Cooler Weather Can Be Expensive

For a lot of people cooler weather (winter) is their most expensive time of the year. The cost to heat a home, the expense of the Holiday's,  using a car more often because walking isn't as easy, the cost of food because we tend to eat more to stay warm (or so we use that excuse), higher doctor bills because of colds, the flu, bronchitis, etc, The price of food goes up for several reasons....1. fruits and veggies aren't in season, 2. it costs more to feed cattle in the winter so the price of meat goes up. The price of propane shoots up, the price of natural gas shoots up,  the price of wood shoots up.

When we choose to be particular with the money that God provides us we show him we are faithful in the small things. I know for some money doesn't seem like a small issue but if you look at it in the realm of what God says it simply isn't as important as other things in our Christian walk.

• buy a heated throw for each person in the house. (They are $19.96 at Walmart). This is an initial investment and won't have to be done every single year. These throws shut off after 8 hours of use. Since the kids are in school they will only use theirs about 8 hours per day. It costs about .03 cents per hour to use a heated blanket. If a family of 4 uses a heated blanket for 10 hours every day that is only $1.20 a day. My guess is you won't be using it near that much since some will be at school, others at work, etc. so the cost will be much cheaper. However, that is only $36 a month to your heating bill. These throws can be moved around the house for watching tv and such since they are small and easy to handle. At bedtime throw them on the bed under the blankets (under the bottom sheet is even better) for night time use.
• Lower the thermostat. There is no need to keep a home at 70 degrees in the winter time. Most people don't keep it that warm in the summer so it isn't needed in the winter, either. If everyone is using a heated throw you can easily turn your thermostat down to 60 or so.  This saves the wear and tear on your unit, as well, helping it to last longer and saving you the cost of replacing or repairing the unit. 
• Wear warmer clothes. I despise socks. I wear them when I have shoes on but other than during that time I hate them. I have learned to keep them on my feet in the winter. I have a $6 pair of house shoes I bought at Walmart 2 years ago. They still are in decent shape and get the job done. By adding the socks I am able to stay warmer with no extra cost to the household. 
• Running a humidifier in the "heat" of the day (noon to 5 or so) will help to make the air feel more warm. it costs roughly $9 a month to run it for 8 hours per day. A huge savings over the cost of running the heater at a higher temp. This also helps your nasal passages from getting too dried out especially if you run propane or wood for heat. 
• Let the thermostat go down at night. When you are under the covers (especially with your heated throw) you can easily let the thermostat get down to the 50 degree range. Set it to go higher about 30 minutes before you wake up to get out of bed. This will knock the chill off and keep the kids warm while they are getting ready for school or you are getting ready for work. 
• I like to soak in the tub but I also like warm showers. We live in a rural area so our water is stupidly expensive. Soaking in the tub for a bit is a great way to relieve tension, warm up, and just relax. Life isn't worth being tense all the time so a warm bath is a luxury that everyone should enjoy the added benefit of making us fell warmer so we aren't pushed towards turning the thermostat up is just a bonus.  Chances are you are going to bath or shower daily anyways so use it as a chance to get warmed back up. 
• Have "inside" clothes. We all feel better when we are lounging in comfortable clothing. When you get home (if you work outside the home) change into some flannel pajama bottoms or sweat pants and a sweat shirt, socks, and some house shoes. Adding these clothes when your body doesn't already feel cold will help you to not get "chilled" and therefore you won't be tempted to turn up the thermostat. 
• Put your heated blankets underneath you (or use a heated mattress pad). Heat rises. If an electric blanket is on top of you then you aren't getting the full benefit of the heat. By placing it under you, you will actually get more of the heat and can use a lower setting on the blanket making it even cheaper to use on a daily basis. 
• Keep hydrated. Keeping plenty of fluids in your system helps to keep you hydrated which can also keep you warmer (as well as healthier).
• Use "warm" foods. A bowl of hot stew is low in calories and will warm you from the inside out. Chicken and dumplings, stew, chili, potato soup, goulash, dirty rice....all these things have carbs in them which your body can use during the colder weather. 
• Watch your weight. When I gained weight I moved around less because it was more uncomfortable. The less I moved around the colder I got. It turned into a vicious cycle. Health is one of the many things that we take for granted but being healthy helps us to deal with the cold (and heat) better. 

When you make being frugal a game it no longer seems like such a horrible concept. I rather enjoy seeing how I can scrimp and save. For my family it is a lifestyle choice. It isn't something we are forced to do at this point in our lives but rather a choice to make sure that the future holds good things as well. 

There are a lot of other things we can do to help with our expenses....some of them require a little planning in the summer months....which means you need to plan in the winter to be ready for the summer to be plentiful enough to get you through the next winter. Keep in mind that what you do today to make wise choices will ultimately help with tomorrows bills.