Winter can be harsh. It’s cold, gloomy, stressful, and costly. But there are some things you can do to save yourself from some costly spending. Here’s a few tips to help you save your sanity by saving you some money.
1. Turn off the heat
We all like to blast the heat to stay warm in the winter. But when I’m not home or at night when I’m sleeping, I turn the heat off. Yup, all the way off. Why have it wasting your money while you’re not even there to enjoy it? Yes it does make it a little chilly when I come home, however I turn the heat on right away and within minutes the house is warm, and I wasted no money on heat that I wasn’t even using anyway.
2. Turn down the heat
If you don’t want to be an extremist like me, then Global News suggests that even turning your heat down a few degrees at night and while you’re not at home will still save you on your heating bill.
3. Turn off the lights
Lights, TV, cable boxes, anything that you leave on while you’re out or sleeping, will absolutely add to your electric bill! Many people forget the little things like your garland on your mantel and will leave it running. Make sure when you leave the house you turn it all off. Not only are you saving energy but you are also saving yourself some money!
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4. Make gifts
Winter is high time for many holidays. And with the holidays it’s easy to get caught up on spending money without a thought. It’s fun to give gifts! But while it’s true it is fun to give gifts, you can do it without emptying your bank account. By making gifts instead of buying them, you will only be spending money on supplies and can reduce your gift giving budget significantly.
5. Play holiday games
If buying is still fun to you, then maybe play some holiday games to eliminate having to give tons of gifts. Secret Santa is a widely played game with family and friends where you purchase a gift for just one person instead of many. But there are tons of games for every holiday that can be played to reduce the amount of gifts you purchase. Look for some ideas online or on Pinterest.
6. Choose an intimate New Year’s party
People spend a lot of money dining out or buying tickets to special events for New Year’s Eve. While that can certainly be a lot of fun, if you’re looking to keep your winter budget down, then it’s probably not the best idea. Instead, plan an intimate party with family and friends. Everyone can bring a dish and/or their own booze, and you supply the place to party. You will this save tons of New Year’s money, and you’ll still be ringing in the New Year with fun!
7. Budget meals
Ah grocery shopping, the waster of money. Have you ever been the person that goes in to the store for five things and leaves with 10? I have! Especially in the winter, when there are so many goodies to buy and comfort food is at the forefront of your mind. But stay strong! Make a budget for how much you feel you should spend per week and write a list of what you’ll need. But stick to it! This will stop you from impulse buying the fresh baked cookies.
8. Freezer meals
When you cook, do yourself a favor. Make some extras of things – sauces are especially great for this. When you make a bit extra, you can freeze the food and thaw it for use later. This is a great idea for when you’re realizing that you may be just a bit short on cash, you’ll have some backup dinners ready to heat and eat.
9. Stay inside to save the gas
Gas is expensive, we all know this. And your car eats gas even faster in the winter because of the heat you turn on inside of your car. But, if you limit your trips by allowing yourself one trip to the grocery store a week, going to work and come right back without stops in between, then you can limit the time your in the car and limit the amount of gas it’s gobbling.
10. Shovel instead of snowblowing or plowing
Another gas monster is snowblowing or snowplowing. When it’s a heavy, thick snowfall it’s not a bad idea to bring these machines to life. But, when it’s not too bad out, go shovel instead. Not only will you save yourself on gas money, but you’ll also be getting a great workout and burning off some of those holiday calories.
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11. Find secondhand decorations
With holidays we tend to spend money on decorations. There’s nothing wrong with wanting your house to look pretty, but you don’t need to spend a ton of money doing so! Every year at the end of winter people have gone through their decorations and are ready to rid themselves of what they have. Take advantage of that! They always say one man’s junk is another man’ treasure. Find some treasures in decorations and you’ll save yourself a ton in decor for the next year.
12. Clip coupons
We’ve all heard of Couponing to Disney but we can also coupon simply to keep our costs low. If budgeting your grocery shopping just isn’t working, try clipping coupons out of the weekly ads. It’s even easier now because a lot of places will allow you to print coupons from online. Coupons are helpful not just for food but also for crafts stores if you choose to make gifts, decorations, etc.
13. Try not to use credit cards
I have always been taught that if you can’t afford it, then don’t buy it. DON’T USE CREDIT CARDS! But did I listen to my mom? No, of course not. But I do now. She was right, you save yourself a ton of money by not using cards to purchase items. With the holidays it’s easy to get the idea that credit cards are the way to go, but stop, put down the plastic and walk away quickly. Because not only will you be paying interest on these items all the way until the card is paid off, but if you miss a payment, forget it! Late fees alone will cause you to spend more than you can imagine.
14. Have movie nights at home
Movies are fun to go-to in the winter. It’s warm inside, there’s popcorn being popped, and adventures on the screen. But you can have the same type of cozy winter fun for a fraction of the cost. Have a movie night at home instead of going out. You can still have popcorn (it costs a lot less at the store) and even better – you can pour yourself a glass of wine! Something you obviously can’t do with most movie theaters. With so many movie watching choices like Amazon and Netflix, you can catch the latest movies while staying warm and cozy. Plus, you’re saving the gas money too – double win!
15. Save your change
Spending money is inevitable in the winter months. No matter what you try to cut out, with holidays, food, and gas, you will spend money. But a great way to save a little bit is getting a change jar. Take your change after you go buy some presents, or buy the holiday dinner and put it in a jar. Every time you stop to buy a hot chocolate to warm up- put your change in the jar. You’ll be surprised at how much you save up.
16. Use alternatives to heat
It is winter so if you’re turning down the heat, or turning off the heat, make sure you have an alternative to keep you warm. Extra blankets, heating pads and warm pajamas will all be able to keep you warm and you won’t even realize that you have the heat off! I used to warm up a rice bag every night and put it in my bed a few minutes before I got in it. By the time I would climb in, it was nice and cozy and I didn’t miss the heat at all.
17. Buy in bulk
Using bulk stores is a great way to save some money. Bulk stores offer great varieties of food at very reasonable prices. Get a membership, if needed, and try out your grocery shopping there. You’ll be amazed at the savings! Just make sure you have enough room for all of your items! You’ll also be saving on trips to the store (see #7 and #9) so there’s bonus savings there!
19. Choose inexpensive New Years Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions can be quite costly. Especially if you are planning on joining a gym. Luckily, there are alternatives to expensive New Year’s resolutions. If you want to lose weight, maybe try some home workouts. If you want to read a book a month, go to the library instead of buying new books. Or choose resolutions that are already inexpensive, like saying one thing you’re thankful for everyday, or volunteering in your community.
20. Seal your windows and close your curtains
In an article by Mirror, a super simple winter trick is mentioned – closing your curtains! It’s well known that heat can easily escape and cold air can come in through windows. So what to do? Close your curtains, it will keep the cold on the outside and the warm on the inside, the curtains acting like a barrier. But if you find this isn’t working enough, I’ve gone so far as to use plastic to cover the windows. It’s a sealer that will also act like a barrier, so just go to your local hardware store – they’ll know where they keep it!
Using these tips can really be a winter money saver. You can do some or all, and either way, if you do any at all, you’re sure to see a difference in your winter costs!
