tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post8570065941037733000..comments2024-03-12T03:55:23.359-04:00Comments on Living the Frugal Life: Staying Warm with the Thermostat Set LowKatehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-40355121410082738612018-11-11T11:49:47.576-05:002018-11-11T11:49:47.576-05:00One BIG task that i do not see people addressing. ...One BIG task that i do not see people addressing. i am SUPER frugal. there are cold air returns on your gas furnace. i live in a large house, and do not heat the second floor at all when i do not have company. so.... i bought sheets of magnets. (dollar store magnetic calendars meant for the fridge... told you i am frugal!) i place those onto the cold air returns in the unheated space. with adding them to the cold air returns, i am not pulling the super cold air into my furnace to warn to the rest of the house. it has made a big, big difference on the heat bill. the magnets make it simple to pull off or replace as i have company coming and going. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-14680925628507007212013-12-26T02:58:40.761-05:002013-12-26T02:58:40.761-05:00great Ideas! great Ideas! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-50321776192536628082011-12-08T23:06:36.814-05:002011-12-08T23:06:36.814-05:00I feel very cold at night. I actually do the oppos...I feel very cold at night. I actually do the opposite of most people: I turn up the thermostat at night from about 68 to 72 otherwise I wake up cold during the night. I also feel colder in morning. A tiny bit of exercise later (it can be just moving around the place) and I'm feeling very warm (I'm a muscular person and it seems my muscles generate a lot of heat).<br /><br />So basically the lack of movement at night makes me cold and I don't understand how people can be able to lower their thermostat by that much.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-15043701600747181262010-01-29T22:44:32.324-05:002010-01-29T22:44:32.324-05:00I live in Florida, so we rarely have the problem o...I live in Florida, so we rarely have the problem of heating, however...we had a recent run of very cold weather (for Florida), and to keep the kitchen warm and the house humidified, I kept a slow cooker filled with water and a sprinkle of cinnamon plugged in throughout the day. When my hands felt unbearably cold, I would warm them over the slow cooker!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-65236579738571516672009-01-05T22:28:00.000-05:002009-01-05T22:28:00.000-05:00Get a down comforter, 100% down, no feathers. You'...Get a down comforter, 100% down, no feathers. You'd be surprised how warm you will stay at night. In our off grid cabin, we use a wood stove to keep warm, we just received a down comforter as a Christmas gift. We have slept 2 nights now with no heat and stayed toasty warm, the temp inside the cabin got down to 38, you could see your breath.<BR/><BR/>This will save lots of wood!<BR/><BR/>WrethaWrethaOffGridhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04941116263529261885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-28533783496891597452008-11-19T20:44:00.000-05:002008-11-19T20:44:00.000-05:00I've enjoyed reading your blog muchly...a few thou...I've enjoyed reading your blog muchly...a few thoughts...<BR/><BR/>Carefully consider snuggling and body heat as sources for warmth as there is also the potential to these leading to an extra mouth to feed. ;-)<BR/><BR/>I've found that wearing a scarf helps to keep me warmer. I also close off non-essential rooms...like the guest room. We close the door and close the vent and simply don't heat that room. I took up crochet and it's wonderful for keeping warm! It keeps the hands busy and if you have chosen the right project (like an afghan) it will keep you warm while you make it! Can't go wrong with that!Sissyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10348666446538933254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-75786413655853407262008-11-16T13:57:00.000-05:002008-11-16T13:57:00.000-05:00Very good 'make sense' ideas! I also have a few mo...Very good 'make sense' ideas! I also have a few more that work well for me (I hope these weren't already mentioned):<BR/>1) when showering say in the last minute or two set the water a bit warmer (or even hot as you can stand) this will make you feel much warmer when you are done. Also have your clothing in the bathroom to put on right away. I stay warmer for longer just from this alone more than anything else I've tried. Also consider leaving the bathroom door open a bit during your shower to let the warmer humid air into your adjacent rooms (plus you don't have to run your fan to 'clear the room' thus saving on electricity!)<BR/>2) once your furnace 'kicks off' turn the manual blower switch to on(if you have one)- this will take whatever extra heat is left in your ducts and push it out into your house - monitor the temp of the air coming out and shut it off when the air gets cooler. Also make sure your ducts are well insolated and you install an electronic/programmable thermostat.<BR/>3) open your oven door after cooking and leave it open for a while to release extra heat into your house. Also if cooking multiple items try to cook them at the same time or right after each other to minimize operating costs.<BR/>4) If you know you are going to bed shortly then turn the heat down then - surely you can sit for a half hour or even a few hours and bear it under a blanket.<BR/>5) Set the thermostat at say 60 degrees at night - why? - because when your snuggled in bed in your LJ's or PJ's your are already warm. If you have a programmable thermostat you can simply have you heat come on shortly before getting up so the house is warm when you get up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-53794626718686164872008-11-15T23:52:00.000-05:002008-11-15T23:52:00.000-05:00Good tips! If you use a clothes dryer, look for a ...Good tips! <BR/>If you use a clothes dryer, look for a dryer vent diverter to enable you to keep that heat and moisture in the house in winter. (Moisture is usually scarce in a heated house in the high desert.) Use a knee-high nylon sock for a final filter on the vent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-5936404547116329942008-11-14T14:29:00.000-05:002008-11-14T14:29:00.000-05:00Re those hot meals: Make some of them SPICY. Hot f...Re those hot meals: Make some of them SPICY. Hot food, well-seasoned -- mmmmm....<BR/>If you have a bread machine, set the timer so that you come home to the smell of freshly baked bread. Your slow cooker should get a workout, too; if they don't make programmable crockpots (do they? mine is the cheapest one on the market so I wouldn't know), then plug it in to one of those timers. Oh, and use the slow cooker even when you're home -- the smell of slowly simmering stew or soup is very warming. Hot soup, hot bread...<BR/>Go outside even if you don't have yard work: After even a short walk in the cold, your house feels so warm and cozy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-52694806339363807132008-11-03T09:17:00.000-05:002008-11-03T09:17:00.000-05:00Thanks for stopping by, Jeri. I appreciate you le...Thanks for stopping by, Jeri. I appreciate you letting me know you found something of use here.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-88930717236106795652008-10-31T14:06:00.000-04:002008-10-31T14:06:00.000-04:00This is a good list. Even though we live in Southe...This is a good list. Even though we live in Southern California, I'm a complete wimp and am always cold. We have a very cold house and I'm going to be spending a lot of time in it this winter. These tips will come in handy. (Just found your blog--noticed your comments at Fast Grow the Weeds--and have been reading through the archives. Lots of good information.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-61192689002747638092008-10-30T11:15:00.000-04:002008-10-30T11:15:00.000-04:00I like yours too, Linsey!I like yours too, Linsey!Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-15403021648861230382008-10-29T22:12:00.000-04:002008-10-29T22:12:00.000-04:00Totally love your list! (Alot like mine... ) The...Totally love your list! (Alot like mine... ) The cuddling must be contagious!<BR/><BR/>LinseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-66734473871226248112008-10-29T10:05:00.000-04:002008-10-29T10:05:00.000-04:00Meadowlark, we were thrilled when we bought our ho...Meadowlark, we were thrilled when we bought our home, which came with an outdoor hottub. We loved using our friends' tub when we lived in a warm climate. But we were shocked at how much it cost to keep it hot outdoors in winter, when we'd be most likely to use it. We'd have to use it an *awful* lot to justify the expense. Our electric bill dropped by two thirds when we emptied it and turned it off.<BR/><BR/>Nicole, that's a really good point. Thanks for mentioning it here. Nice money saver if you can get it.<BR/><BR/>Kelly, just my opinion, but I think a space heater could be a good option if the only other recourse is to heat the entire house. I think babies can probably be kept pretty warm by bundling them up as well or better than we bundle ourselves up as adults. Think hats! The human species survives in some pretty cold places. We keep our homes a lot warmer than is strictly necessary, but I understand your concerns.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-18301210364069946482008-10-23T19:32:00.000-04:002008-10-23T19:32:00.000-04:00I enjoyed this list. If it were just my husband a...I enjoyed this list. If it were just my husband and me, we would do most of these, as we used to. But, we have a 15-month-old daughter and I'm less eager to crank down the heat with her in the house. We all sleep in the same bed, so a nighttime chilly house is okay, but what about during the day? Do you think a space heater is worth it? Also, I'm always unsure if turning down the heat while we're out for a couple of hours is worth it. Does it make the furnace work harder when you come back and turn it back up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-19351971668488488392008-10-23T19:02:00.000-04:002008-10-23T19:02:00.000-04:00Another suggestion that is a bit more long term is...Another suggestion that is a bit more long term is that if you live an apartment complex (especially an older one) try to live on one of the upper floors. Heat rises, and in our third floor apartment we could tell when our neighbors below turned on their heat. Our apartment went from chilly to balmy without us having to turn our heat on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-26845114785172817292008-10-23T13:16:00.000-04:002008-10-23T13:16:00.000-04:00Ohmigoshyes... a hot bath. I have a terrible habit...Ohmigoshyes... a hot bath. I have a terrible habit of taking a hot bath every night. And wait... I don't mean "let's get clean". That's done in a shower in the morning. I mean a "gee, I'm a bit chilly, why don't I waste say... 30 gallons of water and the energy to heat the stuff simply to soak in hot water for a while" kinda bath.<BR/><BR/>We are one of those families that actually would benefit from a hot tub.It's mehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02030081794655766175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-39403773466921974672008-10-23T10:36:00.000-04:002008-10-23T10:36:00.000-04:00Thanks for stopping by, Claire and Wendy. I will ...Thanks for stopping by, Claire and Wendy. I will sometimes succumb to the allure of an afternoon bath in winter time, Wendy. It's a luxury, but hard to resist during the chilly months of the year. Good idea on turning socks into fingerless gloves.Katehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18017959421018964001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-23891292569058650092008-10-22T18:37:00.000-04:002008-10-22T18:37:00.000-04:00I like all of your tips, and for the past few week...I like all of your tips, and for the past few weeks, as the temperatures have been dipping really low, and we've been waiting for our woodstove to be installed, we've been employing most of them. My favorite is the food-related ones. I drink a lot of tea, and soup/stew and homemade bread are my two favorite cold weather meals ;).<BR/><BR/>One thing I do when I get cold and can't get warm is take a shower. I usually save my shower for later in the day (and because I work from home, I have that luxury) so that it comes at just the time I really do need to be warmed up a bit ;). <BR/><BR/>I'm working on making some finger-less gloves. I don't knit, but I'm repurposing some wool socks ;).Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04642417312794814066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7237633934633144064.post-13848036556478519132008-10-22T08:21:00.000-04:002008-10-22T08:21:00.000-04:00Thanks for the list! We're planning on keeping ou...Thanks for the list! We're planning on keeping our heat pretty low this winter, so these hints will come in handy. Not too cold here yet - we've been into the 30s overnight, but the coldest inside has been 64 - but it's definitely coming...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com