I like warm. Warm is good. Warm is...warm. But if we're not careful about how we achieve warm, it can get pricey, and I'd much rather use my money for other stuff like paying down the mortgage, retirement savings, and discounted Valentine's Day chocolate. So, rather than give you a comprehensive list of strategies that you've heard or read a thousand times before, I'm going for a few eclectic choices.
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| Our wood stove is a great source of heat...and dust...and ash. |
They all boil down to this one concept: Instead of turning up the thermostat and heating up the whole house because you are cold, just heat up you. Odds are that you'll feel just as good (warm), but it won't cost near as much money or fossil fuel.
The next time you're tempted to turn up the heat try one of these:
1. Wash Dishes. This really works, unless you use the dishwasher. Run a sink full of hot sudsy water and actually wash the dishes old school. The hot water warms your hands, and before you know it you're warm all over. Plus, your dishes are done! I don't care how high you adjust your thermostat, you furnace will never wash your dishes.
2. Take a Shower. If you are cold, take a quick warmish-hot shower, then put on warm clothes. You were probably going to take a shower pretty soon anyway, so you can warm up and get clean at the same time. If you are really, really cold, go for a bath, so the water can warm you longer. This also works in the heat of summer - just take a cool shower, and leave the a/c turned off.
3. Use the Dryer. We are a clothesline family for the most part. I hang the laundry in good weather, and I use those cute little indoor racks in the winter. I do have a dryer, but mostly it's used to knock the wrinkles out of work shirts (I do not iron) or to heat the wrinkles out of a vinyl tablecloth (Now there's a tip! Just watch it closely, lest you melt it!) Anyway, if you're cold and you want to be warm, put a pair of sweats or a heavy blanket into the dryer for about 3-5 minutes. It will heat up nice and warm. If you heated clothing, put it on. If you heated a blanket, get under it. At bedtime on a really cold night, we pull all the covers off the bed and heat the blanket that is closest to us in the stack. When it's warm, we put it on the bed, put all the other blankets on top of that one, and climb in. Heaven....pure, blissful heaven.
4. Free Bonus Tip! Drink some hot tea, or coffee, or cocoa. It'll warm you right up!
Stay warm, save money, and come back soon!
In fact, before you go, please share a tip for staying warm in cold weather. I heart comments!
I love this Laura! And I agree with ALL these things! We definitely do them in our home to get warm when it's a very cold day. I had to giggle at washing dishes, because I do that too (well out of necessity, no dishwasher), but I always warm up after I've washed the dishes!
ReplyDeleteWe also keep blankets (afghans or quilts) on each chair back for anyone who is chilly.
ReplyDeleteWe go through tons of hot tea and cocoa this time of year. :-)
I forgot to mention another thing I do. It doesn't save on electricity per say, but it helps with warmth. Whenever possible I try to do baking just as the sun is going down. That little bit of extra heat from the oven seems to help with the transition to night temps.
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