Preparing for winter IV

amber03

Bit chilly here and heating on for a couple of hours this evening.Not had to use the dehumidifier yet, last year it was needed from the beginning of September, that's how I can tell its definitely getting cold.

nicki_2

DD is away at her dads this weekend and mysteriously her windows are dry this morning despite me turning the dehumidifier off and us both having hot baths yesterday so it must be her that causes her windows to steam up. I'm going to stick some new moisture traps on her window sill when we've "done" her room this coming week. If I put them on now they'll only get knocked off and smashed like the last ones They make a lovely mess, thankfully they didn't have any water in them as I'd only put them out that day.

rising_from_the_ashes

calicocat wrote: »

all the heat seems to fly upstairs as have an open plan staircase in the middle of the lounge. I'm not sure i'll ever need to put the heating on upstairs at all I this house unless it gets very cold.

Sounds like mine - I rarely need the heating on upstairs

I leave the radiators on frost protection setting & occasionally turn the one in the spare room for a couple of hours if I've loads of washing hanging in there (I was having damp problems).

Often turn the bathroom one on for 1/2 an hour before I go for a bath but the window & door in there are always open to let air circulate around the rest of the upstairs

Even the bad winter (2010/11?), I didn't need it on up there :T

Downstairs .... unfortunately that's totally different & its often really cold down there - guess I can't have it all!

rising_from_the_ashes

So ..... prep / stocking up update - animals:

Dog:
Dry food - fine (got 2 bags on fab offer - each one lasts 100 days & only just into the 1st one:T)
Wet food - pretty good. Got loads of tins* on fab offer & can interchange with the more expensive trays to help keep costs down. Not had a full count but reckon I could cover 6 months between them
Winter stuff - have managed to take flourescent tape off an old lead & sew around an old collar absolutely fab to find her with which means she can get off lead in the park!:T

*there's one type she can't have (variety pack & she can't eat beef) so they will go to the rescue - even so, made savings on the others compared to normal so everyone happy:T

Cats:
Sadly Mia's not living with me anymore (long story so won't bore you) but I am still paying for her food etc so .....
Dry - still have most of a 12kg bag I got recently. That should see them through to around March time
Wet - Archie's has been on a fab offer at Mr T (still on!). Each box is usually £4.88 (there - can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere but big fuel costs to go ). Currently 3 boxes = £10 :T so bought 3 (no car with me!) and then got a £4 off £30 spend;) so .... bought another 3 x 3 boxes yesterday for £26:T Fabby saving of £17.92 :j and brings the cost of each box down to £2.88 :T ..... that should last him a while!
Mia's food - dry fine as will split 12kg bag but only have 4 boxes (visiting her new slave next weekend) so will have to try to get some more of that.
Litter - again OKish - 3 bags to take to Mia's next weekend (will last around 3 months so should do most of the winter). Have new stuff to put in the "emergency snowed in bin":T) and will be ordering another lot this week.

*phew* at least they're sorted!

daftmummy

Rising from the ashes its lovely you pass the food to others needing. I would love a pet but the cost is such a no-no we used to have a rescue staffie he was treated very badly and didn't trust men but need a strong female but he used to jump up into hubbys arms when he would come in from work and ( used to sleep on my side of the bed when I was doing nights which he wasn't aloud to do when I was around )
seeing people prep for pets shows how things have changed if I ran out of food monkeybum use to dine on tins of tuna and cooked pasta as it was cheap!!!!

We have double glazing and we have very bad condensation in the morning I have a rag I wipe down and open the window. Note to self make my sausage again for lounge as kids broke him x

Uniscots97

moments_of_sanity wrote: »

I have managed to fix mine until November 2014 but still need to be really careful with it. I feel for the people who have to already choose between 'heat or eat', this is only going to make it even harder for them.

We're already £125 a month for gas and electricity. ....Wondering what else I can turn off/turn down/do without to keep it at that or even reduce it a bit (ten years ago it was £60 a month for the same Kw usage! :eek:). Finding that Home Bargains jar candles give off a considerable amount of heat!

bluebag

unixgirluk wrote: »

We're already £125 a month for gas and electricity. ....Wondering what else I can turn off/turn down/do without to keep it at that or even reduce it a bit (ten years ago it was £60 a month for the same Kw usage! :eek:). Finding that Home Bargains jar candles give off a considerable amount of heat!

What can you do? I am at the point now where I think I have made all the efficiency savings I can.

The UK is a cold damp place in winter, we need heat just as much as food for our general welfare.

I still have things I can cut out, to spare the money for heating, but I really feel for those that have nothing left to cut.

It will be back to just heating one room like the old days, I can do that, I've done it before, but it's unpleasant and I had hoped with modern technology we had moved past that.

rising_from_the_ashes

unixgirluk wrote: »

We're already £125 a month for gas and electricity. ....Wondering what else I can turn off/turn down/do without to keep it at that or even reduce it a bit (ten years ago it was £60 a month for the same Kw usage! :eek:).

Lordy - they've just put mine up to £80 and I'm struggling with that and think that's ridiculous!:eek:

I can't believe how mild it is just now - I've had the back door open for a while this morning to let some air through the house (hate how it gets stuffy with the heating on) and had to take my coat off yesterday when walking the dog .... long may it last!

Next challenge is to try to get the garden tidied ....

kayester

i was in arrears with my gas and electric (still am but not much, mostly gas) but yesterday I was able to lower it from £148 a month to £118 that extra £30 will go towards warm clothes

[Deleted User]

high % chance snow everywhere in 15 days for 4 days then wet stormy nasty
20% chance no snow. Make of it what you will, no more info but no harm to prep