Preparing for winter II

rising_from_the_ashes

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

i don't have the money to buy new/warm clothes and i struggle finding things in charity shops so i think i am going to be stuck with the same old clothes that i have worn for years - and just layer up.

and i find it hard enough to buy groceries etc from week to week - so stocking up for a winter stash isn't easy either - i'll just have to keep an eye out for any bogoff deals

Justamum wrote: »

I'm wearing the same clothes I've had for years too. If all else fails and I'm inside I'll just put my dressing gown on.

We are on a tight budget, but just buying one tin extra of something each week it's surprising how quickly it builds up. My DH is very keen on doing this - he's always on survival websites!

Snap - my budget's very tight so I have to be really careful too - my store cupboard is pretty much there and has been done by getting things on offer / using vouchers towards paying for things.

I've also been doing the same as Justamum and buying the odd extra thing in my weekly shop (say I need sugar, I buy 2 and put 1 away etc) so it's maybe a couple £s every week rather than a load at once.

For clothes, mine are mostly ancient too! (I have a pair of trousers on that I know I had when I was with my ex and we split 11 years ago & I have a t-shirt that I wear fairly frequently that I had when I was 21 .... and I'm nearly 40!:o

There are loads of things I'd love to get to make things better/easier but I just can't afford to (heated airer to save having washing lying around for ages would be top of the list.....;)) so I have to pick what I can do.

I've tried to choose several low/medium cost items which will hopefully make a difference:

snow shovel (£5.79)
gas cartridges for stove for power cut (£6.22)
2 x fleeces to line curtains (£3.18)
Flannalette fitted sheet (£18) - would love another but .....
Fleecy trousers (£14.85) - again, would love another pair but 1's better than none
Fleecy top (£9)
Wool to knit throw (£5)
Wellies (£12.50) - would've had to buy these anyway to take the dog out as we go to the woods a lot and it's really muddy
Warm socks (£1 for 2 from £land)
Emergency lights & batteries etc (probably around £10 in totalfrom £land)
Few other bits but nothing "majorly" expensive

I've still got bits to get (warm pj's would be nice but keep getting pushed down the list as, if the worst happens, I could put a pair of warm tracky bottoms & a warm top on in bed!) but will have to space these out over the next couple of months.

I'm guess being brought up in the Highlands / rural part of the Scottish Borders has made me a bit more naturally inclined to be prepared - I "raided" the salt bins at the end of March when they were still full and it never occurred to anyone else to do this (we are allowed to take salt out of them:)).

I also already have a lot of stuff having built this up over many years of living rurally and being used to being cut off at some point during the winter: sleeping bag & blanket for car, snow chains, camping stove, fuel container, elec blanket (which I've not used for years) etc.

Please don't be disheartened - we can all only do what our own individual budgets will allow us to ..... even a small food supply/HM draft excluder or a fleece attached to some curtains etc will make a difference.:)

(sorry long post:o)

rising_from_the_ashes

splodger_seedswapper wrote: »

thanks to everybody else too - it's sometimes disheartening when you see what everybody else is doing / getting (i just knew i shouldn't have clicked the link for snow boots - because now i really want a pair )

I'm chuckling at this as I'm the same ... everytime I see a link, it's a "should I" / "shouldn't I" moment (but I always do:D).

Those boots were fabulous .........

Dustykitten

Hi all can I join please.

You are all doing very well.

Our plans this year are expensive - replacing the crital windows in the living room and DH office - huge bays and the french doors. We have lived with them for 10 years and it is the condensation aswell as the cold - ice on the inside of the windows last year which finally made us decide to spend some savings and get them replaced. Local carpenter who is a friend is doing them next month. Also we are going to put the silver blanket stuff in the loft to line all the rafters. This job we can do ourselves and plan to do this month.

I bought 2 pairs of thermal socks for myself yesterday.

Kids new thermals - they live in them bought really cheap in the spring in the sales.

Kids snow jackets have all been handed down and the smallest ones car booted, couple more to go.

Everybody's snow boots apart from one child checked for fit.

In a ski resort once I saw fleeces (the ones from IKEA used as curtains over windows with blinds. Holes had been punched along the top and they were threaded onto one of the wire poles. Holes punched in the bottom gave a lovely detailed pattern (not sure if this was done by the owners or if the blanket had come that way). A good idea for those who cannot sew as warm curtains.

I have jam made and some fruit frozen. We just about always manage to get to a shop here so running out of food is not a worry but I will freeze some butter and stock up on flour for baking.

Second hand clothes are often cheaper at car boot sales than charity shops who I think charge silly prices (well they do in our town anyhow)

Fruball

Dustykitten wrote: »

I have jam made and some fruit frozen. We just about always manage to get to a shop here so running out of food is not a worry but I will freeze some butter and stock up on flour for baking.

Welcome :wave:

Don't forget that althought you might be able to get to the shops, the deliveries may not be able to get there to re-stock so its still worth having a few extra bits in

CH27

Dustykitten wrote: »

Hi all can I join please.

You are all doing very well.

Our plans this year are expensive - replacing the crital windows in the living room and DH office - huge bays and the french doors. We have lived with them for 10 years and it is the condensation aswell as the cold - ice on the inside of the windows last year which finally made us decide to spend some savings and get them replaced. Local carpenter who is a friend is doing them next month. Also we are going to put the silver blanket stuff in the loft to line all the rafters. This job we can do ourselves and plan to do this month.

I bought 2 pairs of thermal socks for myself yesterday.

Kids new thermals - they live in them bought really cheap in the spring in the sales.

Kids snow jackets have all been handed down and the smallest ones car booted, couple more to go.

Everybody's snow boots apart from one child checked for fit.

In a ski resort once I saw fleeces (the ones from IKEA used as curtains over windows with blinds. Holes had been punched along the top and they were threaded onto one of the wire poles. Holes punched in the bottom gave a lovely detailed pattern (not sure if this was done by the owners or if the blanket had come that way). A good idea for those who cannot sew as warm curtains.

I have jam made and some fruit frozen. We just about always manage to get to a shop here so running out of food is not a worry but I will freeze some butter and stock up on flour for baking.

Second hand clothes are often cheaper at car boot sales than charity shops who I think charge silly prices (well they do in our town anyhow)

Hi welcome to the thread:)

greenbee

oldtractor wrote: »

theres a weather warning for the uk on monday. tail end of a hurricain. best get out the wind up torches and radios and tinned food. we might loose electricity. stay safe everyone.

And I'm one of the lucky people who is going to be flying over the Atlantic through it.

Like Dusty my winter prep plans are expensive... I'm having the floor upstairs taken up, sanded down and refitted without gaps. It actually works out cheaper than having new flooring put down but will involve a lot of upheaval. However, we plan to take advantage and lag any unlagged pipes while the floor is up

Fruball

Quick question re the window clingfilmy stuff - has anybody used it on the outside of the window? I have done the inside of my single glazed door which is freezing in winter and gets a lot of condensation but am wondering what, if any, difference it would make to have an extra layer on the outside - I have loads of the stuff left and don't need it for any other windows - worth a try do you think?

annie123

Frugal wrote: »

Quick question re the window clingfilmy stuff - has anybody used it on the outside of the window? I have done the inside of my single glazed door which is freezing in winter and gets a lot of condensation but am wondering what, if any, difference it would make to have an extra layer on the outside - I have loads of the stuff left and don't need it for any other windows - worth a try do you think?

I've not done it but my Canadian neighbour said it was common to do there and in rural USA, don't know if they use different stuff, I did find a you tube video of a guy putting it on the outside of his windows but just had a quick look and cant remember what I searched.
I've thought of doing this but being first floor it would be difficult so have never bothered.

jamanda

Frugal wrote: »

Quick question re the window clingfilmy stuff - has anybody used it on the outside of the window? I have done the inside of my single glazed door which is freezing in winter and gets a lot of condensation but am wondering what, if any, difference it would make to have an extra layer on the outside - I have loads of the stuff left and don't need it for any other windows - worth a try do you think?

I would have thought the weather would unsticky the sticky stuff (unless you used duct tape which might not come off again).

Still, nothing to lose, you could always take it off again if it went manky.

sunnyone

seafarers_wife wrote: »

what about whittards in the market place or the market hall?

Durham isnt wheelchair friendly so I never go their.

anguk wrote: »

The Chinese supermarket on Stowell street in Newcastle stocks a variety of different teas, you may have to ask one of the assistants what they are though. The shop itself is a little cramped but I've managed to wheel my OH round okay. I love the Chinese supermarket, they've got some great bargains.

For anyone who has a Makro card, I was there yesterday and they've got big snow shovels for £9.99, 22kg bags of winter rock salt for £5.99 and some yaktrak type anti-slip spikes for £4.99. Also for those of you with a tinned tomato fetish they've got a tray of 12 tins of chopped or plum tomatoes for £2.49. I got some last time they were on offer and they're quite good quality, actually I must make a note of when they have them on offer because it seems to be every couple of months so it's worth stocking up when they're cheap.

Our favorite resturant is Mount Fujiama just around the corner from Stowell St, we will be visiting for my birthday soon so we can call in then, thanks I never thought of looking their.