Heating is expensive. For many people, this is an additional cost in the winter that can really strain the budget. But you have to stay warm in the winter somehow, right?
Fortunately, the following tips can help you stay warm without spending too much money on heating. In fact, most of them are free!
So grab a hot drink and dive in!
1. Stay physically active
The best way to distract yourself from freezing temperatures and warm up your body is to keep yourself busy with a list of household and gardening chores. Try to have fun doing it!
You can also exercise. Go jogging or walking or biking.
2. Cook
Experiment with new recipes and whip up fresh treats for you and your loved ones. Not only does the movement warm you, but the act of operating the oven makes a room nice and toasty.
For example, you can make homemade tomato sauce to pour over pasta. It’s the perfect comforting meal after a long day at work.
Here is a simple tomato sauce recipe:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
- 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
You can replace the tomato puree with a handful of ripe tomatoes if you have fresh tomatoes.
Bonus: leave the oven open after turning it off to diffuse the heat in the room.
3. Garden
Depending on what you grow on your farm, some hardy vegetables like bok choy and Swiss chard grow perfectly in cold, snowy conditions protected by a greenhouse or hoop frame.
You can grow microgreens inside your home if you can’t or don’t want to grow crops outside. It’s a perfect way to have fresh produce without leaving the comfort of your warm home.
4. Clean and Organize
Winter is the perfect time to clean up and organize your space after a busy growing season. You’ll be ready for the year ahead and carrying stuff around will keep your body warm.
5. Make your own clothes
When the weather turns bad, it’s a good idea to keep your body moving so you don’t get cold. But you can’t walk around all day, so knitting and crocheting are great hobbies to try during the winter.
You can sit in front of your fire with a ball of yarn and make a new creation as the evening passes. Plus, that pile of yarn laying across your lap adds a layer of warmth as you work.
If you have internet access, you can search for DIY videos and learn a new skill during this time of year.
Additionally, you can also take the time to fix old clothes with holes in them or try knitting a winter blanket for your bed. There’s no better time to take up a fun and relaxing hobby like knitting or crocheting.
6. Layer your clothes
Start with the basics when dressing for winter with thermal underwear. A good foundation sets the stage for the rest of your outfit. Once you’ve put on a shirt, sweater and coat, you’ll be snug.
The rest is easy and you know the drill. After the underwear, add a long-sleeved shirt, maybe a fleece sweater and a puffy cardigan. Complete it with a coat. For your lower half, a pair of thick jeans or woolen pants are perfect.
Don’t forget a waterproof outer layer if it rains or snows. Getting wet is a quick way to get very cold.
7. Use gloves, hats and socks
When you really need to turn up the heat, wear a woolen hat, thick socks and a pair of gloves. If you need to handle gardening equipment, a pair of gloves with gripping features will help you carry on your farm activities without getting cold.
We often forget about our extremities, but keeping them warm makes all the difference in keeping the rest of you warm too.
8. Trap in the heat
The top priority in the winter is to make sure you keep your body and your home warm, but blowing your entire monthly budget on heating bills isn’t sustainable. By trapping heat in your home, you can reduce heating bills.
This one might seem obvious, but a lot of people forget to close their windows in the winter. While it’s essential to have fresh oxygen in your home, it allows heat to escape if you leave them open for too long.
For good insulation, you should also make sure that the windows are well sealed and airtight. You can buy removable window chalk or plastic to add an extra layer to your windows, so you don’t catch drafts when it’s cold outside.
9. Add curtains
Curtains are a great way to keep the heat inside your home without leaving your heater or radiators on all night.
Choose thick curtains that will provide a layer of insulation. Sheers will help a little, but not as much as, say, a heavy velvet drape.
Open the curtains when the sun rises to invite warmth into the house.
10. Close individual rooms
If you have multiple rooms in your home, close the doors to rooms you aren’t using.
Turn off the radiators in the room you’re not heating, or consider covering or closing the air vents. Remember to keep heat in rooms like bathrooms, whether you use them or not. Any room that has plumbing should be kept warm enough so that the pipes don’t freeze.
11. Go upstairs
The heat rises, so if you can, hang out upstairs where it’s warmer. Better yet, open the upper and lower windows to take advantage of this beautiful sun and warmth.
12. Prepare hot drinks
The easiest way to warm up in winter is to make yourself a hot drink, whether you like tea or coffee; caffeinated and non-caffeinated options are quick and easy to prepare between your daily tasks.
Turmeric latte
Turmeric is known to boost your immune system and reduce inflammation, so it’s the perfect choice for winter when people tend to catch colds. All you need to make a turmeric latte is:
- 12 ounces of milk (milk or almond, coconut, soy, etc.)
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of maple syrup
- a pinch of black pepper
You can also add 1 teaspoon of honey or vanilla for more sweetness. It’s the perfect recipe for a warming winter drink packed with nutritional benefits to ensure you stay healthy for the new year.
If you want to make it caffeinated, you can sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of matcha powder into the mixture.
Hot chocolate
Who doesn’t love hot chocolate in the winter? It’s soft, comforting and delicious!
You don’t need to drink a lot of sugar to enjoy this hot winter drink. Here is a healthy recipe that will brighten your mood when the days are short:
- 1 cup milk (milk or almond, coconut, soy, etc.)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup or organic honey
- 1 tablespoon chopped dark chocolate
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- Dark chocolate shavings for decoration
Ideally, you want to use chocolate with at least 70% cocoa, as this will give you the best flavor but is low in sugar compared to regular milk chocolate.
Alternatively, you can make an herbal tea like peppermint, ginger, or lemon, all of which are great for soothing sore throats and keeping you warm in the winter.
You can also experiment with your own hot drink recipes and create something tasty this cold season!
13. Electric blankets
It’s easy to stay warm during the day when you’re on the move, but when it’s time to climb into bed, it can be harder to stay warm. You don’t want to heat the whole house, though. Instead, just warm your bed.
Electric blankets are a great way to heat small spaces for sitting or sleeping without wasting money on extra heating bills. You can also use hot water bottles to warm yourself up while you sleep or relax on the couch.
14. Use Hot Rice Bags
Rice bags are popular around the world for creating a heat source without having to be attached to an electrical cord. Fill a cotton bag with rice and sew it. Then, whenever you need heat, just pop it in the microwave for a few minutes until warm.
15. Reverse your fans
If you have fans, reverse them during the winter to circulate warm air and push it back into the room.
Was this article helpful?
Yes No ×
We appreciate your helpful feedback!
Your response will be used to improve our content. The more feedback you give us, the better our pages will be.
Facebook pinterest