of soup and swaps portions with each other.
58. Have a pumpkin decorating competition.
59. Host a Halloween costume party where everyone makes their costume from things they already own.
60. Have a fall-themed game night.
61. Have a cookie exchange.
62. Organize a neighbourhood walk to look at Halloween decorations.
63. Have a backyard bonfire and ask everyone to bring a snack.
64. Have a cozy girls' night at home. Movies, snacks, pajamas and no expensive night out required.

Frugal Fall Crafts & DIYs

65. Make your own fall wreath.
66. Make a fall decoration from things you already have.
67. Make a fall centrepiece using leaves, pinecones or branches.
68. Make a fall bracelet, like this Frugal Fall Bangles project.
69. Turn an old sweater into a scarf.
70. Make DIY Halloween decorations.
71. Press colourful leaves.
72. Make leaf art with the kids.
73. Make homemade place cards for Thanksgiving dinner.
74. Decorate your front porch with natural fall foliage.
75. Repurpose something you already own into fall decor.

Frugal Fall Food

76. Make pumpkin butter. Try this slow cooker pumpkin butter.
77. Make homemade apple sauce.
78. Bake something with apples.
79. Try a new pumpkin recipe.
80. Make your own fall snack mix.
81. Make homemade salad dressing or dip.
82. Have a soup and bread night.
83. Have a fall canning party.
84. Try making homemade muffins instead of buying them.
85. Have an apple taste test. Buy a few different varieties and decide which one is your favourite.
86. Have a pumpkin spice taste test at home.

Free & Low-Cost Fall Challenges

87. Have a no spend weekend.
88. Have a fall themed no spend day.
89. Spend an entire afternoon without buying anything. Go for a walk, make something, read a book, bake or play a game instead.
90. Do a pantry challenge. See how many meals you can make from food you already have.
91. Have a "use what you own" decorating challenge. Rearrange your existing decor instead of buying new things.
92. Have a thrift-store-only costume challenge.
93. Try a month of homemade coffee.
94. Choose one expensive fall activity and find a cheaper alternative.
95. Make a list of 10 free things to do in your community and actually do them.

Don't Forget the Simple Stuff

One of the things I love most about frugal living is that the things that cost the least can sometimes end up being the things we remember the most.

You don't need to book a weekend getaway, spend hundreds of dollars on fall activities or buy a whole new collection of seasonal decor to enjoy autumn.

Sometimes it's as simple as:

• Taking a walk while the leaves are changing.
• Making soup on a chilly afternoon.
• Reading a book with a cup of coffee.
• Watching a movie under a blanket.
• Baking something with apples.
• Jumping in a pile of leaves.
• Having friends over for dinner.
• Exploring somewhere you've never been.
• Spending an afternoon doing absolutely nothing.

That's the beauty of a frugal fall. You can enjoy the season without turning every activity into a shopping trip.

So grab your sweater, make yourself something warm to drink, and choose a few things from this list to add to your fall calendar.

And if you want to make your own fall bucket list, don't feel like you have to do all 95 things. Pick the ones that actually sound fun to you.

What are you going to add to your fall bucket list? What are some of your must-dos?