Hmm... I keep the thermostat down but use a space heater. I work from home most days so I do keep it on fairly regularly. I also bundle up and use blankets liberally!
I keep my thermostat at 62 in the day and 60 at night and wear layers. If I go anywhere that is 70, I'm too hot. I wear layers and have a wrap that I wear over my lap. Cat goes on the lap also!
We have an electric blanket. It pre-warms the bed (so no more shivering when you get in) and it allows us to keep the heat way down at night. I rarely need to keep in on when I am sleeping. Having the bed warm when I get in is usually enough to keep me warm all night.
The thermometer stays set at about 66 - 67. I wear warmer clothes, put on a sweater, and keep a flannel throw over my legs. My cats take this as a golden opportunity to snuggle so we all stay warmer. Plenty of blankets on the bed. Slippers on my feet. I also tend to try to eat warming meals: soup, for example. Whatever little things I can come up with.
Layers, layers, layers. Cotton long johns, even around the house. Wool socks (if your feet are warm your head is warm). Hot drinks. Keep something delicious simmering in the slow cooker. One of those heated throws, or just a frugal heating pad (aka the "rice sock"). Wear a soft scarf around your neck.
I do some of these things all winter here in Alaska, and they work: We keep our thermostat at 62.
Layers, hot tea, and taking advantage of our 3 wall heaters instead of central heating... we only heat the part of the house that we are actually using. :)
At home, I always wrap myself in my down throw. I love that blanket! In work, I leave a fleece jacket in my office. And home and work, I drink lots of tea in the winter.
I really want to do this whole "homecooked" meal thing for my three dogs, Gracie my 8 lb yorkie/dachshund, biscuit my mix, and Roxy, my full blooded 7 month old boxer. Sadly, my parents won't let me explain to them why homemade dog food is better to buy. They THINK it's too "expensive". I'm 14 and would like to start doing this for them. Where do u get all these ingredients for the meals?
I ensure my home is insulated properly and winter ready. I scour the end of season sales to stock up on cold weather accessories and clothing and We also snuggle up with each other (My hubby & kids) with warm blankets and hot chocolate :)
This may sound crazy, but when it's cold and windy, I just vent the moist shower air back into the house to boost the overall humidity. Not only does it boost the numbers, but it also makes everyone "feel" warmer.
For me, fleece lap robes and socks are essential. My DH requires a hat.
When we bought this 1400 ft sq 1950s house in '86, the electric company had a special offer allowing us to install a peak interrupter meter instead of the regular one. This meant that from 9pm to 7am weekdays we had nearly free unlimited electricity use. Of course, from 7am to 9pm, the price/KWH was significantly higher than in other households. The house was all-electric so we signed up.
During the first 15 years all worked fine. We both worked and the house was just a little chilly after dinner until we could turn the heat on. Of course, we had piled a couple of layers of fiberglass insulation in the attic and paid guys to pump cellulose into the walls. Cooking created heat and if that wasn't enough we had kerosene heaters--the big year we spent $25 on kerosene!
In 2000 I was downsized and started a home business. It took about three weeks to figure out the kerosene fumes made me incapable of thinking clearly; bottom line, I can't type below 52ºF. Until last year I made do. An electric heat pad works wonders and I would alternate between sitting on it and putting it under my feet. My crock pot gives off lots of heat. One candle will raise the temperature in a room by about 8 degrees when it's 50ºF in the room. (it does nothing discernible when the room is 65ºF.)
A couple of years ago I learned that greenhouse growers use bubble wrap to insulate their glass so I have applied bubble wrap to all the windows that have sheers or curtains and even the upper panel on windows where there's nothing to see outside. In some cases I even put some in between the storm window and the inside window. Insulated draperies of course. Plastic over the window AC both inside and outside (the drapes cover the ugly).
Google timer has become my friend as it's easier than any of the others I've used over the years. It nags me to stand up, so I walk around or walk/march on my rebounder every 30 minutes. I drink hot flavored water.
After dinner we turn on a SunHeat Infrared 1500 watt heater for an hour or two; then the cheap electricity comes on. With baseboard electric heat, we run 6" clip on fans to move the heat to where it's best used in the winter and the AC in the summer. Without the fans the heat tens to rise to head level and stay there, drying out my sinuses, freezing everything lower. The are positioned for best circulation.
Even since we started using the heater, the chill bills have never been more than $130. [well, one month in 1998 it was $180 but that was when I got a new HP 4 printer and failed to turn it off after each use] . We're old enough now that I suspect we'll increase that limit a bit just to be more comfy.
Did I mention caulk and door seals and foam insulation? I upgrade these every few years. And this year I put plastic over the porch door we never use. Sometimes we run the kerosene heater on the porch because the freezer is there as well as our canned goods pantry. I don't like it to get below 40ºF.
On holidays and below zero days we bite the bullet and turn the heat on.
I suspect the next best thing to do is replace the windows as they're original; I can feel the cold rolling off of the one we don't do anything to in the kitchen.
The biggest heat loss, however, comes from DH. He smokes and, blessedly, does it outside so the door opens and closes often. I can feel the house temp change all the way back in my office. Some years I've put up tacky curtains on spring rods in the doorways between the door he uses and the rest of the house. It works, but not well enough to bother. Of course, I'm just convinced that when he opens the fridge door and stands there looking that the house temp lowers at least ten degrees, lol.
I buy warm winter gear when it's on sale! No shame in that!
Hmm... I keep the thermostat down but use a space heater. I work from home most days so I do keep it on fairly regularly. I also bundle up and use blankets liberally!
I keep my thermostat at 62 in the day and 60 at night and wear layers. If I go anywhere that is 70, I'm too hot. I wear layers and have a wrap that I wear over my lap. Cat goes on the lap also!
We have an electric blanket. It pre-warms the bed (so no more shivering when you get in) and it allows us to keep the heat way down at night. I rarely need to keep in on when I am sleeping. Having the bed warm when I get in is usually enough to keep me warm all night.
I use a very heavy down blanket at home to sleep. For the daytime I pile on thick socks to keeps my toes warm!
The thermometer stays set at about 66 - 67. I wear warmer clothes, put on a sweater, and keep a flannel throw over my legs. My cats take this as a golden opportunity to snuggle so we all stay warmer. Plenty of blankets on the bed. Slippers on my feet. I also tend to try to eat warming meals: soup, for example. Whatever little things I can come up with.
I fill a hot water bottle each night and take it to bed with me - and I reuse the water!
This is a spin off of #13. Whenever I cook oatmeal I melt in a big spoonful of peanut butter along with the milk and sugar. Addictive stuff!
Layers, layers, layers. Cotton long johns, even around the house. Wool socks (if your feet are warm your head is warm). Hot drinks. Keep something delicious simmering in the slow cooker. One of those heated throws, or just a frugal heating pad (aka the "rice sock"). Wear a soft scarf around your neck.
I do some of these things all winter here in Alaska, and they work: We keep our thermostat at 62.
Layers, hot tea, and taking advantage of our 3 wall heaters instead of central heating... we only heat the part of the house that we are actually using. :)
blankets
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Love the post about giving your toddler the best christmas ever!
I didn't know credit card companies offered student versions of their cards. I'll have to check that out.
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I bundle up in a lot of clothing layers instead of turning on the heat. And I drink a lot of hot tea and coffee!
At home, I always wrap myself in my down throw. I love that blanket! In work, I leave a fleece jacket in my office. And home and work, I drink lots of tea in the winter.
I really want to do this whole "homecooked" meal thing for my three dogs, Gracie my 8 lb yorkie/dachshund, biscuit my mix, and Roxy, my full blooded 7 month old boxer. Sadly, my parents won't let me explain to them why homemade dog food is better to buy. They THINK it's too "expensive". I'm 14 and would like to start doing this for them. Where do u get all these ingredients for the meals?
I ensure my home is insulated properly and winter ready. I scour the end of season sales to stock up on cold weather accessories and clothing and We also snuggle up with each other (My hubby & kids) with warm blankets and hot chocolate :)
sit next to fireplace
This may sound crazy, but when it's cold and windy, I just vent the moist shower air back into the house to boost the overall humidity. Not only does it boost the numbers, but it also makes everyone "feel" warmer.
We sleep with good old fashioned hot water bottles. They are cheap, take 8 minutes to prepare, and they keep us warm and snugly all night.
For me, fleece lap robes and socks are essential. My DH requires a hat.
When we bought this 1400 ft sq 1950s house in '86, the electric company had a special offer allowing us to install a peak interrupter meter instead of the regular one. This meant that from 9pm to 7am weekdays we had nearly free unlimited electricity use. Of course, from 7am to 9pm, the price/KWH was significantly higher than in other households. The house was all-electric so we signed up.
During the first 15 years all worked fine. We both worked and the house was just a little chilly after dinner until we could turn the heat on. Of course, we had piled a couple of layers of fiberglass insulation in the attic and paid guys to pump cellulose into the walls. Cooking created heat and if that wasn't enough we had kerosene heaters--the big year we spent $25 on kerosene!
In 2000 I was downsized and started a home business. It took about three weeks to figure out the kerosene fumes made me incapable of thinking clearly; bottom line, I can't type below 52ºF. Until last year I made do. An electric heat pad works wonders and I would alternate between sitting on it and putting it under my feet. My crock pot gives off lots of heat. One candle will raise the temperature in a room by about 8 degrees when it's 50ºF in the room. (it does nothing discernible when the room is 65ºF.)
A couple of years ago I learned that greenhouse growers use bubble wrap to insulate their glass so I have applied bubble wrap to all the windows that have sheers or curtains and even the upper panel on windows where there's nothing to see outside. In some cases I even put some in between the storm window and the inside window. Insulated draperies of course. Plastic over the window AC both inside and outside (the drapes cover the ugly).
Google timer has become my friend as it's easier than any of the others I've used over the years. It nags me to stand up, so I walk around or walk/march on my rebounder every 30 minutes. I drink hot flavored water.
After dinner we turn on a SunHeat Infrared 1500 watt heater for an hour or two; then the cheap electricity comes on. With baseboard electric heat, we run 6" clip on fans to move the heat to where it's best used in the winter and the AC in the summer. Without the fans the heat tens to rise to head level and stay there, drying out my sinuses, freezing everything lower. The are positioned for best circulation.
Even since we started using the heater, the chill bills have never been more than $130. [well, one month in 1998 it was $180 but that was when I got a new HP 4 printer and failed to turn it off after each use] . We're old enough now that I suspect we'll increase that limit a bit just to be more comfy.
Did I mention caulk and door seals and foam insulation? I upgrade these every few years. And this year I put plastic over the porch door we never use. Sometimes we run the kerosene heater on the porch because the freezer is there as well as our canned goods pantry. I don't like it to get below 40ºF.
On holidays and below zero days we bite the bullet and turn the heat on.
I suspect the next best thing to do is replace the windows as they're original; I can feel the cold rolling off of the one we don't do anything to in the kitchen.
The biggest heat loss, however, comes from DH. He smokes and, blessedly, does it outside so the door opens and closes often. I can feel the house temp change all the way back in my office. Some years I've put up tacky curtains on spring rods in the doorways between the door he uses and the rest of the house. It works, but not well enough to bother. Of course, I'm just convinced that when he opens the fridge door and stands there looking that the house temp lowers at least ten degrees, lol.
Edit if you decide to use this.........
Sweaters. Lots of sweaters. (Also slippers, soup, and gloves.) :)
Sweaters and socks