Preparing for Winter

CCP

darkblue wrote: »

Which reminds me - does anyone know where I might get a cheap SAD light? Or equiv.

I get pretty down in the long dark winters.

richardc1983 wrote: »

You can buy full spectrum light bulbs they look the same as energy savers...

I suffer from seasonal depression and don't find full spectrum lightbulbs quite as good as my proper lightbox - I don't think the light is quite as intense - but I've used my mum's one (which she uses for her crafting) to tide me over before when I've visited her during the winter. That's just me, though - they probably work for other people who aren't as awkward as I am.

FWIW, I got my lightbox from a company called Bodykind, which was about the cheapest for new lightboxes when I got mine last winter (my previous one having died when I tripped over the cat and dropped a glass full of water on it ).

Having read through other people's responses to this thread, I've thought of a few more things I need to stock up on:

• a spade to clear ice/snow from the pavement in front of the house, as my local council won't do it if it's anything like last winter;
• salt, for the same reason;
• a new fleecy blanket for my bed, as the one I bought last winter was rubbish and ended up being donated to a charity shop;
• batteries - I never have enough;
• thermal socks.

I'm sure I'll think of other things, but that will do me to start with.

pavlovs_dog

WASHER wrote: »

One thing I have been stockpiling since April is salt, couldn't get any for love nor money last winter, we live on a slope and couldn't get the car off the drive, and the grit box at the side of the road was constantly empty.

does ordinary table salt do the job or does it need to be more 'industrial'?

darkblue_2

The councils resorted to table salt last year!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/council-resorts-to-table-salt-to-grit-roads-1570855.html

If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for the driveway - but I'd imagine rock salt would be more effective; and also more costly.

EstherH

Yes, ordinary table salt or cooking salt which may be cheaper - not sure - will do. That way if you don't use it on the ice you can eventually use it at home.

paulwf

I'm in the south east which was one of the hardest hit areas last winter.

The local shops were low on bread and milk for a day. The town a mile away had constant good supplies.

For anybody in urban areas I can't see the need to get too carried away, we're not preparing for a nuclear apocalypse. If snow is forecast for the next few days get enough bread and milk to last the week and meal plan and buy for the week ahead. Job done.

EstherH

Up here in the northwest last winter it was bad and after a few days when we managed to dig the car out, we went to our local supermarket and couldn't believe the empty shelves. So it does make sense to stock up a bit at a time now, rather than end up with empty shelves and empty cupboards if/when the weather hits. After all, if it is stuff with long dates on its not going to go to waste.

darkblue_2

Hear Hear, paulwf. It's easy to become worried and buy for a decade, but good strict planning and revising your list to knock off the unessentials is a good idea.

Having said that, if I shop frequently, I tend to impulse buy. An expensive habit. So knowing that I can live out of the cupboard is always reassuring.

Sunnyday

Ladyhawk wrote: »

Hi Sunny - I have no idea what you mean! I wasn't kidding when I said I was hopeless! Could you start with what heading tape is and where I'd get it? And did you sew it on by hand?

Thanks

Lol i wondered myself when i first had it described to me.

The heading tape is the stuff that is along the top of the curtains where the hooks go and usually has a couple of rows along it to hang the hooks.

I bought some single tape so that it had one row for the hooks and just tacked it quickly onto the very top of the fleece.

Put the curtain hooks along the tape as if you are going to hang the fleece as curtains but instead hang the fleece inside the curtains by hooking the hooks onto the spare row of tape beneath the hooks that are already in the curtains.

The fleece then acts as a loose liner and it makes a huge difference.

I got the tape very cheaply from a market stall and the fleeces from Asda for £2 each. I found this http://www.fine-furnishings.co.uk/liniiings2.pdf which has a diagram in the top RH corner which may explain it better

HTH

SD

lola34

Told my Ds's this afternoon that they think this winter might be worse than last, his response .....yeah snow!!!! We're lucky as that the local Tesco is only a 5 minute walk away but thanks to the 'grabbit' board I currently have about 10 tins of chilli stockpiled from when they were 25p each in Tesco, but for those looking for stockpiling I picked up a litre of UHT milk for 49p in Home Bargains, they had skimmed and semi- skimmed, not sure how this compares to the cost generally but hope it helps.

I must go out and buy the boys new gloves as I always run out each year. We also all need new winter coats, plus think hubby may need one as his is about 10 years old so is starting to look a bit worn.

darkblue_2

Asda do their UHT milk for 49p too. http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/asda-compare-prices/Shelf_Milk/ASDA_Smartprice_Skimmed_UHT_Milk_1L.html

Shame I missed the chilli. The price of chilli seems to randomly go up and down without any real reason at my asda.

Poundland for magic gloves. I once found a great quality pair of those thermo gloves in poundland, but I haven't seen them again! Wish I'd bought more.