If you’re not a winter person, don’t worry. A lot of people feel downhearted when the sun disappears and is replaced by cold days, long nights, and dreary weather. Combine all the misery of snowstorms and wet weather with the headache of paying extra for heating bills and extra food, and it’s no surprise that many of us spend the end of the year looking forward to summer. The good news is that there are ways you can save some cash over winter, and you won’t necessarily have to make any considerable changes to your lifestyle in the process. Here are some of the top tips we have for saving money when the weather gets colder.
Stop Relying on the Heat So Much
No-one’s saying that you should spend the entire winter feeling freezing cold, but it’s a good idea to turn the heating off, or down whenever you can. The last thing you want to do is deal with a huge energy bill right around the holidays. Snuggle up under blankets whenever you can and wear layers to keep yourself warm. Additionally, when you’re not at home, turn the heat all the way off. If you don’t want to get home to a freezing cold space, then you can always use a smart thermostat and an app on your phone to turn the heating on again about an hour before you’re due to get home from work. When you have some extra money, consider investing in perspex sheets as a cost-efficient insulation method
Make Your Gifts
One of the biggest reasons why the winter ends up being so expensive is that we frequently go over the top when buying gifts. Before you start looking for loans to help you afford all the spending you want to do this festive period, ask yourself whether you have the time to get craft instead. Making some gifts can be a great way to show people that you care and make some money too. The people that you love will appreciate the fact that you’ve made the effort to create something unique for them.
Budget Carefully for Food
It’s easy to go over-the-top when buying food in winter. When it’s cold outside, our bodies crave more food for heat. However, before you go over the top at the supermarket, make sure that you’re planning your spending as carefully as possible. Make a list of the must-have items you want to buy before you go shopping and try to stick to that. If possible, buy extra of the ingredients that you like the most and make additional helpings that you
can put in the freezer for later. This will save you some time when you’re feeling like you can’t be bothered to cook after a long day at work.
Buy Decorations Second Hand
If you want to make your house look festive with the family this year, why not take a different approach to buy new decorations? Instead of going to the stores, check out what’s available in your local charity shops, or buy second-hand items from seller pages on Facebook, or eBay. You’d be surprised how much you can get online for cheap -, and no-one will know that your decorations were second-hand. As well as buying some of your decorations pre-loved, you can consider using your new crafty skills to make a handful of ornaments with your friends and family members too. Those decorations will end up being a lot more meaningful to you than the ones you find in stores.
Buy your Gifts During Sales
There’s still a couple of months left to plan for the holiday season, so make sure that you’re taking advantage of this extra time. Find out when your favourite stores are having their annual sales and get ready to buy your gifts during that time. Waiting for the sales will help you to stock up on a wider selection of Christmas presents, without having to over-spend. You could even get some extra items for yourself during the sale, like a few festive jumpers or must-have products too.
Spend More Time at Home
Finally, the chances are you won’t feel like going out much when the weather outside is frightful anyway, so why not stay at home and make your own fun? Have a movie night with the kids when you’re cuddled up in your favourite PJs and pop a bowl of popcorn. Invite your friends over for drinks instead of going out to your local bar and spending a fortune.
Spending more time at home is a great way to save cash over the winter, and you won’t miss the great outdoors that much either.
This post was featured by Twinkl in their Thrifty Christmas Guide’
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