Smart Ways to Save Money this Winter

Winter is often an expensive month. As well as it being the season of thanksgiving and Christmas, which can get pretty expensive in their own right, we tend to spend more time indoors which means bigger bills for heating the home, keeping the lights on, and entertaining ourselves when we cannot imply spend time having fun for free outdoors.

The good news is, there are actually lots of things you can do to cut your costs in winter, so let’s take a look at some of the smartest ways to save money this winter right now:

Turn down the thermostat

One of the biggest costs you are likely to incur in winter is for heating your home. Something that can help you lower this particular cost is simply turning the thermostat down by two or three degrees.

You might think that this sounds like a bad idea when it is really cold out, but actually, the body will become accustomed to the new temperature quite easily, and you can always put on a sweater or snuggle under a blanket if you do feel a little chilly, and best of all, you could save around $75 for every degree you turn the thermostat down by this year.

Cook with a crockpot

If you want to make even bigger savings on your energy bills, then the kitchen is a good place to start. In winter, we tend to want to eat lots of hot, comforting soups, stews, and casseroles, and they can be quite expensive to cool in terms of the fuel required to heat the cooker. 

However, if you were to switch to using a crockpot to whip up your favorite winter warmers, you would find that the cost of cooking is significantly less, and actually, it will only cost you a few cents even if you have the crockpot on all day. Not only that, but you can throw a few things into the crockpot in the morning, and come home to a hot meal after a long hard day at work which is always so cheering in the wintertime.

Hang heavy curtains

If you are looking to save money on the cost of heating your home this winter, another thing you can do is ensure that there is as little wheat loss chrome your windows as possible. The best way to do this is undoubtedly with an energy efficient home window replacement, but changing the weatherstripping so that it is tight and hanging the heaviest curtains you can find will also help to minimize heat loss drastically too, and it need not cost you more than a few dollars if you hit the thrift store.

Protect your pipes

If you live in an area that tends to get very cold and icy during the winter months, your home will be at greater risk of burst pipes, and this can be an expensive issue to remedy, as well as being a very inconvenient one for you and your family. So, it is definitely worth learning how to protect your pipes from ice, which you can easily do by wrapping them with sponge insulation.

If your outdoor pipes do start to freeze, you can safely thaw them by boiling a pan of water and leaving it to cool for 15 minutes. Then, pour this water over the affected pipes slowly. The ice should start to thaw, thus saving you the cost of having to call out an expensive plumber.

Buy a reusable coffee cup

If you do not have a reusable coffee cup already, be sure to invest in one ahead of this winter season. Why? Because in the winter, we tend to drink more coffee and hot chocolate, and other warm beverages to help keep us warm and comforted when the winter is hard. This often results in us buying lots of takeout coffees from places like Starbucks, which are often much more expensive than we could make these drinks at home. With a reusable coffee cup, you can start making your own, much cheaper drinks to save money, and bring them along with you wherever you go.

Invest in a dehumidifier

If your home tends to get damp and cold in the winter months, then investing in a dehumidifier could be one of the best financial decisions you ever make. Why? Because running a dehumidifier in the winter is a great way to suck moisture out of the air so that your home gets less damp. This will reduce the risk of you having to call a contractor in to deal with damage caused by dampness or mold, and they are actually pretty cheap to run. It will also make your home a more pleasant place to be in during the long winter months too.

Get some boots for your dog

If you have a dog, you will need to ta,e extra care of him in the winter, especially if it gets icy where you are because dogs are more prone to get injuries to their paws during this time. It may sound odd, but one thing you can do to reduce the risk of injury, and an expensive vet’s bill, is to buy your pooch a set of boots that will protect their paws from the dangers of ice, salt rock, and various other obstacles that could leave them needing treatment. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Buy generic medications

It is not unusual for people to get sicker in the winter months than they do in the summer. When it is cold outside, our immune systems often struggle more, and viruses are more able to thrive. If you or your family members do get sick, then remember to always ask the doctor to prescribe a generic medication as this will typically be much cheaper than branded medicines and every little you can save will add up to a lot over the ears.

Make soup

If you’re looking to save on the cost of feeding your family this winter, then soup od your best friend. You can whip up a tasty soup with the cheapest cuts of meat and lowest-cost veggies and everyone will love it because, what is more appealing than a healthy bowl of soup on a cold winter’s night?

Take good care of your car

One thing that is a huge risk for costing you money in the winter is your car. Conditions become more precarious on the roads and the weather can cause your car to work less effectively, so it is important you are careful. 

Keeping your car in the garage where it is not exposed to the elements is a good place to start, as is ensuring you use snow chains if conditions dictate it, and it may be worth getting your vehicle serviced for the winter too because although this will cost you a small amount, it will help to prevent any bigger car disasters from happening in the ice and snow, which could cost you a whole lot more in the long term.

As you can see, saving money this winter is something that just about anybody should be able to do by making a few simple changes to the way they do things in the season, and that means you will have more money available for buying those all-important Christmas gifts, or to add to your summer vacation fund, or whatever else you plan to save for. So, what are you waiting for?