Preparing for winter III

[Deleted User]

relative humidity outside is 89 at the moment, so no good for drying clothes. It is the sort of weather when they hang all day and they still have to dry indoors. I was going to strip the 2 lots of flannelette sheets and duvets but I need a good day for them to dry sufficiently outside. I think tomorrow will do it but I`ll need to make an early enough start on the duvet covers as they are so thick

Not a nice uplifting day today so I`ll have to get stuck into jobs with the radio on. I have just written down all the energy and water data and have sent dh to his pc to get it all set out on graphs, like imeasure used to do. I have done electricity readings, electricity costs, water costs and wood pellet costs all for the last 12 months. Electricity for the last 12 months was £322 and I am going to be interested to see the difference that will be made re using the lakeland towel warmers more as a form of background heating than anything else and more use of the immersion heater. I haven`t fired up the pellet stove to heat anything yet, apart from a quick test run, so I`ll be able to balance costs

ninnoodle

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

Scotland especially the Northermost tip is the coldest in the UK. I believe Braemore is coldest at the moment at -27C as first snows arrived there before anywhere else in the country.

Do you mean Braemar? That is commonly the coldest place in the UK, although nowhere has hit -27 yet. I live 45 mins from there so can get pretty cold here too. The coldest we got last winter was -17C I think. This year I am determined not to be caught out again. We went through a whole tank of heating oil last year in something like 4 weeks (£500 worth :eek:) and couldn't get any more as everyone else had been caught out and there were no supplies! However, this autumn has been incredibly mild so far, so no heating on in the evenings yet, only blankets and hot water bottles. It is on for 2 hours in the morning. I work from home so need a fairly warm house! I also am trying to get my OH to lay down some wooden boards in the garden (on an unused patch covered in bark) so we can store logs and cover with tarpaulin. That way we won't be buying expensive bags of logs at the shop every time. We also got our loft insulated earlier this year which has made a difference.

Confuzzled

annie123 wrote: »

Note quite right, Braemore is often the coldest and can be the first to get snow but at the moment it has highs of 8c to 11c this coming week. http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/Scotland/Braemore.htm
-27c is the coldest its been.

i'm in eastern fife and we're experiencing similar temperatures here as well. our winters tend to be drier but colder (than the west coast not colder than braemar ) in the gets into your bones cold sorta way mind you i don't miss the driving gales from up north

i spent 3 winters on skye and that was bad enough, i can't imagine further north than that on the mainland as we at least got the gulf stream so it didn't snow that much (but when it did, HOOBOY!)

it's kinda weird, i'm from the northern midwest of the states and i actually grew up with far harsher winters than what is normal for here. the last three winters approach what was normal for me so oddly, harsh as they have been they bring back fond memories

cleggie

Sunnyday wrote: »

Cleggie i`ve just noticed your sig - is this any good?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/USA-Flag-Acrylic-Fridge-Magnet/dp/B001GU5SCI/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1321221093&sr=1-7

SD

Thanks SD!!! Thats exactly what i am after! i am doing my little sister a USA themed gift basket for xmas and it'll go lovely! Thanks so much!

VJsmum

VJsmum wrote: »

I have been assiduously read this thread thinking "Hmm good idea, I'll do that", or "buy that" or "make that".

The time has come to face the fact that i need a list.

So

Go to Dunelms and buy tension rods for dining room and DS bedroom
Buy fleece blankets to hang off said tension rods
[STRIKE]Buy a couple of 5l bottles of water - just in case[/STRIKE]
Replace empty gas bottle in caravan so we can decamp there if it really goes t*ts up power wise
[STRIKE]
Buy some long life milk
Make sure i have bread making stuff stocked up - although that includes powdered milk so maybe the above might not be necessary
Buy DS a new coat
[/STRIKE]
Check gloves, hats, scarves
[STRIKE]
Snow shovel?
[/STRIKE]Salt for paths

[STRIKE]
Yak Traks
[/STRIKE]
I have pasta, loo rolls , soup in freezer, freezers full to bursting with enough meals for a siege. Don't use [STRIKE]de-icer[/STRIKE]OK - I relented (what's wrong with a scraper? Or a CD box - which it often ends up being) or screen wash (washing up liquid seems to do the same job), tho is there stuff that stops it freezing? Hmm What else? I have an emergency power cut box with candles, matches, torch and wind up torch and radio that does work off batteries, and spare batteries.

I'll add to this over time. THanks everyone for your tips and suggestions.

Edit - sorry, tryingtobethrifty, hadn't read your post before i said about de-icer. I guess it is "horses for courses". Good idea about the little HW bottles.

Up dated - got snow shovel in Aldi today, who also have stuff to melt ice / snow, but i think i'll stick with dishwasher salt.

Still need tension rods and fleeces as the main thing i have to buy. Am in the throes of sorting out hats and gloves and really only have DS to deal with

annie123

ninnoodle wrote: »

Do you mean Braemar? That is commonly the coldest place in the UK, although nowhere has hit -27 yet.

Braemar has hit -27 twice before, 11/2/1895 and 10/01/82 and Altnaharra once 30/12/95, hopefully this year will not be adding a fourth date!

Don't know how those of you in Scotland can put up with the guaranteed cold in the winter months, being a softy southerner (london) anything below 5c is inhumane and has me wishing that I was born in the caribbean:D

annie123

Confuzzled wrote: »

harsh as they have been they bring back fond memories

That's the cold making you think irrationally! wrap yourself up in a fleece, normality will return

Cheapskate

Afternoon all

Bought welly socks for the littlies today, and extra tights for DD (2); need some more trousers for her but CS stock is dire ATM so might have to buy new :eek: cos no one with older girls to hand down just now.

Persuaded DH that a tension shower pole and ribbon-trimmed sheets as door curtains will enhance our front door and hallway - give him time and he'll think it was his idea! :rotfl:

Got enough fleeces, HWBs, kids' pyjamas, outerwear/boots for kids. Need pyjamas, thick socks, re-soling/heeling boots, thermal vests or cheap t-shirts, cardigan/fleece to wear inside - for me. DH just needs a few more t-shirts to wear under jumpers/shirts for work, better footwear!

Property-wise I'm going to do draught excluders this week - someone on here (sorry forget who!) suggested simply rolling to size a cheap fleece and tying with ribbons or string - saves sewing - thanks whoever it was! :T

DS & his GF watching tv and I've just realised that he's put CH on - course they're sat there with next to nowt on! :mad: GOing to turn it off and see if they notice *wicked pantomime laugh*

A xo

net78

Just wanted to share that I'm now the proud owner of a snow shovel:D

Confuzzled

annie123 wrote: »

That's the cold making you think irrationally! wrap yourself up in a fleece, normality will return

unlike you annie i prefer colder climes, i happily escaped from texas which i referred to as 'the latest annex of hell' to come to scotland! it's too darned hot there, maybe it's cuz i'm a winter baby but i prefer to be a little cold than too hot! i suppose it's cuz i can always add a blanket or more clothes but you can't strip off any more beyond down to your bare skin if you get too warm :eek::rotfl: