Useful money-saving tips for Winter 2022

Also bear in mind the need to keep the house dry.

I had an uncle who never seemed to have the heating on. When he went to a care home and I began to clear the house I opened one of the wardrobes in the bedroom and it was like something out of a horror film. The whole cupboard was full of strands of mould in shades of green and black, holding all the clothes together in a lump. I had to don overalls and mask and put everything in black sacks and take to the tip.

The first thing I did was put the heating on for an hour morning and evening, to keep the house dry and ensure that the mould did not spread elsewhere. I had to scrub walls and move cupboards and other furniture, as I found ordinary black mould on walls and damp corners, which needed to be all cleared away before we could sell the house.

A damp house will also have mould spores in the air that can cause respiratory illnesses, as can the damp.

Try if you possible can to have the heating on for an hour morning and evening to keep the house dry.

Chardy did you have to produce ID to show you were of pensionable age or was it a case of, without being rude, one look and in you go.

My freezer is packed but when it has more space that is an excellent idea. Even if you do not buy food, loo rolls would be cheaper. Did you have to spend a minimum amount?

Just to add to the posts re Christmas presents, last year we had a Secret Santa for my OH , myself, our four children and their partners. We spent £25 each and everyone put an enormous amount of thought and effort into just the one present, even my sons! ( sorry to sound sexist ). We were all delighted with our secret gifts and look forward to repeating it this year plus of course it saved everyone, and me in particular, a fortune. We decided not to just buy for the children as I felt it was teaching the children that only they were special enough to be lavished with gifts .

I had a couple of spare woollen throws so I turned them into a warm dressing gown, thigh length and can be used as a housecoat over anything

I also finished making knitted woollen socks, they are so cosy and I will use older ones as bedsocks, they make me sleep better. I have at least 8 pairs now

A word of warning as some will not have heating on at all this winter, please be aware that pipes can freeze and then they burst on thawing. I lived through that time as a child and parents used very basic paraffin heaters

pandapatch

I have found 2 useful savings - the hoover costs 39p an hour so I shall be reducing my hoovering and likewise ironing!!!

wonderful

I just went down to Iceland (as it's Tuesday). Bought a 3-for-2 that I usually buy, and got my 10% off, saving 23% on my £20.
There were a lot of other 3-for-2 offers, but they were meaty (and maybe fish?) and I'm veggie.

Oh, I keep things for far longer than that. I'd be careful with prawns, or dairy-based food, but I'm a great believer in the sniff test, and I'm here to tell the tale?

effalump you should not keep cooked food in the fridge for any longer than 48 hours or you risk food poisoning.

The Oodie things are great. I wear mine a lot in the winter. A draught comes through the sitting room door right onto my ear, and the hood is great for blocking it.

I wish we could harness warmth in the summer and use it in winter. I get awful flushes and have a fan on pretty much permanently just now, which is maddening when I think I'm trying to kill the heat that I'll have to pay for over the winter.

I can't believe we have to actually be thinking & doing all this in 2022.
I think it's crazy. And it's won't be just those on benefits or pensioners that will be struggling.
My DP cashed in a pension just so we can get by. Not sure what or how we'd have managed otherwise.

We rarely use our heating even before all this. Couldn't afford it
Always have blankets, dressing gowns, wear socks and slippers.
I bought myself 2 of those massive oversized hoodies, got a electric hot water bottle.

We only buy presents for children and all contribute something towards the lunch in lieu of presents. Foraging is the best - mushrooms just starting and there are lots of varieties that you can eat - I take a book with me to identify them. Hazelnuts, damsons, blackberries, sloes, elderberries, watercress, wild garlic, horseradish, apples, wild raspberries, camomile, to name just a few things! It is so satisfying when you get free food!

Got air fryer yesterday from FB marketplace. It’s immaculate. It’s great - full meal in 10 and tasty Trying soup later

Bought wok for quick meal also and pop in any leftovers in fridge

It’s my birthday and looking at weighted blankets Sound comforting, Must look into the heated ones i hadnt heard of these
Googled for things to keep heat out in summer & heat in in winter
Like tin foil products came up which il try for old windows at back

I just thought too that I am now making more stews and soups in the slow cooker. I can live on those for days, just keep them in a large jug in the fridge and scoop when wanted.

Don't forget to put foiled foam sheet behind your radiators to reflect the heat into the room insteam of the wall.

I have an abundance of fleece blankets at the moment and I intend to turn at least two of them into wearable items. Most probably ponchos (no-one will see them but me ). Also I will make beanie hats from scraps as they say you lose most of your heat through the top of your head. In winter I always wear a hat when I'm out an about so now I'll wear one indoors too. I have also saved my solo socks, you know the ones that have been deserted by their other half. They will be used as bed socks and I can cut the toes off and use some as fingerless mittens around the house.

I know it is obvious but I generally plan my washing at least a day ahead, looking at the weather forcast for the following day.

Days are getting shorter fast and condensation is happening so drying time outside is shorter. The cotton eco wash on my machine is very money saving but takes 3 hours so I programme it to be ready to go outside by 7.30 am.

I also factor in outside humidity, higher humidity=slower drying

floradora, you don`t get it, it is physics. scrunched up newspaper is good at filling gaps eg to stop drafts but has negligible thermal capacity, will not therefore contribute anything to prevent a freezer defrosting during a long power cut.

pandapatch

I have found 2 useful savings - the hoover costs 39p an hour so I shall be reducing my hoovering and likewise ironing!!!

I don’t iron anything so no savings for me there!

I have 4 thermos travel mid which I fill at the beginning of the day and they stay hot, hot for up to about 8hrs, still drinkable at about 11hrs.
I don't have a kettle, I bought a water boiler (looks like a coffee machine) several years ago for not a lot more than a decent kettle and it bills the water as you need it.
Weighted blankets help keep more heat in the bed.
I cook in my electric pressure cooker, microwave or air fryer oven (fast and cheap)

karmalady

freezer tip: empty spaces use up a lot of energy so fill them with containers full of water, they will also help to keep food frozen when we have power cuts

Water uses power to freeze it use scrunched up newspapers instead.

JenniferEccles

I apologise for mentioning Christmas in August but how about families agreeing to just buy presents for the children and not the adults?
That way every adult in the family saves money, quite a lot in some cases.

Christmas could still be enjoyable with home cooked food, games with the children, lovely country walks.

Now dare I suggest it to mine ?!

We did this years ago and it is great . I hated thinking of what to buy everybody so now just have the children to cater for.

My Dad used to put the fear of God in us about the 'pipes' freezing in the winter in the 1960's. We had a gas fire in the lounge downstairs, but he'd light two (very dangerous, looking back!) paraffin fires on the landing which would burn all night.

At the age of 65 this still worries me, I can't decide when and for how long to have the heating on to avoid this.

kittylester

In fact day time electricity is more than normal if you are on Economy 7.

We changed from it a few years ago and our bill went down and we were no longer tied to when we could use the washer etc.

I take your point, but I think it depends on your habits kittylester. I’m used to using my appliances first thing, my heating is on 5.30-7.00am when it’s cheaper and I’m getting up, and I have a log burner on during the day rather than the central heating, so it’s cheaper for me. I’m thinking now to see what else I can charge at night though!

Most suppliers still offer the Economy 7 tariffs but the process for switching to one varies depending on whether you already have an Economy 7 meter (a special meter that records your night-time electricity use separately from your day-time use).
I’ve got one because my house when new had an electric night storage central heating system, so my electricity meter has two dials for day and nighttime use. Now you have to have a second meter installed I believe, not sure if there is a cost attached to installation, but it makes a very significant difference to your bills.

In fact day time electricity is more than normal if you are on Economy 7.

We changed from it a few years ago and our bill went down and we were no longer tied to when we could use the washer etc.

Usng your washing machine at night only saves money if you are on the Economy 7 tariff or similar. Most people are on the standard tariff and the cost is the same whenever you use your washing machine.