Preparing for winter II

lizzyb1812

I'm pretty much done with the prep for the cold winter weather and am now moving on to sorting out things to keep me motivated and entertained. This will include:

Replacing my light box with a bigger, stronger one and setting myself a schedule for using it

Start taking vitamin D from the beginning of October

Stocking up on cheap DVDs - mostly funny films

Sending off for garden catalogues so I can plan next year's fruit & veg

Getting stocked up with knitting/crochet stuff

Sorting out my cheap paperbacks - most to cs to be replaced with ones I haven't read yet

I find it is best for me if I acknowledge that I find the gloomy days of January/February hard going and put in place things to keep me cheerful rather than letting the gloom overwhelm me.

RedLass

I started reading this thread when it started a few months ago and have read so many good tips, thanks to all of you who have been sharing your progress and ideas. Lost track a bit now though and find I'm something like 200 pages behind! Must read back because I'm sure to find answers to those niggles I'm not sure about.

A few things ticked off the to-do list, but still loads left. Some of them feel a bit of a mountain right now, like trimming all the bushes in the garden... while it's so grey and chilly the motivation to do these jobs is lacking in me a bit! How do you all muster up the puff to do it? I know that when I get around to it it will make me feel good, like a mini-achievement (even if it is just something we all have to do), but it's not appealing right now!

Done so far:
- Hats, gloves and scarves all picked up in the summer sales for me and OH.
- Bought two big umbrellas for wet winter days, hopefully strong enough to take a little wind too.
- Winter duvet on, summer duvet packed away.

Still to do:
- Buy curtains for the lounge!!!!! This is an absolute must - it's the third winter now without any at all and I am certain it will help keep the place warmer. We're in a rented place and I've been reluctant to buy curtains in case we have to move and then they won't fit in the new place etc.. but having been here a while now it seems less of a waste of money and more of a living improvement. I feel I should also get curtains for the bedroom, but I'm not sure we can swallow the expense of both right now - the lounge curtains alone will require a scrimpy month.
- Buy/find a heavy curtain for the front door. I don't really know where to start with this. Ideally I want something nice and heavy and thick but do people buy these as door curtains (specific), or do you all hunt round charity shops for a pair and just use one of them? I must admit that I have practically no experience with charity shop bargain hunting.
- Cut back all bushes in the front and back garden, and trim the tree in the front garden (this is an accident waiting to happen as it's small enough to be something I should do myself, but big enough that I'll need a step ladder and likely topple off it).
- Draught excluders for the back and front door. Back door is actually on the lounge so this could make a big difference to us. As always, looking for a bargain here.
- Sew missing buttons back onto coats/jackets and get the wool one dry-cleaned.
- Buy OH a warm winter coat. He is always reluctant to spend money on himself for clothes and shoes, so this one might take a little convincing, unless we can find a bargain.
- Stock up on screen wash. We get through a lot of this in winter because OH is a taxi driver and doesn't stop when the roads are thick with black sludgey snow-stuffs.
- Cover the shed roof (or what is left of it) before the rain really hits hard.
- Find some extra fleecey blankets to add a cosy feeling to the place.
- Candles, lots of them. And things to stand them in.
- New slipper boots for me (two+ year old ones falling to pieces).
- Medicine stockpiles.

Hmm. Looking at this it seems I've done far less than I really thought. Maybe it's just been on my mind a lot. Taken note from someone who mentioned that the clocks will soon change and it's going to be even darker... must get as outdoor stuff done before then.

Our house is heated by economy 7 storage heaters and we can never find the right balance. The last couple of years I've tweaked the room temp dial to be lower which I think is supposed to let the heat out more slowly across the day? But it still feels stuffy warm in the morning when we get up, and far too chilly in the evening when we're eating dinner. We're wondering it it's worth investing in one of those oil filled radiator things that you plug in. I don't know how expensive they are to buy, or how expensive they are to run. Or even which sort is the best sort?!

Does anybody have any extra tips for making a place feel cosy? Is it all soft furnishings and candles? I'd like the house to be a welcoming refuge this year, rather than it feeling colder INSIDE somedays than out!

Confuzzled

RedLass wrote: »

Our house is heated by economy 7 storage heaters and we can never find the right balance. The last couple of years I've tweaked the room temp dial to be lower which I think is supposed to let the heat out more slowly across the day? But it still feels stuffy warm in the morning when we get up, and far too chilly in the evening when we're eating dinner. We're wondering it it's worth investing in one of those oil filled radiator things that you plug in. I don't know how expensive they are to buy, or how expensive they are to run. Or even which sort is the best sort?!

i think you may need to play with the input of your heaters that should help... here's a snippet i found on a page about using storage heaters that you may find useful ( i have them myself)

How to set your storage heater It is a good idea to set overnight charging correctly otherwise you may find there is insufficient storage for the next day's requirements, in which case more heat will be required from plug in heaters at the more expensive on-peak rate, or an excessive amount that will be wasted if mild weather reduces the need for heating.
Basically all storage heaters have at least two setting dials. One is for setting the input requirement (i.e. the amount of charge that will go into the heater overnight), and the second dial is for controlling the heat output during the day and evening. The secret is getting into the habit of monitoring the weather forecast, so that for instance, if it is forecast to drop in temperature the following day, increase the input setting, so that the unit will gain enough heat charge to release the next day. Conversely, if the temperature is forecast to rise decease the heat input. The output dial should be altered to suit your homes' occupancy. For instance, homes that are occupied only towards the end of the day, the output would be closed down, to save more heat for later, when the output can be opened up to release more heat. It is important in this case to remember to close down the output control last thing at night so that the next day the heat is not mostly lost during the day.
Setting storage heaters is a skill that develops over time as you get more familiar with the characteristics of your heaters but generally most people start with the input setting in the mid range and adjust up or down as their experience dictates. Well insulated homes are not nearly so affected by external temperature swings and once a optimum setting has been found, it should only require changing to reflect changing season and on the odd time when very cold periods are forecast. Storage heaters in less well insulated homes will require the input setting adjusting more often.

crumblepie

Helenium wrote: »

Warning: criticism alert

I'm gobsmacked at the extremes some people go to on here!! Lets face it for 95% of us, we do not need to stockpile hundreds of loo rolls and stacks of tins. I would hate to have my house stuffed full of these things

I'm also amazed at the amount of money people spend...yaktrax, snow boots, craighoppers, new curtains, coats...

A word of warning about sealing every crack with bubble wrap, this is unhealthy (air needs to circulate from outside to inside even in the winter, and also dangerous if you have gas)..

I stockpile - maybe to not the extremes of some - I only have 20 loo rolls, but I like to have a small stock of food. I live on my own, my nearest supermarket is five miles away, the local shop is useless, I don't drive and last year in the snow there were no buses for a week and when they did start running I still have to walk a mile to my house from it's last stop. I would rather have a few tins and basics in the cupboard so I can eat instead of having nothing to eat or having to try and get out of the house if I have to. And if I was ill I know I don't have to go out. BTW the snow was 10 inches or so by me so not just a few flakes on the ground, not the easiest of conditions to get around in.

I have bought lined trousers - last year wasn't a pleasant experience in minus temperatures. I've bought new boots but only because my other ones were falling apart after 10 years of good use.

I have fleeced and lined my doors and windows but still have the vent open so there is an air flow for the gas supply.

Of course you are entitled to think we are all mad but I like to think of it as forward planning

CH27

Helenium wrote: »

Warning: criticism alert

I'm gobsmacked at the extremes some people go to on here!! Lets face it for 95% of us, we do not need to stockpile hundreds of loo rolls and stacks of tins. I would hate to have my house stuffed full of these things

I'm also amazed at the amount of money people spend...yaktrax, snow boots, craighoppers, new curtains, coats...

A word of warning about sealing every crack with bubble wrap, this is unhealthy (air needs to circulate from outside to inside even in the winter, and also dangerous if you have gas)..

You have absolutely no idea about most people on this thread & their needs.
Everybody makes choices to suit their lifestyle so please don't be rude to people that have different opinions to you.

FairyPrincessk

Hi Preppers!:hello:

Its been quite busy since I list checked in!

Today was the first week OH and I went for the full meal plan schedule. We've done really well so far, although I think we're going to run short for two lunches. Since I work from home I can just make myself some pasta or something but OH will have to buy something...I still think its pretty good going for our first attempt!

I meet my students week after next so I haven't touched any of my freezer food yet! It might be even hard to manage the the lunches when we don't have leftovers on the nights we eat freezer food so hopefully we can get that ironed out.

I'm still working in my hot water bottle covers, one left to do, but its still fairly warm here so no desperate need yet.

Helenium (sorry if I've spelled your name wrong) you might find if you go back a few pages that there are a number of things you can do for free, and that many of us see stockpiling food/toilet roll as a way to even out the higher cost of living in the coming winter. For some the higher cost comes from devoting more money to energy bills, for others it is because they have less time or energy in the winter months and want to avoid paying premium prices for convenience. For most of us, buying extra food also saves money against inflation.

While there are many who do buy things, you'll find that many of the lists in this thread are tailored to an individual's needs. For example, I don't need yaktrax, but for someone who found themselves getting taxis last year that might prove to be a wise investment.

Rainy-Days

Helenium wrote: »

Warning: criticism alert

I'm gobsmacked at the extremes some people go to on here!! Lets face it for 95% of us, we do not need to stockpile hundreds of loo rolls and stacks of tins. I would hate to have my house stuffed full of these things

I'm also amazed at the amount of money people spend...yaktrax, snow boots, craighoppers, new curtains, coats...

A word of warning about sealing every crack with bubble wrap, this is unhealthy (air needs to circulate from outside to inside even in the winter, and also dangerous if you have gas)..

I do not think you have appreciated some of our situations on here. I live in a village that last year was cut off and I mean cut off! My car did not come out the garage for three weeks at least and even the post was not delivered for days on end. The buses stopped running completely even though they don't come through our village but the neighbouring one which is a trek. If it simply had not been for the fact that we had planned ahead then we would have been in dire straits. The stock piling that I have personally done will last us through for three months and given that they are already forecasting that snow could arrive at the end of October and trecherous weather conditions will stay with us until at least January, then the last thing I want to be doing is having to make extra trips to the supermarket to buy in supplies and sitting in a gridlocked roundabout outside Sainsbury's while everybody is having to do the same thing.

If I don't have to be on the road then quite frankly I don't want to be! Last year we only shopped once in three weeks which was excellent going. We have no village shop, no pub - in fact pretty much zilch. The farmer came through with the snow plough last year and we were able to help neighbours out due to the fact we have a Land Rover. Other than that we would have been snookered!

I also would like to add that allot of us on here work on very tight and fixed budgets. I am now down to part time hours due to a disc in my back causing long term problems. Our money is pretty much all accounted for and if I cut my cloth by looking far ahead and planning then at least I am not getting into debt by buying on a whim. I don't live off my credit card because I cannot afford to. My housekeeping is set in stone for the time being and quite honestly I cannot justify spending £5.00 on a pack of eight loo rolls when if I hold out I can get treble the amount for the same price!

I also understand that you are a newbie! I take that on board but I would ask that you take a wider view of all our situations on here and not to be blinkered to the fact that if we are in for another shocker of a winter then for some of us at least we will be safe and warm in the knowledge that we have done long term planning in order to carry us through! We will not be the ones in the supermarket doing panic buying at the last minute!

tori.k

Helenium wrote: »

Warning: criticism alert

I'm gobsmacked at the extremes some people go to on here!! Lets face it for 95% of us, we do not need to stockpile hundreds of loo rolls and stacks of tins. I would hate to have my house stuffed full of these things

I'm also amazed at the amount of money people spend...yaktrax, snow boots, craighoppers, new curtains, coats...

A word of warning about sealing every crack with bubble wrap, this is unhealthy (air needs to circulate from outside to inside even in the winter, and also dangerous if you have gas)..

2years ago i made the mistake of running my stockpile to the bare bones in anticipation for the christmas goddies, that November for the first time in my memory Cornwall came to a standstill with bad weather it was 2 weeks before the gritters came out our way (off main road) and a 6 mile walk for a pint of milk..the bad weather seems to becoming the norm..i wont be caught short again

RedLass

Confuzzled wrote: »

here's a snippet i found on a page about using storage heaters that you may find useful...

Ohhh thank you, those are helpful tips, I will definitely try them. Especially the part about closing it right down at night. Could be I have been doing it all wrong and losing my stored up heat too early in the day.

sparrer

Helenium wrote: »

Warning: criticism alert

I'm gobsmacked at the extremes some people go to on here!! Lets face it for 95% of us, we do not need to stockpile hundreds of loo rolls and stacks of tins. I would hate to have my house stuffed full of these things

I'm also amazed at the amount of money people spend...yaktrax, snow boots, craighoppers, new curtains, coats...

A word of warning about sealing every crack with bubble wrap, this is unhealthy (air needs to circulate from outside to inside even in the winter, and also dangerous if you have gas)..

I have COPD and can't go out in the cold unless I want to exacerbate it, get a lung infection and spend a couple of weeks in hospital at great cost to the tax-payer. Of course there are things like home delivery services but if the worst comes to the worst and they can't get to me how on earth am I supposed to get out to the shops? I may not be as fervent as some (I only have a loo roll hill, not mountain - but I'm working on it ) but at least give the posters on here a little respect for their situations, of which you know nothing.

It seems to have passed your notice that of purchases such as Yaktrax, curtains, coats etc., many are from auction sites and charity shops. That could be because we don't all have money to splash out on new, don't you think?

Silly post from a new (?) poster. Read the very reason the site exists before critising.