Cheap Ways to Stay Warm without Turning on the Furnace

Learn how to stay warm with our easy tips and tricks. Keep the cold at bay and enjoy a snug winter with our helpful advice to save you money.

Cozy Up and Save

Has anyone ever walked into your house and questioned if the heat was working? If they have, you’re probably frugal. One of the most expensive utility bills this winter will be the heating bill. It doesn’t have to cause stress though. We have a gas furnace, so that means, it’s actually cheaper for us to run our furnace than it is for some of these ideas. However; I want to give you my top tips for staying warm this winter without having to turn your furnace on.

Heating Hacks: Creative Ways to Keep Your Space Toasty

Now, we live in a bi-level, which can be tricky. Even though we have a furnace, it is in the living room. Two bedrooms are above the garage. That means, even if the rest of the house is nice and cozy, the two bedrooms usually aren’t. This is where some of these tricks come into play.

Electric Space Heaters

The obvious choice, right? We usually will preheat our rooms before going into them to ensure we won’t freeze to death. Then when the room is comfy, we will turn them off. Only heat rooms you’re actually using.

Close Doors and Keep Curtains Shut

This is another tip we utilize, pretty much constantly. Not only do we have toddlers we want to keep out of areas, but we have found that by keeping doors shut, it helps with our heating and cooling costs. Shutting a door behind us is a habit we have all developed.

Another habit we have gotten into is keeping the curtains closed. It will keep heat in during the winter and keep the hot sun out during the summer. Having black out curtains has helped so much with utility bills and improved sleep!

Seal the Windows and Doors

This is especially important if you have an older home. We had to do this every winter in our first home. We would seal the windows and doors. It helps a lot. You can use a product like this and it’s very simply to put up and take down.

Improve the Insulation

This is definitely something we need to do. We need to have a professional help with the insulation of the rooms above the garage. Since that isn’t quite in the cards, and I said cheap, putting down rugs can help insulate a bit of that cold air.

Cozy Up with Layers: Your Ultimate Winter Wardrobe Guide

I can’t tell you how shocked I am when I go to someone’s home in January and see them wearing shorts and a tshirt. It’s their home, so it’s their choice, but for us, winter is winter. You dress like it’s winter. Here are some ways we dress ourselves and children to help stay warm without relying on a higher temperature on the furnace.

Sweatshirts
Long pants and shirts
Socks, wool or thick for extra warmth
Extra layers, if needed
Slippers

Snuggle Time: The Best Blankets for Ultimate Warmth

When it comes to bed time, we ensure all of our children have a nice, warm comforter. We also make sure they have a second comforter nearby if needed. My husband and I each have our own comforter during winter. This is something we discovered several years ago. It really helps avoid the blanket hog in the dead of winter. Here are some other ideas to stay warm while watching TV or resting.

Hot Drinks, Warm Hearts: Sip Your Way to Comfort

Having a warm beverage can certainly help you to keep warm. My husband and I like coffees and teas. Our children like to have hot cocoa. We also tend to have a lot of soups and stews during the winter time, bringing ultimate comfort and coziness.

Another hot tip is to keep your oven open after baking. I heard about this years ago from a friend’s mom. It certainly does it help and is a great way to use up that heat that would otherwise be wasted!