saving money/single person/keeping warm!!

rachierach0000

Hi everyone, I'm new to the site but for the last couple of weeks i have been reading various posts and loving the advice for money saving! i just wondered (i know there are other threads that are similar, but i was hoping for more relevant advice to my situation) if anyone has tips on saving money in general,

how to keep my flat warm this winter cheaply, but bearing in mind it is a basement flat, rented (so i cannot do too much to it in case i lose my deposit) with one!!! storage heater which is rubbish and uses alot of electricity. i do have an oil filled heater which i use but my flat is 1 bed with living room open plan kitchen and it is hard to heat cos it gets sooooo cold that last year i feared showering as i would freeze getting out!!

also am a single person, as me and my husband have broken up in january so i am on my own for first time in 3 years and a bit at a loss, just me and my (fussy) cat!!

have just bought a fridge freezer (cheapish one but a good size, as i had a tiny tiny freezer and couldnt use it!), i have also ordered a show cooker as it is a brilliant idea, that will arrive next few days from amazon!

would like to grow some veg in future but trying to take it one step at a time! i have started cycling (16ish miles there and back) to work as this saves me £70 a month yayy!!

sorry for loooong post but any help at all i would appreciate and thanks to everyone who posts on here cos i have picked up some good tips already. main concern is keeping warm this winter as im on an electricity top up as you go meter thingy, and am debating an electric blanket etc but open to ALL suggestions.

Many thanks!

Rachel x

Happy to be getting started here !

parsonswife8

Hello Rachel:)

We have an oil heater, which works very well and doesn't cost a lot to run. It works on a thermostat. Maybe you could buy another one so you have one for your bedroom and one for the rest of your flat.
Best tip for keeping your bed warm, is to put a duvet or a thick blanket between your mattress and your bottom sheet. It stops the bed getting so cold, especially if it has air circulating underneath.

Get a hot water bottle and some fluffy bedsocks too. Put the water bottle in the bottom of your bed before you go to bed.

Good luck. :beer:

adelight

Nice work on the cycling, I'm too much of a wimp to go on the roads
Can you get rid of the card and switch to direct debit for your electric? That will save money. You can just keep an eye on it by checking the meter and being mindful with the electric.
Does your heater have a thermostat? Or could you use a plug timer to make it switch on half hour before you wake up and stay on whilst you're getting ready in the morning? Would make mornings much more bearable and that's my plan for the winter as I have costly storage heaters too

Get a mattress protector for your bed and have extra blankets and hot water bottles for your bed and sofa. Wear lots of layers and I'd definitely invest in a big warm hoodie for around the house, they're great to wear over pijamas in bed when it's really cold.

There are loads of great slow cooker ideas for warming meals and you can stock up your freezer with inexpensive stews you can just pop in the microwave.

GEEGEE8

Oh God, I feel your pain! Last winter was awful and the first winter in my flat (1st floor so not as bad). I felt physically sick when I got out the shower and got dressed, brrrrr... sooooo cold..

This year I have decided to keep one room hot, the living room. When Boyfriend comes over he puts all the heaters on and moans at me, so if I can conserve heat in the week then I'll do that and have warm weekends! haha - men!

I have 2 fleece blankets that BF has got me, so I am going to start using them soon whilst on the sofa.

I also use a sleeping bag in the evenings, they are incredibly warm! and you can stay in it in bed whilst it warms up lol.

Showering. I have a plan this year. I'm going to shower/bath at night, and then wet hair and dry/straighten in the morning. I just cannot stand getting out of bed, stripping and getting so cold in the morning.

When I cook in the oven, I leave the door open and warm myself up on the excess heat

Two pairs of socks!

A vest, fleece, hoody all work great.

Thicker curtains.

Hot meals. Hot drinks (use a flask to store hot water in if you don't want to boil the kettle too much. Or keep in the flask in the livingroom so you don't have to get up and open doors)

God, I sound like a right heater psycho! lol.

I don't think this winter will be quite as bad, so hopefully it'll be easier than last.

rachierach0000

thanks guys they are great tips! never thought about putting a thick fleece between my mattress/sheet, i have one that will be perfect, leopard print and thick! i have actually just bought two of those wheat bags you heat in the microwave, i got one for xmas last year but used it so much it set on fire got 2 for £10 on ebay, bit of a bargain, i love them! definately think more hottie botties will be a good idea too!

my mum did suggest another oil heater, they are great to wheel around and use, so glad i got one early this year.

im not sure about switching the leccy card for a metery one, might be good to ask, but i dont mind it so much as at least it makes me see what i spend and im always turning things off at the plug / taking plugs out of sockets and being anal about stuff like that!

i cant wait for slow cooker recipes, its suuuuch a brill idea will work great as i work 10-6 and come home shattered (6 days a week!) I will check my manual for the oil heater as that would be a great idea, get it up and running half hour before i start doing my hair makeup etc...

i do the same thing with showing in the evening, its too painful heaving yourself out of bed in the morning in the freezing cold!

Last year i slept in long pyjamas and a hoody and duvet and a dressing gown some days, and socks or booties! gotta be done! we had to have our landlord get someone to sort out our damp which is a prob cos my clothes would get all mouldy in the wardrobe when it was closed

am glad my hubby is gone though (well not gone, unfortunately he is still with me til lease is up nov 2nd and he eats all MY food I buy and pays for no heating! glad when november 2nd comes!!)

i think the hot water flask thing is a good idea, all coffees = kettle boiling every time! and re the thick curtains i have blinds fitted but i have invested in 4 ikea black fleeces last week to hang over them and make it keep heat in fingers crossed! long post thanks everyone!

Farway

Perhaps a fan heater as a quick "emergency" warm up? Will give heat quickly and in one direction, could be ideal for a cold winter morning whilst dressing

Obviously not for use in shower area of course

iceicebaby

Hi Rach

Have a look at the preparing for winter thread. Its very long but has some great tips

Seakay

"thanks guys they are great tips! never thought about putting a thick fleece between my mattress/sheet, i have one that will be perfect, leopard print and thick! i have actually just bought two of those wheat bags you heat in the microwave, i got one for xmas last year but used it so much it set on fire got 2 for £10 on ebay, bit of a bargain, i love them! definately think more hottie botties will be a good idea too!"

Quick tip - always put a pottery egg cup or similar full of water into the microwave when you heat up a wheat bag, that way it can't dry out enough to catch fire or scorch

GEEGEE8

I had mould in the bathroom and got a dehumidifyer - cost about £75 tho but it stopped me getting ill with colds every 2 weeks and made the flat smell and feel so much nicer.

Don't let him eat your food! Why not just buy once a day lol. It'll get you warm walking to the shops, and you will have a warm glow inside knowing he is hungry hahah..

horsechestnut

Thick curtains make a massive difference to keeping a room warm.
You can get them very cheaply from charity shops. get two pairs the same size and use one pair as a "lining" attaching them together with hooks (from Wilkinsons, especially for the purpose).
B&Q and Wilkinsons sell cheap curtain rails (get him to fix them up before he leaves!).
Blinds are good for privacy, but don't keep the heat in a room.
Close your curtains in all the rooms of your house as soon as it goes dusk, or when you get home from work, and leave them closed until you leave the house in the morning (or when it gets fully light, if you are staying at home).

BitterAndTwisted

I survived last winter by only having the central heating on for one hour a day. That was two radiators: one in the living-room and the other in the bathroom to warm up so I could bathe.

I swear by my thermal underwear and my thermal socks.

I was unemployed all last winter so my main luxury was popping the electric blanket on 15 minutes before bed.

I feel now that if I could manage during the coldest winter for 30 years, I could probably manage almost anything. I must have looked a bit of a sight typing away at the comp wearing my fingerless gloves but I didn't care. My only fear was the size of the gas bill. When it came it was £65. I reckon they could hear my sigh of relief from down the street.