With the cold seeping in, you have to find effective ways to keep warm without burning through your bank account.
Warm the house
Invite a few friends over for a games night and play board games in front of the fire. Be sure to serve warming foods like soups, curries and coffee to keep your guests feeling toasty.
If you have a fireplace, close the flue if you can when it is not in use. Leaving this open can cause cold air to flow down the chimney and into your home.
Keep draughts at bay by visiting your local Builders Warehouse and buying some self-adhesive weatherproofing strips. These are applied around gaps in window frames and doors and stop cold air sneaking through. To stop draughts coming in from under the door, make a cute draught excluder out of an old tie and some rice.
Swapping out thin, summer curtains for thicker ones will help trap the day's heat in the house once they are drawn. Consider layering winter curtains over fitted blinds to bring some extra texture and warmth to the room.
If you have ceiling fans fitted in your home, make sure they are running in reverse over the winter months. This keeps the warm air trapped by the ceiling circulating throughout the room.
Save energy and money by covering your geyser in a thermal blanket and consider adding extra insulation in your attic through companies such as Aeropink Ceiling Insulation.
Take your dog for a walk, go for a run or join a dance class. The additional movement will regulate your body temperature and keep you from feeling the cold quite as much.
Having an old fashioned wood fire is a sure and fast way to warm up your home, just be sure to open the flue if you need to before you light it. And buy hard wood in bulk to last you the season.
Keep the winter blues at bay
Keeping your house warm is a priority in winter, but nothing is more important than your own health and wellbeing. So stop sitting in front of a heater and wasting money and get active. Take your dogs for a walk, go for a run or join a dance class. The additional movement will regulate your body temperature and keep you from feeling the cold quite as much.
One way to heat things up is to have a party. The additional body heat from your guests will leave your home feeling cosy for hours and the social interaction will lift your spirits.
If you're not keen on the idea of a party, invite a few friends over for a games night and play board games in front of the fire. Be sure to serve warming foods like soups, curries and coffee to keep your guests feeling toasty.
The easiest way to keep yourself warm this winter is to invest in slippers, thick socks and fleece blankets. Layer up in your thick winter jerseys, pair a good book with a large cup of steaming hot chocolate and wait for your body heat to do the work.
You could also treat yourself to an electric blanket, a more energy efficient option than electric heaters, and hole up in a deliciously warm bed with something good to read on those extra cold winter nights.
A wonderful way to lift your winter blues is to book a holiday, which will warm up your mood and give you something to look forward to. – Victoria Taylor
Print
