5 Easy Ways to Save ££ this Winter
Hasn’t it been cold this year? Thankfully the lovely Lisa from Less Stuff is here to share 5 easy ways to help you save money this winter – over to her and her fantastic list!
Find the cold spots
In Bristol we have an amazing service called the CHEESE project. They survey your entire house with heat detecting cameras and give you a list of all the cold spots. You don’t need the special cameras to detect the major cold areas though, just hold your hand next to a skirting board, near a door or above a gap in the floorboard on a cold day. Go round the house with a lit candle and see where it blows out. I was amazed that loads of my heat escapes in the gap between the floorboards and the skirting board. It took about 10 minutes to fix, cost a whole pound in filler and I’m not paying to heat outside anymore. I’m really proud of a draft excluder I made that opens and shuts with the door but anything blocking up the gaps will make things warmer.
Turn the thermostat down
Do you fill up the sink or bath with hot water then have to add cold to make it the right temperature? You can save the bother, and the cost of heating water that high by turning your thermostat down. Just go down one degree on your water and heating and see how it feels. Energy UK say that turning your thermostat down by 1 degree could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent. I turned my water down when my son was little because I was worried he might accidentally burn himself. I haven’t missed piping hot water coming out of the taps one bit.
Cuddle up under blankets
You can call it Hygge or Lagom but whatever the fashionable Scandi term is this year, nothing much beats a good snuggly blanket. Add a hot chocolate or a glass of wine, a good book or a decent film and possibly a gently purring cat and you are making the very best of a cold miserable night. Extend this to the weekend and you have a pretty good, very budget staycation!
Double up the curtains
Some curtains have gathering tape that let you hook on lining behind. If your curtain rail is strong enough you can attach another thick curtain instead. If yours don’t have the special tape you might have to put up another rail above the one you have for a new curtain. Layered curtains look very stylish, you can tie back one layer to show off the other in the daytime and as the evening draws in you will notice a big difference in the warmth of the room.
It’s a nice day for a light sweater (thank you Billy Idol!)
We have seasons for a reason. Garlic only splits into bulbs after a frost, parsnips like it nippy too. I love putting away my summer clothes when they are no longer needed, it gives me a chance to give them a quick declutter and check I’m only keeping the good ones. Opening up the summer box late next spring is going to be like getting an amazing present. Relishing seasonal changes and challenges makes for variety in what you can wear. In the winter, wrap up warm, it is a great excuse for huge jumpers to hide in and big shawls for flouncing in.
Lisa Cole runs Less Stuff which is the antidote to minimalism. She writes about decluttering for people who love stuff. She lives in Bristol with her teenager and too many cats and in the winter she wears a huge jumper and thick socks.
The Cheese project sounds like a great idea. Love snuggling up with a blanket and a good book.
Good tips! I also switch off the heating when I leave the room, else it is just wasted energy and a much higher bill!
These are some great tips to save some money this winter … I have many layers to get through winter and the best part is I try to shop when we have sale 🙂
No way. My brother also lives in Bristol :p
But these are some great ways. I have SO many sweaters and blankets. I am always cold!!
I hate being cold so have to admit to having the heating up a bit more than most. I love the idea of making my own draught excluded, did you see it online??
Its been cold but not as cold as NYC I can’t believe its going down to -12 this weekend. We use blankets to keep warm and layer up. Great tips!
Love this post.. that’s really helpful. I already have a thermal curtain behind my very draughty front door, but I hadn’t thought about turning the thermostat down on my boiler, the water is always too hot for washing up with! I’m currently snuggled with a big jumper, a blanket AND a purring cat 🙂
Awesome tips! These will surely help in winter season. Staying under the blanket with while reading a book and drinking hot coco is perfect for me.
These are all great tips for saving money this winter. I already adjust the thermostat on my heating but had never thought of adjusting the water one. Off to do that now!
These are such great tips! It’s so important to save where ever you can!
These are some cool tips.. I love to be under my blankets and have hot coffee
These are some good tips, I am the same as you and turned my water down when my son was born so he didn’t scould himself. We are having a smart meter fitted next week so I am keen to see where we spend the most in a bid to cut down but as we are in a new build our house is pretty warm and cost effective anyway but a saving is always welcome!
I had no idea that there were services that could find the cold spots like that! What a nifty service – great for the environment and your pockets!
I think the best way to save is to turn the thermostat down. You save electricity! Just use more sheets and blankets instead.
These are all great ways to save money this winter! I’ve been wearing layers and utilizing a small space heater in my home office so I don’t have to turn up the thermostat and heat up the entire house when I’m the only one at home during the day.
I just switched out my curtains for heavier ones and it has made a big difference. I like to crochet so I get to cuddle under my project while i work.
Great tips to save some money this winter. I always try to find ways on how to cut cost.
Great tips! I especially liked the punny one at the end.
I bought lined curtains for my house to help cut down on drafts. They don’t always stay together, so I use a binder clip to keep them closed at night. (I’m frugal??)
Stay warm!
I do bundle up with blankets as I’m never warm enough. Our cold spots around the windows usually get plastic put on them. We have thicker curtains as well. We also try to get in and close the door quickly.
I can so learn from this…. I always have the heat blasting because I’m always cold. Going to try to use blankets more…. Always good to safe some extra $$$.
Our windows are so drafty. I never thought of using double curtains. Thanks for the tip!!
As a personal finance blogger, I am giving these money saving tips two thumbs up. Everything costs more every year, we definitely need all that help that we can get to save a few pennies.
These are really great tips, I usually switch off my heating at night and only have a small portable heater in my son’s room. It has really helped I switch it back on in the morning and everything works well. Love the idea of blankets too need to get that.
Great money saving tips for the winter season. Saving tips are the best 🙂
Wonderful post! It’s important to be resourceful to save money and energy and resources. Great tips and reminders.
I really enjoyed these ideas as I too struggle with my heating bill in winter. Thanks for sharing!
These are fabulous money saving tips, thanks for sharing …will take your tips and use it to save us some money
What great tips. I always want to save money when I can. I’m in Texas and it doesn’t get cold often–however, we’re having a COLD winter, as in 20 degree nights, so I need ways to save cash! I do wear lots of sweaters in the house, that’s for sure.
Great ideas. We have recently moved into an upside-down house and our living area is in the basement and it’s so cold down there which is a shame. I will definitely try and implement some of these ideas to try and help our heating but also reduce our high heating bill at the minute
We’ve definitely been feeling the chill this year so have sworn by layering up and keeping cosy under snuggly blankets!
Our dining room is our cold room as it is exposed on three sides. I tend to layer up rather than turn the heating up, whereas Hubby always tickles the heating
I only have the heating on for small portions of the day as I think jumpers and blankets are enough for the rest of the time x
Some great tips there. I can be very guilty of just cranking the heating up instead of putting on another layer – and I want to try and stop doing that and be more budget conscious as well as more environmentally friendly. I never thought of turning the thermostat down on the water.
These are great tips, I love that cheese project, wish there was something like that near us
In the winter i love getting a blanket and wrapping it round to feel all cozy
I am guilty of switching up the thermostat to the highest setting when it comes to my showers because I am so cold! Snuggling up in blankets and not using the radiator in my room is something I do to cut down on costs!
Great tips! Turning the thermostat down is something we have been doing more of. Im very guilty of always having it cranked up and there really is no need!
I never knew that just by adjusting your thermostat by one degree could make such a difference! I’m totally changing it right now, haha!
I got one of those snuggly blankets for Christmas and I love a cozy evening with a book, a film, a hot chocolate and the blanket! Thanks for the tips