Frugal Tip: Stay Warm In Frigid Temps
Cold is on my mind lately – maybe because here in the midwestern US where I live, we have been having record cold. I live in a older (but not old) home that has a lot of modern upgrades, but one big feature it is lacking is updated windows in the room I use as my office. There are big, beautiful windows in this room, five of them to be exact, that are almost floor to ceiling. And they are single pane wood windows that let in tons of frigid air, even with storm windows dropped in behind them.
So besides replacing the windows (which is on the list, but cost prohibitive at the moment), what can I do to stay warm? Here are a few tips:
- Insulate the windows with plastic – you can buy kits to cover windows with plastic wrap – sounds odd but it does work to seal some of the cold. We need to be able to use our blinds that are interior to the windows, so this won’t work for us in this room, but we do use this tip in our garage.
- Caulk obvious drafts in the window frame - sometimes the window frame isn’t sealed properly and can have drafts. Check with your hand or a piece of paper for any signs of drafts and fill in the missing seal.
- Use heavy drapes to block cold – Your average Walmart curtains won’t do much, but heavy, lined, and insulated drapes over windows will help keep the cold out and the warm in.
- Use a space heater in the area of the room I am in – If one room is noticeably colder than the rest of the house, a space heater can help keep that area warm when you are in it without cranking up the heat in the entire home.
- Dress in layers - Layers work better than one bulky item, because the air trapped between the layers helps insulate as well. Long underwear rocks!
- Keep moving – Exercise is good for you anyway! Do a few crunches or pushups, and get that blood flowing!
Whatever you do to combat the cold – stay warm!
This frugal tip provided by paidtwice, who is currently huddling and shivering while typing. Time to break out the space heater! And maybe some gloves… ugh!