Friday, January 6, 2012

Thrifty Thursday.....



The world around me is overwhelming on where to pinch pennies and where to keep it real. I have been learning from the best my sister Erin she is a coupon queen.  Now we are not the stock pile coupon ladies that don't have a cat that buys 100 cans of cat food.   With that being said I do get the things that I need to have and know that I will be using. 


I have always been thrifty so I am going to try some things each week and on Thursdays I will give you the updates and what I thought of it.  


How are you keeping warm this January? If you are in the Good old PNW it has been freaking crazy with warmth and not nearly the rain like we should have. Not even any snow. We have to go to the Mountains for that. 


Our heat is from a wood stove and with two new babies in our house to keep warm we need to keep the cost down of the power, save on the wood for the cooler nights and keep them nice and toasty.  


So this Thrifty Thursday I have had to adapt to the cold with some cleaver ideas......

Tights are being worn under my PJ bottoms and babies are wearing the fleece Pj's. 



to keep the blood flowing with out new games we were given at Christmas.... The new Disney game, Some sports games and the new Dance game. :)  



Home made warm and soft blankets are being used to their full benefit. A few extra on the bed and three on the sofa. Adding lots of lovely layers are being piled on. Its so cozy in the evening to snuggle and read by the fire or watch a movie on Hulu.....


Here are a few tips for keeping you and your house warm on the cheap.

* Place tin foil on the wall behind your radiators. Seriously it works. ( an old trick that most of our grandma's knows.) 

* Find the draughts and stop them! Got the wind rolling in under the door and through the window cracks? Make a draught excluder(Google it) If you need a very quick fix grab an old pair of tights or a stocking and stuff full of newspaper. It's not pretty but when it's cold it will keep you warm!

* Put a spare duvet or blanket underneath the bottom sheet on your bed. It should warm you up on the VERY cold nights!!! It is a great idea to help keep in the warmth. I use a feather bed and that makes us nice and toasty as well. You can get them at Target for a King size for a little over a hundred dollars. 

* Let the sunlight in. As tempting as it can be to tuck the curtains in to keep the warmth in, open them up to let sunlight do it's job. When the sun goes down make sure to shut them back up. You can add the sheets of clear plastic to your windows as well this keeps in the heat as well. Especially if you are in a home that was built in anything before the mid to late 70's.

* Get cooking and baking! Then leave the oven door open after you shut it off. This will give you a little extra warmth. 





*Sleep naked under all those covers and cuddle with your spouse! :) I wonder if this is why we have a high amount of Fall babies.