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Preparing for Winter
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Not sure I would do this someone did it in the local supermarket last year and the mess was horrendous. Litter absorbs the moisture and then turns to mush when you walk on it, it was like walking through cement. It got everywhere and carried along way into the shop.
The guys were trying to clean it up when I came out but it was going to take ages.
GlendaGlenda
£1 a week savings challenge 2014
£2500 -
Not sure I would do this someone did it in the local supermarket last year and the mess was horrendous. Litter absorbs the moisture and then turns to mush when you walk on it, it was like walking through cement. It got everywhere and carried along way into the shop.
The guys were trying to clean it up when I came out but it was going to take ages.
Glenda
I agree cat litter is basically clay and when it gets wet it turns back into clay hence why it clumps together in a cat tray.If you found my post helpful, please remember to press the THANKS button! --->0 -
I have to say, I am really dreading the bills as this is a tight time for me
I tend to stay up late at night so have the heating on late... I think this will have to change and am going to start going to bed earlier. I will also get my upstairs TV connected so I can watch tv in bed rather than heat the whole house.
Would like a cheap/free rug for the hallway as its laminate and can be cold... awkward shape tho so might be hard to get something that will fit, or get 2 small ones...
During the last winter our heating went off at 8pm once the kids were snuggled in their beds. We then used jumpers and fleecy blankets to stay warm on the sofa - would you consider something like the Slanket? It's basically a big fleecy blanket with arms - imagine a big fleecy kaftan :rotfl:
As for cheap rugs - not sure if they are going to have anything the right size for you but Ikea have very cheap rugs - got one for my lounge for the kids to sit on rather than just bare laminate.richardc1983 wrote: »If you dont want to heat the whole house on a night just turn off radiators in the rooms you are not using. You can have just one radiator on if you want.
Can you do that on older type central heating systems? My mums for example only has a central thermostat that controls the temp of all the rads - she doesn't have individual thermostats on her rads.I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it'll be with a knifeLouise Brooks
All will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end.Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars0 -
Bitsy_Beans wrote: »During the last winter our heating went off at 8pm once the kids were snuggled in their beds. We then used jumpers and fleecy blankets to stay warm on the sofa - would you consider something like the Slanket? It's basically a big fleecy blanket with arms - imagine a big fleecy kaftan :rotfl:
As for cheap rugs - not sure if they are going to have anything the right size for you but Ikea have very cheap rugs - got one for my lounge for the kids to sit on rather than just bare laminate.
Can you do that on older type central heating systems? My mums for example only has a central thermostat that controls the temp of all the rads - she doesn't have individual thermostats on her rads.
Yes you can as long as you leave at least one radiator turned on so the water can circulate.If you found my post helpful, please remember to press the THANKS button! --->0 -
morning everyone :hello: up with the larks this morning due to getting a work call, plough thru copious amounts of coffee atm
Ok yesterday (thanks to Mrs Flylady) I sorted out my clothes out & dug out my jumpers that have been stored away, have put them on to wash this morning.
This is truely my first step to preparing for the winter!
oooo forgot finally managed to get the landlord to repair the rendering on the exterior of our house yesterday :j (this was no mean feat, I've been trying to get them to do it for 2 years now! :mad:) while he was here he put sealent all round the window/door frame, its amazing what 4 cups of tea will get u(he also sealed my ceiling in the lounge as we had a leak a couple of months back) in fact he made a point of saying if they go round to someone's house and they don't offer a cup of tea/coffee if the person then asks them to look at something else then they won't! Its a amazing what an offer of a drink first off & a bit of charm can procure
DF as at 30/12/16
Wombling 2025: £87.12
NSD March: YTD: 35
Grocery spend challenge March £253.38/£285 £20/£70 Eating out
GC annual £449.80/£4500
Eating out budget: £55/£420
Extra cash earned 2025: £1950 -
I have written my list and I am basing it on 2 people and 3 weeks
2 cartons passata
1 kg Spagetti
1 kg pasta
1 kg rice
1 bag of cous couse
1 packs noodles
1 kg dried mixed beans
2 tins kidney beans
4 tins baked beans
4 tins tomatos
2 tins hotdogs
1 sack potatoes
8 bottles of powdered milk
2 large tubs marg
8 bags of bread flour
4kg sugar
4 packets of yeast
3 kg salt - for paths too
1 sack of dog food
6 bottles of squash
1 boxes tea
1 jars of coffee
2 bottles bleach
1 bottle stardrops
[STRIKE]3 shampoo and conditioner[/STRIKE]
2 deodrant
[STRIKE]3 bars soap[/STRIKE]
large tub of washing powder
soda crystals
large bottle washing liquid
at least 50 candles
3 boxes of matches
[STRIKE]
5 packets of ibruprofen
2 packet of lemsip
1 vapour rub
[/STRIKE]
[STRIKE]
3 packets of strepsils
2 bottle of cough syrup
[/STRIKE]
1 packet of tampons
12 toilet rolls
3 boxes of tissues
1 litre veg oil
Gallon water
1 Ketchup
1 Mayonnaise
3 packets of bacon for the freezer
12 chicken stock cubes
12 beef stock cubes
2 tubes toothpaste
This list is based on the fact that I always have at least 3 weeks of meals in the freezer
I really need to start buying and storing this. I have been pricing it the last few weeks and will start this month2014 = New Year, New Me0 -
last year we didnt get out the house for 6 days and we coped just about but we were cold and have the heating up full blast. We were lucky we had no power cuts, but in past winters have gone with out leccy for 1 full week.
I need to do the following- Buy stick on velcro dots and fleecy blankets and line all my curtains with the blankets - Bought Blankets
- Buy loads of table salt
- [STRIKE]
- make two draught excluders - with one old thick pair of tights
- [/STRIKE]Check the halogens still work
- Convince DH of the benefits of thermals
- Get winter boots - bought 2 ugg style - still need walking boots
- [STRIKE]Stockpile cold and flu remedies[/STRIKE]
- Maybe get/make a coat for the dog
- Make sure I have a load of charged batteries for torches.
- [STRIKE]Make Sloe/damson/rasp gin and vodka for those cold nights[/STRIKE]
- Make up an emergency box for the car
- Buy a cheap/2nd hand big flask - ours is quite small.
- Buy another hottybotty and make cover for it
- Buy some microwave wheat packs
- Get thermals for me and hubby
- [STRIKE]
- Buy another torch
- Buy a load of batteries[/STRIKE]
- Sew buttons on winter coat
- Buy a second hand non cordless phone
- dig out powercut phone number
- Buy a king size flannelette sheet
- [STRIKE]Buy Winter Duvet[/STRIKE]
- Hundreds of candles and matches
- Gas hob and heating
- Thick curtains to replace the summer ones
- 3 hot water bottles
- Lots of scarves, gloves, hats, wraps
- A full freezer, rarely run it down, always make extra for the freezer and never have less than 3 weeks meals in it.
- Wind up torch and other various torches
- Books, board games and jigsaws in case of power cuts
- Masses of toiletries and cleaning stuff.
- Bubble wrap - not sure what to use it for though???
So much still to do, think we have about 6 weeks left before it starts to get properly cold
Have to say I love the winter and although it will be a struggle if it is as bad as I have read about. I love a challenge so bring it on!!!2014 = New Year, New Me0 -
Bitsy_Beans wrote: »
Can you do that on older type central heating systems? My mums for example only has a central thermostat that controls the temp of all the rads - she doesn't have individual thermostats on her rads.
I think the you can turn the little nobbly bits on the radiators themselves and that turns them off
Oh....Just wanted to say thankyou to whoever said about the freebie from British Gas. I just ordered mine and they said it would take 28 days for delivery but perfect for what i need!
Thanks again!Feb GC: £200 Spent: £190.790 -
I think thick lined curtains would make a huge difference with single glazing and draughty old windows. No point if you have DG and good windows
actually that's not true. we have double glazed window AND thick curtains and i can tell you the space between the curtains and the windows is significantly colder than the rest of the room.
double glazing doesn't magically protect you from the cold it just lessens how much gets in0 -
he discovered the mains water comes in from the back of our house & the pipe had frozen behind the plasterboard in the spare bedroom (one we hadn't bothered to heat). Luckily he got it sorted, cutting a hole in the plasterboard & shoving a hairdryer through it to thaw the pipe out. It worked, fortunately, took nearly two hours though. I hate to think what a plumber would've cost on Christmas Eve.
I think in severely low temperatures you gotta consider the risk of a frozen pipe versus the gas/electric bill. And last year taught us a lesson.
another worry of course is condesation and then rising damp. what i do with my daughters room (coldest room in the house) is first of all she slept with me most of the winter (her choice) so that saved a lot but to ensure that the room never got too cold for too long i put a thermometre up and when it got down to 13C i would pop the heat on that night. most of the winter it was only on every few days, in the worst of it every day but i didn't have problems with pipes, condensation or damp so it must have worked!0
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