Preparing for Winter

mama67

kingshir wrote: »

I'm hoping to stock up on logs and coal using my 'In Credit' money from the gas/electric account during the summer months. Can anyone tell me, if I can expect a difference in summer v winter prices? When I was a child my parents allows bought as much as they could afford in the summer as it was a lot cheaper, but I don't know if that still applies? Like everyone else I rarely use the central heating and the house is awash with cuddle-up fleeces!:rotfl::rotfl:

I try to do this as well, as there is usually a price hike on coal somewhere round beginning to middle of Sept.

With my coalman, I pay for the total amount upfront at the cheaper price and then he delivers it as and when I need it, don't need a big coal bunker this way.

mama67

miemie wrote: »

Mama67 how old are your boys, i have some slipper socks that have only been worn a couple of times by my son and would happily post them to you, my son is 5 feet size 10, he hates wearing socks even in the middle of winter he runs around with nothing on his feet, tried slippers as well and won't wear them so have given up.

Mama67 just read your sig and see they are 10 an 14 so they won't be much use for you.

but if anyone else wants them please pm me.

Too old but thanks anyway

BigMummaF

My fleece are free-range ones & yours are obviously battery-farmed Oyster:rotfl:

mama67

Gers wrote: »

Put the flannelette sheets on the bed and got out the goose down duvet over the weekend - now feel like a hamster in the morning, all curled up and very very toasty! Mind you I get too hot in the middle of the night and then wake up with frozen feet as I've stuck them out to cool off.

Can only really emphasis what I said last year - the way to go for bedtime is definitely 2 single duvets for a couple. No more draughty gaps/tents or having the duvet pulled off when one male shaped person turns over!

We do this in the summer as well, I'm already only using a 4.5tog quilt but DH still has his big 13tog and will do all summer; if I need extra warmth I have a 7tog which goes on top during the winter and the boys use it during the summer.

frugalswan

DH2B and I made a bit of a promise this evening - not to put the heating on unless it was absolutely necessary until at least mid-October, preferably well into November. He'd rather put on an extra layer, close doors and light candles, and stay snuggled under a blanket than put the heating on. Can't say that I mind! It did get me thinking about my winter preparations though, and I thought I should post them here to remind me.

1) Candles. I need to stock up on these and matches while I can. Hopefully the prices won't go up too much.

2) Food. I want to build my stores of food up a little bit more so that when the bad weather comes, if we don't want to go out, we don't have to. Oh, how I wish we had the space for a chest freezer...

3) Curtains. We have a couple of windows only covered by window blinds, and not very well-covered at that. I need to have a go at making my own curtains for these. Not sure where to begin, but I'm sure an Internet search will give me some pointers!

4) Shoes and Boots. I ought to check all of our winter footwear to make sure it isn't too worn. Nothing worse than being caught unprepared, and suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous footwear when the rains come.

5) Fleece. I could do with a proper hooded polar-type fleece, one that I can wear under a coat and be toasty, and also wear around the house to keep warm. I'll have to do some research into that. On that note...

6) Thermals. I have to buy some of these. Again, I'm not sure where the best kind are available, and at what price, but I'm sure with a little digging it'll appear.

7) A Remoska. A dream of mine, and it might not happen this year but you never know. We have a gas oven, and it doesn't work as efficiently as it should do. A Remoska would certainly help there, but I don't think it would help heat the house in the same way the oven would. I'll mosey over to the Remoska thread, I think...

8) Draught excluders. There are still a couple of doors in this place that don't have them. I have to get onto those soon.

I'm sure I've forgotten a couple of them, but no doubt I'll remember them yet!

x Frugalswan x

zarazara

just been on the ZARA web site. they hve some lovely blankets and throws. I particulaly like the white knitted cotton one.

chivers1977

Would a blind over my bathroom window help at all to keep the cold out? I have a downstairs bathroom with concrete floor with tiles on. I have just had the flat roof replaced and reinsulated but the room is always cold. I need to get the hinges replaced on the window anyway as doesn't close properly and there is a draft. I have been wondering whether any window covering would work but being a bathroom I don't want anything that would go mouldy!

Thanks

nicki_2

My bathroom used to be freezing (no heating) so I made a blind using 2 cuphooks, a garden cane, a bathsheet sized towel, some ribbon to tie it up (kind of a roman blind but not as neat :rotfl: ) and some patients. Its easy to tie-up every morning, keep the room warmer and once a week I throw it in to wash with the towels I'll have to see if I can get a picture taken and on the computer when I get in tonight - I'll put it up here when I have.

I've also made another blind for my daughters room - she has a blackout blind but due to the shape of the window there was still light coming through, so I've hung a single quilt from some wardrobe wizard things (using safety pins), tied on some white shoe laces, and it now hangs behind her curtains on the block bits which attach the curtain rail to the wall....like I said before I'll take some pictures :rotfl::rotfl:

Reverbe

I'm trying to learn how to knit and when I get the hang of it I will be knitting squares in various shades of blue wool bought cheap or free to make a throw/blanket so hobby and keep warm all in one.

Just got to learn how to knit now.:rotfl:

Gigervamp

I've found crochet easier and it's quicker too.