Frugal but happy in winter?

chinagirl

Food for thought, this post. I do love curling up on the sofa, wrapped in a bobble fleece blanket or two, with just low wattage lamps and candles to light the room. We have to have the heating on high, to dry the clothes, so it is always cosy in our house

calleyw

I was trying to save money on gas and electric.

But I have given up being as tight as my comfort and mental well being is priceless.

My bills are not that huge anyway. But I refuse to freeze and end wrapped up.

My heating is really bad down stairs so I have now decamped up to the little box room as it is really warm. I have a day light bulb and burn candles and think that I feeling a lot better mentally.

Also I think having along list of things to do helps to focus the mind.

Yours

Calley

Uniscots97

Having my slow cooker on cooking all the left over veg. It gives off heat and gives a lush hot meal.

Miss_Havisham

calleyw wrote: »

I was trying to save money on gas and electric.

But I have given up being as tight as my comfort and mental well being is priceless.

My bills are not that huge anyway. But I refuse to freeze and end wrapped up.

My heating is really bad down stairs so I have now decamped up to the little box room as it is really warm. I have a day light bulb and burn candles and think that I feeling a lot better mentally.

Also I think having along list of things to do helps to focus the mind.

Yours

Calley

my neighbours and I had the same conversation when we had that snow the other week and we came to the same conclusion. We treat ourselves to heat now and will find something to econmise on and claw back the costs when spring arrives !

Changing the subject, I'm being successfully treated for long term depression but I've noticed a definite decline in my mood during the short and usually dismal days of winter. My psych consultant says he never reduces patients' meds in autumn/winter because the "light" factor is well known.

Miss H

gt568

I find booze keeps me happy AND warm....

Rosetta92

Some lovely ideas on this thread. May I add another celebration to the list? Burn's Night handily comes around on Jan 25th, just at the point when Christmas and New Year are long gone and spring seems slow to arrive.

You might not love haggis needs n tatties (although I do) but its a great excuse to get together with some friends, have a wee drink and share some funny poems. And of course Scottish puddings are lush. Anyone for cranachan?

R

calleyw

Miss_Havisham wrote: »

my neighbours and I had the same conversation when we had that snow the other week and we came to the same conclusion. We treat ourselves to heat now and will find something to econmise on and claw back the costs when spring arrives !

Changing the subject, I'm being successfully treated for long term depression but I've noticed a definite decline in my mood during the short and usually dismal days of winter. My psych consultant says he never reduces patients' meds in autumn/winter because the "light" factor is well known.

Miss H

Miss H,

I don't think it is changing the subject at all I think it is all bound up in the same thing.

I have also been diagnosed as suffering with depression. I have chosen not take medication. But have felt the change with the change in dark nights. To the point in the run up to xmas staying at work long after everyone else had gone home as I did not want to come home to an empty dark cold house

Now I leave lights on in the rooms I am in and as I said light candles and keep the house warm and especially the room that I am in.

There comes a point where well being has to be priority over money saving. There is no point being frugal to the point where you are making yourself ill and can't enjoy the fruits of your frugal labour.

Life is short enough we need to enjoy it as well as endure it.

I wish you best with your journey through depression to the other side.

Take care.

Yours

Calley

calleyw

Rosetta92 wrote: »

Some lovely ideas on this thread. May I add another celebration to the list? Burn's Night handily comes around on Jan 25th, just at the point when Christmas and New Year are long gone and spring seems slow to arrive.

I had never thought about it like that before. I always tend to look on all these celebrations as an excuse to extract money.

But I think you are all on to something. Celebrate in a low key way but celebrate as way to spend time with people who are special and get you though the year.

I always dread bank holidays as well, Now I will look on them as special days to get through the year.

Yours

Calley

Miss_Havisham

I know Christmas is a christian celebration but I understand that before it was established in the british isles there was a pagan festival at roughly the same time.

Other religions also have festivals at this time of year - Hannukah with the nine branch candlestick and Diwali with brightly coloured lanterns. Both are known as festivals of light.

I suppose people have always felt the need for some sort of distraction with light and heat in the mid winter.

Miss H

jd1000

Its been a while since I originally posted this item (8 years!).

With the weather feeling like it does now (cold and damp), I wanted to bump it in preparation for Winter 2017.