Preparing for winter III

Barefoot_Dan

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and have just finally managed to read this whole thread. The size of the other winter threads was a bit to daunting :P
I've got a long list of things to go out and buy ready for this winter, last winter me and my fiancee had only just moved into our house and so just muddled through not really worrying about the cost of heating the place but this year I want to be more prepared. I'm just wondering what sort of temperature I should have the thermostat set at? So far its set at 16° and it hasn't kicked in yet.

MaxSusie

Good morning.

Had a really bad nights sleep with my back which appears to have seized up again Today's plans include finding something in lieu of a shoulder pad to pin on the back of the letter box on the front door. I have loads of crochet squares - some of them quite a dense pattern - so will give them a go.

I also have to sort out some candles so will be trying Wilkinsons for a couple of packs of plain white ones. Will prob have to raid the glass & metal recycling bin for some jars to put them in :rotfl: We had a power cut last year that affected the entire town that I'm in so will be prepared!

Edited to add: The interview went really well and I should be starting back at work on the 31 October :T :j It will be quite a journey for me as I'll be working in a branch in a Manchester suburb (not a nice one :eek:) and will need a bus, tram and another bus to get there each day. I can work 8am till 4pm though which will be better as I'm up early anyway. Will have to look at saving for a car now. Thank you for all your good luck messages :A

suzybloo

Good morning folks - thats another couple of things off my list too. In DGS bedroom there is a cupboard that goes under the eaves of the house and thats where the water tanks are. The room is facing north and never feels warm, but I have since discovered that when its windy the draught that comes in from that cupboard door is horrendous so I have now lined the whole of the doorspace with bubblewrap held in with sticky fixers - hopefully that will help a bit. Also needed to get a new key cut and we only have an old fashioned ironmongers so picked up some proper old fashioned candles - wonder where I put the ugly brass candlesticks that MIL gave us (seemingly they are about 80 years old)maybe a bit brasso might make them more pleasing - or I could ebay them and get a nice new pair LOL!

drnaturegirl

Just taken delivery of some. Not a money saver, but hoping will keep me on the road in the snowy north this year. On line suppliers are quite competitive. Buy now as last year the supply dried up quite early on

greenbee

Suzybloo - or you could eBay the brass candle sticks and invest in some wine, which you could drink and then you'll have some lovely shabby chic wine bottle candle holders!

Drnaturegirl - i've got my winter tyres too... The local tyre place which is VERY good (and were cheaper than online) say they are going quickly. We only get what's left over once the manufacturers have supplied those parts of Europe that have a legal requirement for winter tyres so it's all a bit hit and miss as to what will be available. Most garages will charge about £10 per tyre to swap them over (I was told to go back and have them put on at the beginning of November, or earlier if the weather changes dramatically)

CH27

Barefoot_Dan wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and have just finally managed to read this whole thread. The size of the other winter threads was a bit to daunting :P
I've got a long list of things to go out and buy ready for this winter, last winter me and my fiancee had only just moved into our house and so just muddled through not really worrying about the cost of heating the place but this year I want to be more prepared. I'm just wondering what sort of temperature I should have the thermostat set at? So far its set at 16° and it hasn't kicked in yet.

Welcome to the thread.

I set my thermostat at 16 degrees. It's enough to take the chill off without being too warm.

ILoveSaving

tugrin wrote: »

Hi ILovesaving - how big do you make your lap quilts please-my sister just gave me an old duvet today and Im wondering if it would be suitable to make lap quilts with.
Sis also gave me some squash soup for lunch made with a winter squash I gave her and for a topping she fried some Lidls Bavarian smoked ham and it was deeelicious so I thought Id pass that on as I usually have cheese or cream and it made a nice change.

Hi Tugrin. I halved the single quilt to make two good size lap quilts. They cover from your chest to your toes. The qulit was also machine washable, so I sewed the cover onto the quilt and top stitched it a little to hold it in place, so the whole thing can go in the washer.

Your soup sounds lovely. I do love winter for warm casseroles, broths and soups. I think its time to make a nice bacon broth. Better remember to pick up some broth mix and a bacon shank.

tugrin

Big welcome to Dan - its good to see the boys coming on board with all this stuff because it really is important and I know that quite a lot of men think that us ladies are a bit soft about keeping warm while they of course ar big toughies and can wear a t shirt in the snow and still feel hot and sweaty!!!! LOL Of course its all about saving money AND miniising the stress what winter throws at us including the possiblity that big stuff (ie electric, roads,deliveries etc) goes wrong and that we might go wrong too (falls. colds, not to mention the winter blues)!!!
ILove - thanks for the lap quilt info will get onto that ASAP.
Suzy - dont get rid of your antiques - learn to love them and then try to find out if they are really worth anything before you sell.
RE winter tyres - do you need to have 4? Are they really that good - I mean do they make you feel safe? When I go back to work in November every bad day is a terror with my 64 mile round trip and I have never considered winter tyres believing they wereONLY ok to use when there was actual snow on the road.

brenda50

One of the things I have difficulty with, after coming back from living in Germany, is this issue of snow tires. There, everyone gets them put on in November - I think it is the law. The result is that the snow makes little difference to the traffic - the vehicles just plough through it and the roads did not get blocked up so easily. I was amazed at how even in car parks, snow made so little difference. As the winter tires are so much safer, it really beats me why people here do not use them. Me? I used my bicycle in all weathers though I did fall of in some deep snow once

MaxSusie

tugrin wrote: »

RE winter tyres - do you need to have 4? Are they really that good - I mean do they make you feel safe? When I go back to work in November every bad day is a terror with my 64 mile round trip and I have never considered winter tyres believing they wereONLY ok to use when there was actual snow on the road.

If its any help my Dad, a careful MSE driver and keen caravanner, puts snow tyres on every November. They don't live in a very rural area and now that they are both retired (him and my Mum) they don't have to do a commute BUT he was told that as well as helping with traction on the road obviously, snow tyres help your fuel efficiency too. I don't really know how, I'm sorry but he swears by them. Last winter they had quite a few hospital appointments (a hazard of ageing he says :rotfl:) and were able to attend all of them and get out and about for whatever they needed. The most treacherous part of the journey was getting from the front door to the drive before my DH found out and went and cleared it for them.