Frugal Living – Winter Saving Tips

Subject: Frugal Living – Winter Saving Tips Tue Jan 25, 2011 2:45 am

Each year, the cost of heating your home is becoming extortionate. Here I discuss some winter saving tips that I’ve used to cut down my costs of heating my home.

Throughout the winter, the cold can be very unforgiving. Unfortunately for us, so can the cost of heating. With the price of oil rising, we are finding it harder to afford heating. To survive this time of the year – usually when the majority of spending has gone out on gifts, and food, requires one to think smart.

Each winter we spend a small fortune on ourselves. However, we also spend a fortune on heating. Frugal living is all about being wise with your money. Winter savings tips are great, because you can not only reduce what you pay out – but you make your home more thermally efficient.

By loosing less heat out of your house, you are saving on your heating bill. How your heating works can vary. Often there is gas or oil powered central heating. Perhaps you have a boiler plate in your fire, so that the fire can supplement your central heating. Or you use electricity to heat your home.

Regardless, you need to have a green home. An efficient home.

To start saving money throughout the winter, one can follow these simple steps:

Turn your thermostat down
By turning down the thermostat on your central heating, you will not be heating your house much. Sounds counter-intuitive? Of course it does. However, why burn lots of oil, or gas, when you can save a small fortune by turning the nob down a few clicks.
Seal all gaps in doors and windows

Everyone’s house must settle. And traditional wooden frames, even PVC ones, will bend a little as the house settles. The gaps left are great ways to loose heat from your home. So why not save yourself some money by spending money on getting draft excluders!
Close curtains or blinds

Whilst these are all very eye pleasing, their actual purpose is insulation of your home. Enjoy day light whilst it’s around, but once it starts to get dark it’s soon going to be cold. Take this opportunity to stay warm, and close curtains and blinds to retain some heat in your home.
Light candles

Candles are awesome at setting a nice ambience to any room in your home. However, before getting to the tip, I must strenuously remind you not to leave candles unattended, nor lit whilst you sleep. Don’t forget to have your smoke alarm checked too. Safety lesson aside. Candles, big or small, are sources of heat. You’d be surprised at how much heat is given off by 10 small tea-light candles .
Put down rugs/carpets

Like curtains or blinds, rugs and carpets are used to insulate the floor of your home.
Wear a pullover/jumper/jersey

Yes, wearing additional clothes that are not traditionally worn indoors will warm you up. This is great, because you can save so much on your heating bills just by doing this!

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Guest

I like that candle idea I have tons of them around here just have not been lighting them much. Guess it is time to find them and light them.

Subject: Re: Frugal Living – Winter Saving Tips Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:34 pm

i know my friend has a large conservetory and its half glass all the way aound and she uses tea lights around all the sills, it sure does help warm up the place and keep it cozy . x

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