Useful money-saving tips for Winter 2022

teabagwoman

I’ve dug out my Shirley Goode cookbooks from the 70s, anyone remember her cookery slots on Pebble Mill? Like most here there doesn’t seem to be much more I can do to cut fuel bills so now it’s where can I shave the food bills.

Shirley Goode! There’s a blast from the past. My book was used regularly for years.

V3ra

Forlornhope

I read somewhere that each of us gives off the warmth of an electric light bulb (don’t recall the wattage). Perhaps we all ought to be far more sociable and take turns to spend evenings filling the living rooms in each other’s houses.

We've just come back from the theatre and the man sitting next to me could have powered the national grid ??

Cosy V3ra!

I picked this up from MN this morning.
It’s to do with water bills. You could get a discount if you have extra washing because of a condition/ illness.

www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/water-bills/

I remember - many years ago - my children making me a cup of tea one morning. It was lukewarm and tasted very rubbery: they had used the water from their hot water bottle as it was still warm! Not recommended!

I have wool legwarmers which I pull under my trousers in winter and they keep me very cozy along with a fleece beach wrap. Howerver I may have to wear my ski hat indoors if I can still find it and buy some new fingeless mits.

Grannyjacq1; that’s made my day
I’m praying for a very mild winter.
Boiled water will be put in a flask.
Slow cooker, microwave & dryfrier used to max.
Fleece with hood used as will fingerless gloves.
Heating off in unused rooms.
I have movement sensor USB rechargeable lights in bathrooms, hallway & up the stairs.
On milder days BBQ will be used.
Shower every other day.
Lots of scaremongering from the media as usual
We will endure.

Wear a woolly hat indoors as most of the heat escapes via the head.

Lots of GN’ers say how they hate tights.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with wearing a pair of opaque tights under my jeans.

A lot warmer than just socks, which I will probably wear as well.

Sorry if this is too obvious but I find thermal underwear is great for keeping warm. Last year Sainsburys did some extra warm long sleeved t shirts and leggings which had a slightly fleecy lining. They came in bright colours so were good for layering and not frumpy. M and S do similar.

Slow cookers will increase in price.

These are all really useful tips and ones I will be doing, however the majority of youngsters will not bother and will run up big bills because they like walking round in t shirts even in the winter so have the heating up high.
I was talking recently to a heating repair man , he was how do you say it these days - a man of colour , I say this as context to the story, he said he goes into
Many households where there are people of colour and he said they are the worst they will be in tshirts and shorts in the winter and it is like a sauna in the house . I know it’s not their fault that the cost is so high but a lot won’t try to help themselves

Thermal curtains, turning boiler core temperature down, turning radiators down or off, heating one room well, eating cheap warming foods, porridge etc. Cutting everything you pay for back to basic.

I saw Nancy (ex Bake Off) who now offers household hints on TV. She said that the main expense of running a washing machine is incurred in heating the water. She uses stain removal methods (if necessary) prior to washing clothes and then using the 20 degree cycle to cut costs. I've tried it and the clothes came out as clean as they do at 30 so I hope to save money this way.

Heated throws are great. I even take mine as an extra layer if we go off in the Campervan. Don’t cost much to run and you heat yourself not the whole room.
Remember when we were little we didn’t have central heating and the windows iced up inside! Don’t think it will be that bad and we survived.

MOnica. Totally agree with you. A lot of folk will already live applying the now "just thought off" suggestions to cut costs. I feel it's younger folk who will have to take what will appear to them to be stringent steps to reduce energy costs. No sitting about in teeshirts and leggings/shorts, wear socks and slippers and manage their appliances better. Not saying those who generally are economical will find it easy, far from it.

I'm just going to try and remember how I was brought up with my gran. We had 1 coal fire, she collected wood from the fields. Kettle went on the fire on a trivet. Meals all cooked on the gas hob. Oven went on once a week. Never ever used the grill. Toast made on the fire. 40w bulbs right through the house. No hot water in the house. Washing by hand and always line dried then on a clothes horse to air. We had a mangle. No vacuum just dusting mop for lino floors, and wet mop once a week. No fridge just cool pantry. Milk was boiled at night. Wash every day and tin bath once a week. Veg mainly from the garden. Battery radio and 1 small TV. Coats on the bed if it was really cold. And a 1 bar electric fire on for half an hour to warm the bedroom.
She was not poor far from it. But very frugal. Welcome to 60s Britain lol

I think there is a lot of unfairness to young people going on. My daughter is 29, and is very careful with energy - she has given me some tips, and I'm not exactly profligate. Many young people are very climate conscious, and do it for that reason as much as to save money.

I don’t see the point of a throw unless you are sitting for hours. I have a Hottie. Like a hot water bottle but heated in the microwave. In very cold weather I wear my fleece dressing gown around the house together with thermal vest and leggings.
I use only my microwave and slow cooker for all my cooking. Nowadays when buying a microwave all you get is a leaflet. I still have my mothers comprehensive cookbook which came with her first one in 1974. Everything from an egg 40 sec, to a chicken, Bol sauce, steamed pudding. Rather than boil the kettle put my cup of water in the
Have found that washing is just as clean on a 20 degree programme or even the rinse and spin cycle. Save detergent by using washing soda.
Only shower every other day and wash hair once a weei

We are British for goodness sake! If it gets cold throw another dog on the bed!
?

Just listening to Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show, talking about Warm Rooms, or Living Rooms, where events are organised daily in church halls and local establishments that are heated, so that people can go and keep warm, away from home and turn off their heating while doing so. Might catch on.......

not trying to advertise here as such but for those of you with water meters ( we don't in Scotland) have you thought of using an eco egg for your washing? not only are they planet friendly, I love mine, I buy the fresh linen never tried the others, but if you have a rinse hold programme on your machine, sadly I don't, due to the way they work you can switch off your rinses and just wash and spin.
I have a worktop halogen oven and batch cook with the slow cooker etc. Helps keep the freezer full and therefore saves in 2 ways. Remember if you have gaps in your freezer you can fill the gaps with empty boxes or scrunched-up paper.
We use the plug in the wall oil-filled radiators, much more economical to use than central heating if you just want the one main room warm.

Am still using washing machine and tumble drier, but only use if the sun is out. We have an array of 14 solar panels, so using our own electricity. Have had panels for years. Smart meter on green.

My grandchildren stay occasionally so I have a couple of single duvets. Last year I started putting one across the bed. I hate having cold feet but with a thicker duvet, I tend to get hot. So this gives me toasty feet and warm top.
My heating goes off an hour before I go to bed. And it doesn't come on in the morning until after I'm back from walking the dog.
Only small things but it does help.

For those who sew, there's a free pattern for a wearable blanket on the DIBY website. Folk have been making it using throws and blankets. It has a hood and looks the same at the ready to wear ones.
doitbetteryourself.club/free-sewing-patterns/

Good grief. I popped on this thread to see if anyone had any good ideas, and so far I have read
Remember when we were little we didn’t have central heating and the windows iced up inside! Don’t think it will be that bad and we survived

^Lots of scaremongering from the media as usual
We will endure^.

Many households where there are people of colour and he said they are the worst they will be in tshirts and shorts in the winter and it is like a sauna in the house . I know it’s not their fault that the cost is so high but a lot won’t try to help themselves

I am speechless