10 Ways to Stay Warm Without Running up the Heating Bill

Before the cold weather season begins, we may promise ourselves to avoid running up the heating bill. Then comes (brrrrr!) winter, and our longing for warmth overrides that vow and our bank account pays the price. But what if we could stay warm without paying a hefty price to heat our homes? Read on to discover 10 ways to achieve that goal.

5 Free Ways to Stay Warm

Winter brings many challenges, depending on where we live. Those of us who live where we get deep, true winters face iced-up windshields, slippery roads and, perhaps most of all, the desire to achieve a balance between running up the heating bill and staying warm. Let's see if we can help.

Trying to persuade yourself to climb out of that cozy nest of blankets in the morning? Try these five free ways to stay warm in cold weather:

1. Dress in layers. Before you head to bed, choose clothes that you can wear in layers the next morning. You might even consider tucking them into your blankets so they're warm when you're ready to dress 
2. Wear hats inside your home. This helps prevent body heat from escaping and keeps the body warmer overall. 
3. Enjoy a cup of tea or soup. From adapting the British habit of a “cuppa tea” to enjoying the convenience of a cup of soup for lunch, drinking hot beverages throughout the day may keep our bodies warm and help us stay hydrated. Warm lemon water? Coffee?    
4. Exercise. With periodic exercising throughout the day, we may boost our overall health and stay warm at the same time. Consider an online cardio class, lift weights while watching TV or set a goal of moving around for five to 10 minutes every hour. 
5. Spend time upstairs. Because warm air travels up, our homes’ second floor tends to retain more heat throughout the day. Setting up a home office or entertainment room upstairs may keep us more comfortable in cold weather. 

5 Inexpensive Ways to Stay Warm

In addition to freebies, we may achieve our quest to stay warm in winter with some inexpensive options. Avoid running up a heating bill in cold weather with one or more of the following:

1. Invest in mittens or gloves. Choose gloves that you can wear inside the house when you’re doing tasks like cleaning or holding onto a tea mug. 
2. Wear slippers. We might love going barefoot in our homes, enjoying the free state of our toes and soles on the carpet. But wearing a pair of comfy slippers (with socks!) boosts our ability to stay warm. Warm feet, warm body.
3. Don’t forget to wear socks. Cotton is dandy, but keep wool, sherpa or other warm socks handy to avoid the winter chill. Pair with slippers to keep yourself cozy.
4. Use bubble wrap to insulate the house. We may prevent our homes’ warmth from escaping by using bubble-wrap as insulating material. Spray a little cleaner or vinegar on the window, then press a window-sized piece of large bubble wrap against the glass to insulate and keep the room warmer overall. There are also window sealing kits in most hardware stores that will help with this task.
5. Consider weatherstripping. By checking our doors and windows, we might discover drafts and cracks that let the heat escape. Weatherstripping those areas can help our homes retain the heat. There are professionals who will do this for you, but even a less-than-pro check can help discover areas that need our attention.

A few bonus ideas: A hot water bottle under a blanket on the lap can work wonders; don't be afraid to wear a coat inside the house; cuddling with a dog can offer a lot of warm and happy moments; pocket hand warmers are cheap and really work. Whether we choose to wear a hat all day or change our home office location, these modifications might help us stay cozy throughout the cold weather season while keeping heating bills in check. The money we save on heating bills may even fuel a spring vacation to somewhere warm — that's our plan, anyway.

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