I know, I know-- I just posted. But check out the new link in our "Links" section. The Smart Spending message board (my fave) on MSN Money has birthed a blog.
Not as cool as we are, but possibly more useful. ;)
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Staying warm
Well, the weather has taken a turn for the chillier around here. I can't say I'm happy about that, but it is an inevitable part of life in these parts, and I do enjoy being warm and snug when it's cold and miserable outside.
Turning up the heat to 80, however, is not a frugal way to stay toasty this winter, even though I really would love to do it. I'm cold-blooded, so striking a balance between health, comfort, and cheapness takes some effort.
Here are some of the tricks I use to stay warm (enough):
* I have insulated drapes on my big glass door and the window in the bedroom. My mom found the bedroom drapes at a second-hand store and they work great; I had to get the big ones from JC Penney, and they were about $70, but that is an awful lot of glass to cover and it's worth it. Make sure you get insulated. They keep the heat from the sun out well in the summer and the cold out in the winter.
* I put clear plastic over the draftiest half of my big glass door/window. I did a bad job and didn't have enough plastic to do the other half, but it helps. When the wind howls I hear and see the plastic billowing, so I know it's doing some good.
* I made draft-dodgers for the bottom of my living room insulated drapes where they meet the floor. You can buy them (arrrgh!) or make your own. I made my own. I got two extra-long irregular green pillowcases at Gabriel Brother's (similar to a Ross Dress for Less). Then I made two thick rolls of old newspaper and tied one pillowcase around them with green yarn-- at each end and in the middle, between the two newspaper rolls. They actually look very nice (sort of like big British Christmas "crackers") and they keep a lot of cold air away from my toes.
* Electric blanket! I keep the heat down to about 60 in my bedroom for most of the day, but before I go to bed I turn it up to about 65-67. This is not warm enough for me, but the electric blanket makes up the difference. I kind of like a cooler room and a cozy me, anyway.
* I keep a snuggly fleece blanket on the couch at all times and wear slippers in the apartment. In the mornings, when the apartment is usually around 61-62, I have a thick bathrobe that I wear before I get dressed for work. I have cozy pajamas and lots of hoodies and sweatpants and socks.
* I keep working on an endless cup of tea/cocoa/coffee.
* For a reusable heating pad, fill an old sock with plain white rice. Microwave it for a couple of minutes and use. This is great for sore muscles, to preheat a bed, or to keep your toes warm.
* And, finally, the cat kicks out a lot of heat. :) He's very snuggly, which is fortunate for me. It helps if you have someone else warm to snuggle with, too. :) Failing that, use the rice sock!
I keep the heat at about 60-61 while I'm at work all day. When I'm home, I close off the bedroom and heat the rest of the apartment to about 67-70, depending on how I'm feeling. It's usually closer to 67 than 70 these days, which is a big step for me.
This is also a good time of year for baking casseroles, roasting chickens, and baking, so keep that in mind, too! :) And burning candles. I love to burn candles. They can raise a room's temperature by a degree or two after a couple of hours...
Turning up the heat to 80, however, is not a frugal way to stay toasty this winter, even though I really would love to do it. I'm cold-blooded, so striking a balance between health, comfort, and cheapness takes some effort.
Here are some of the tricks I use to stay warm (enough):
* I have insulated drapes on my big glass door and the window in the bedroom. My mom found the bedroom drapes at a second-hand store and they work great; I had to get the big ones from JC Penney, and they were about $70, but that is an awful lot of glass to cover and it's worth it. Make sure you get insulated. They keep the heat from the sun out well in the summer and the cold out in the winter.
* I put clear plastic over the draftiest half of my big glass door/window. I did a bad job and didn't have enough plastic to do the other half, but it helps. When the wind howls I hear and see the plastic billowing, so I know it's doing some good.
* I made draft-dodgers for the bottom of my living room insulated drapes where they meet the floor. You can buy them (arrrgh!) or make your own. I made my own. I got two extra-long irregular green pillowcases at Gabriel Brother's (similar to a Ross Dress for Less). Then I made two thick rolls of old newspaper and tied one pillowcase around them with green yarn-- at each end and in the middle, between the two newspaper rolls. They actually look very nice (sort of like big British Christmas "crackers") and they keep a lot of cold air away from my toes.
* Electric blanket! I keep the heat down to about 60 in my bedroom for most of the day, but before I go to bed I turn it up to about 65-67. This is not warm enough for me, but the electric blanket makes up the difference. I kind of like a cooler room and a cozy me, anyway.
* I keep a snuggly fleece blanket on the couch at all times and wear slippers in the apartment. In the mornings, when the apartment is usually around 61-62, I have a thick bathrobe that I wear before I get dressed for work. I have cozy pajamas and lots of hoodies and sweatpants and socks.
* I keep working on an endless cup of tea/cocoa/coffee.
* For a reusable heating pad, fill an old sock with plain white rice. Microwave it for a couple of minutes and use. This is great for sore muscles, to preheat a bed, or to keep your toes warm.
* And, finally, the cat kicks out a lot of heat. :) He's very snuggly, which is fortunate for me. It helps if you have someone else warm to snuggle with, too. :) Failing that, use the rice sock!
I keep the heat at about 60-61 while I'm at work all day. When I'm home, I close off the bedroom and heat the rest of the apartment to about 67-70, depending on how I'm feeling. It's usually closer to 67 than 70 these days, which is a big step for me.
This is also a good time of year for baking casseroles, roasting chickens, and baking, so keep that in mind, too! :) And burning candles. I love to burn candles. They can raise a room's temperature by a degree or two after a couple of hours...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Get thee to Rite Aid!
Rite Aid has been VERY good to me already this month! It would have been better if my favorite one hadn't been out of men's Adidas body wash and Brut cologne (I was going to give it to my brother). Those were both free after rebate.
I did, however, get a free toothbrush, a free indoor 15-ft extension cord, and a free surge protector/power strip. And nail polish. No Nonsense pantyhose were BOGO free, so I got two of those, and remembered as I threw them in the cart that I'd left my coupon at home. :( Well, I need to get more than two pairs, anyway, so I'll just use it next time.
I had a little time off last week (finally) and roasted a chicken and made sugar cookies. I had to buy a rolling pin. I hit every thrift store in town and still wound up having to buy one at Wal-Mart (I only thought about Big Lots after the fact). Oh, well. I found a recipe for crock-pot chicken noodle soup and used the chicken carcass for that. I ate several servings and froze the rest. I also have a lot of chicken meat frozen now-- though my lack of planning bit me there, too. I put it all in one bag instead of breaking it down into individual portions, and now all of the chicken bits are frozen into one solid lump. Hmm.
While at Goodwill, however, I did re-discover that they have a lot of basic toiletry items. I got several good-sized containers of hand sanitizer for $1 each. I have a dispenser by my kitchen sink, one at my desk at work, and I put another one out at the circulation desk for the student aides. I refill them with the cheapest sanitizer gel I can find. I try to keep the circulation desk supplied with Kleenexes, too. The Kleenexes get used like mad, but the kids don't really use much hand sanitizer. Hmm... connection? :)
I did, however, get a free toothbrush, a free indoor 15-ft extension cord, and a free surge protector/power strip. And nail polish. No Nonsense pantyhose were BOGO free, so I got two of those, and remembered as I threw them in the cart that I'd left my coupon at home. :( Well, I need to get more than two pairs, anyway, so I'll just use it next time.
I had a little time off last week (finally) and roasted a chicken and made sugar cookies. I had to buy a rolling pin. I hit every thrift store in town and still wound up having to buy one at Wal-Mart (I only thought about Big Lots after the fact). Oh, well. I found a recipe for crock-pot chicken noodle soup and used the chicken carcass for that. I ate several servings and froze the rest. I also have a lot of chicken meat frozen now-- though my lack of planning bit me there, too. I put it all in one bag instead of breaking it down into individual portions, and now all of the chicken bits are frozen into one solid lump. Hmm.
While at Goodwill, however, I did re-discover that they have a lot of basic toiletry items. I got several good-sized containers of hand sanitizer for $1 each. I have a dispenser by my kitchen sink, one at my desk at work, and I put another one out at the circulation desk for the student aides. I refill them with the cheapest sanitizer gel I can find. I try to keep the circulation desk supplied with Kleenexes, too. The Kleenexes get used like mad, but the kids don't really use much hand sanitizer. Hmm... connection? :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
