Are you searching for the best tips for keeping warm through winter freezes?
While scrolling through a popular online frugality forum, I came across a long thread of smart, practical ideas for insulating a home and staying warm when temperatures drop. Here are the top recommendations.
Hand Warmers
Hand warmers do more than warm your hands. They stay hot for a surprisingly long time, and they’re great tucked under the covers to help you drift off to sleep.
Just avoid placing them directly on your skin. Slip one into a sock to make a tiny DIY heating pad and you’re set.
Heat Smaller Spaces
Winter energy bills can spike fast. One easy workaround is to focus on heating a smaller area instead of your entire home. A small room with closed doors works well, and a pop-up tent inside that space can trap heat even better.
Place the tent on a blanket or rug and throw an extra blanket over the top. Once you’re tucked in, try not to leave unless you have to.
Emergency Shelters
During a deep freeze, it’s smart to know where the local warming centers or emergency shelters are located. These places get busy quickly, so having a plan before you need one can make a huge difference.
If you need warmth, a safe place to stay, or a spot to recharge devices, go early. There’s nothing heroic about trying to tough it out in dangerous temperatures.
Keep Your Tank Full
Keep your vehicle’s gas tank full in case you need to evacuate or drive somewhere safe. You don’t want to be stuck waiting in a long line of cars when time matters.
A full tank also gives you the option to sit in your vehicle for short periods to warm up and charge your phone; just make sure you’re outdoors and that there’s space for others if they need it.
Keep Cold Air Out and Warm Air In
If upgrading your windows isn’t in the budget, insulate the ones you have. Window film is nearly invisible and keeps the cold out. Plastic sheeting or blankets also work in a pinch.
Add draft protectors or door sweeps to seal the gaps under doors. A rolled-up towel or blanket works just as well. These simple fixes help keep warm air in and cold air where it belongs.
Fun Family Movie Night
Skip heating multiple bedrooms and turn the living room into a cozy campout. Layer a blanket on the floor, add an electric blanket, then top it with another blanket.
It’s a fun family movie night and a clever way to stay warm without cranking the heat.
Bake
Fire up the oven and make something delicious, casseroles, breads, cookies, anything you enjoy. When you’re done, turn the oven off and leave the door open while it cools.
You’ll warm up the house a bit and get a fresh meal or dessert out of it.
Keep the Bed Warm
Warm bricks heated on a wood stove or fire pit can keep your bed toasty. Wrap them in a towel and place them at the foot of the bed.
Hot water bottles work beautifully here, too. They’re simple, inexpensive, and the warmth feels amazing.
Cover Outlets
If you run your hand over an outlet on an exterior wall at night, you may feel cold air leaking in. Covering outlets with tape or popping in child-proof outlet plugs blocks that draft instantly.
Make a Space Heater
A small clay pot and a candle can work as a makeshift space heater. Flip the pot upside down, keep it lifted off the floor, and place a candle underneath.
It takes time to warm up, but once heated, the pot radiates a surprising amount of warmth in a small, enclosed area. Just use caution and keep it away from anything flammable.
Got a favorite trick for staying warm during winter freezes? I’d love to hear it.
Read More:
- 1 in 3 Americans Are Struggling To Pay Energy Bills, and Winter Is Coming
- 11 Grandma Frugal Living Tips That Are Due a Comeback For Middle-Class Americans
- The 9 Best Budgeting Apps To Make Managing Your Finance Easy
