Frugal Tips to keep you warm this Winter

[LittleBrownFrog]

If you have a bus pass, spend the days on a bus.

dh's nan says she would like to see free rail travel for pensioners, then she would spend all winter riding up and down the country on the train (I think she's only half joking)

[Maggie1]

We've got that here LBF When you reach 66 you get a free bus and train pass for all over Ireland. So long as a person of what ever age travels with them, they go free as well.

[poggles]

Have 2 cats. One to sit each side of you!!

Use all you oddment of wool to knit blankets to wrap yourself in.

Before you sit down at night make a flask of your favourite hot drink. Saves electric and you don't have to get out from under that lovely warm hand knitted blanket if you want a drink!

[Hellebore]

I've started to wear those lightweight fleece jumpers with dare I say it, a vest, underneath Also a pair of thin leggins under trousers makes a big difference. Anything to avoid swelling the coffers of EDF

[Sandra]

If you have a ventillation brick and it does not have a slider to control the flow, put a cushion in front of it in winter so you don't get a howling gale coming through it... (for extra piece of mind Argos do a cheap carbon dioxide monitor if you are worried about fumes build up).

[Orfy]

If you have a ventillation brick and it does not have a slider to control the flow, put a cushion in front of it in winter so you don't get a howling gale coming through it... (for extra piece of mind Argos do a cheap carbon dioxide monitor if you are worried about fumes build up).

I'm sure Sandra knows what she's doing and it is a good tip.

Sorry if this sounds like I'm being a "dogooda" or some thing I'd hate for some one to have a problem.
Just be careful with this. Common sense would dictated this is fine if you have a detector but doing this could cause all sorts of problems if things do go wrong.

By law you may need to have the ventilation if you have gas appliances in the room. Lots of houses have them but then a gas appliance is removed so they are no longer need them. I should imagine in this case then blocking it will be fine.

[Steve the Gas]

Nearly correct, gas apps, may need a vent (non closeable) but most modern ones don't.
As a guide any fires less than 7KW output do NOT need a vent.

Backboilers/fires DO need a vent.
If removed of course - vent not required.

The monitor required is a Carbon MONoxide type.

[Totally Scrambled]

1/ Become a professional mourner and attend cremations. It's always warm at the crematorium.
2/ Become a union activist and join a picket line. They always have those lovely fires going.
Dom

[LynneP]

Take your time in the coop, it's always cosy. Warm eggs= warm hands

[Orfy]

What winter?

[saint-spoon]

What winter?

I have shorts and flip-flops keeping me warm at the mo... oh and sun glasses. I bit red from a couple of hours in the garden earlier.

[Orfy]

Great isn' it.

[HedgeHugger]

The weather is a bit mad at the mo, but I'm not complaining :)

Last week I put the winter blanket on the bed, and ALMOST put the heating on!

Shame we can't store it up for later.

[tiameg]

Yes, the kids are looking at me like I'm crazy in this heat wave...but I've been busy anyhow last few weeks:
Re-pitched girls roof and they have all round tarp to keep out rain.
Bought a snow shovel
Been to 'el cheappo' supermarket and bought a load of discount dishwasher salt (cheap for melting snow)
Put curtain rails up at front and backdoor and dug out some heavy lined curtains to go up.
Bought a small camping stove and rechargeable lantern (on offer at nescos, cooker down from 50 to £14!) (in case of power cuts so we can see and cook)
Checked and cleaned out gutter (first time I've ever done this job and YUK!
Checked all pipes etc and found a small leak - fixed.
Bought some very good discounted wellies for the whole family from snortsdirect.
We live at the top of a very steep hill and were effectively cut off by snow for at least a week last year so...bought in a store of food, bread mixes, extra sacks of food for the girls and filled both freezers.
Bought some cheap throw away BBQ's - if power or gas go off can still cook on them even if it is cold out.
Got cars/tyres checked and got salt, de-icer, water, cat litter, blankets etc. in mine and my daughters cars.
Got second quilt for each bed ready to go on when the cold hits.
Mowed lawns and cut back shrubs in front garden.
Did the foil behind radiators thing... TIP: Don't try this with foil from the pound shop ! Get a decent one it will be 10 times stronger...
Bought in a load of branded stuff for colds/flu on sale in pound shop.
Got enough bubbles wrap ready to cover the quails cage to keep them snug (they will be indoors when the cold hits in my shed so also got them an indoor solar shed light and fitted it) so they will get some light over winter months when they cant get out so much) Have to say it's fab. On testing gives 5 hrs of strong light per day so a good buy I think.
Got my wireless dongle ready in case my isp goes down (I die without internet access lol) and last year isp went down for three weeks in bad weather and the dongle saved the day!)
Got my spare old simple plug in phone out (works without electricity unlike my fancy plug in one with ans. phone)
Bought in batteries in bulk

Still to do:
Still tidying away spent veg plants from garden and weeding but it's been a bit too hot to do much of that (I'm almost pale blue and burn real easy lol)
Give the house a darn good clean (sorting cupboards and all)
Planting up some winter veg
Front door needs stripping and re-painting.

In smug mode- never been this organised before but getting cut off last year gave me a kick up the butt to do so for this year!

On a side note my nesco's has some massive bags of pasta on sale for £2 so stocked up for son (loves pasta) and for the girls. May be worth a look at your local one if your girls love a bit of pasta too :)

[madmum]

Wow i'm exausted now