Frugality

- not my actual window!

Cold weather has arrived here in Maine, and so it's time to start winterizing our home.  I try to hold off on major winterizing until after Samhain (Halloween) so that I can decorate windows and such for the season without the less-than-attractive addition of window blankets (for example).

I blog every year about winterizing, because I think it is soooo important to do.  Even if you think your house is very well insulated, there are always ways you can improve its efficiency in the winter.  If you have windows, then you still have things you can do!  Even triple-paned glass is going to allow heat to escape your home - it is simply the nature of glass, convection, moisture, etc.  Personally, I don't like paying more for heat and electricity than I have to, so I am rather frugal in many ways.

A friend of mine asked me this weekend about my electric bill.  When I told her it has been around $50.00 a month for the last few months (and only went up to $75 in August due to my air-conditioner), she couldn't believe it. Last winter, even during the coldest months when the heat was running a lot, my electric bill still did not climb over $100.00. (!)  This includes having my computer on most of the day, too!

So, where to start (without making this blog too big for today)?  Firstly, I keep telling my friends about a product I have grown to LOVE and cannot recommend enough. It is called Reflectix.  You can check it out here:  http://www.reflectixinc.com/    I get mine at Home Depot usually, but I suspect Lowes or any other major hardware-type of store will carry it.  It's basically two strips of this reflective, aluminum-foil type of material that make a sandwich around a bubble-wrap type of inner core.  It is very flexible and sooo insulating!  A roll of it that is big enough to deal with all 8 of my windows costs around $40-$50 for the roll, and you reuse it each year, so it is SO worth it! I've also used it to line my solar oven and I have cut a strip large enough to place against the inside of my door under my door blanket (an old sleepingbag I sewed a wool blanket on the inside and hang up on nails over the door each winter night) for an extra layer against my drafty door.

Because I rent, I cannot go around and put it in between my walls, but I CAN use it in my windows and against my door, which as I said are rather drafty.  I get very aggressive about my windows. I START with a layer of thick plastic (after I have weather-stripped and caulked where I can along the edges of the windows) about 1/4 inch away from the glass.  Then I take 2 large, unfolded cardboard boxes (2 happens to be the perfect number to fit inside each window, one atop the other with a bit of overlap). I attach a large strip of reflectix, with about 2 inches overlapping all the way around (duct tape works well for this). You can attach reflectix to both sides of each box or just 1.  (Boxes can be refrigerator boxes that most appliance stores are happy to get rid of, but of course you'll have to cut them to size - keep them just a tad bigger than the width of your window so they'll be a snug fit)

Then when evening comes, I shove the reflectix-backed-boxes into the window frame (reflectix should be against the plastic layer (carefully, so as not to dislodge the plastic) as it does not absorb the moisture like the box would). The reflectix that hangs over the edges of the box helps keep the box in place and keeps air from flowing around the sides of the box and out the window.  I turn on my heater for about 20 mins to get the house nice and toasty, then turn it off for the night (yup, completely off).  We have a small space heater in our bedroom in case it chills too much around midnight, and then we rarely need to start it up again.  We all have thick blankets on our beds and wear warm jammies (and we've all been "trained" to enjoy sleeping with a slight crisp to the air, anyway!)

So, each night I put the boxes into the widows, and then I pull the window blanket over that.  Not every window has a window blanket (yet).  I shop at goodwill and when I see a comforter or wool blanket that would fit the bill, I grab it (if it is under $5).  One day, I will get matching quilted fabric and cover the blankets in each room with the same fabric (when I find quilted fabric for $1/yard, which does happen when winter is over).  In the morning, I will uncover the windows on the south side of the house and let the sun do it's thing, storing the boxes in a spare corner for the day (they take up surprisingly little room, probably about 5 feet in diameter for ALL the boxes, and I don't take them all off during the day).  Sure the house can get down to about 45 overnight, but if you wear a sweater, use warm blankets, etc. it's definately doable! Normally it is around 50 degrees in the house when I get up on most winter mornings.

As for the lights - I've gotten my family used to the natural daylight during the day (go figure!).  Clearly, on overcast days we may opt for a light or two, but turning off lights during the day saves us soooo much! Because our livingroom/kitchen is an open concept, we can turn just 1 light on at night and usually that's enough for everyone in the area, unless a special project or something requires more light.  I  have energy efficient bulbs, wash my clothes in cold water, hang them to dry on racks (haven't owned a clothes drier in about 10 years) in front of the heat (in winter) or outside (or just in the corner of a room when it is overcast outside).  I'll burn a candle on the stove to add atmosphere and a little light to the kitchen, too.

By the way, drying your clothes inside on racks releases moisture into your air in winter, helping keep moisture levels up a little.  We have a very energy efficient power strip for the computer and an energy efficient monitor.  If I bake something, I think ahead to what else needs baking and throw as much stuff into the oven as I can fit. Otherwise, I use a toaster oven, which uses quite a bit less energy.  I have even dug out my solar oven (that's a post for another day) to cook things, but admittedly that is not very often (although I am making a new year's resolution to use it more next year).

I swear, turning off unneeded lights, winterizing your home, and just being smart about each kilowatt you use will help keep your electric bill down.  Get out and enjoy nature, or visit places and use THEIR lights, heat, etc! The library often has free wifi (and laptops are notoriously much easier to power than a big unit) and is fun for the whole family to visit! Walk the mall on cold days, or visit Goodwill and walk around there and save money on things you need at the same time!

So, here's a frugal food idea for today:  Don't carve all your pumpkins until very close to Halloween, and consider carving the smaller varieties.  When they start to get soft it is time to cut it up, roast it and scrape the pumpkin goodness from the inside and use it in a soup or pie.  When I think of how many pumpkins I have simply carved and then thrown into the compost pile over the years, I cringe! Also, of course, is the obligation to roast the seeds to snack on or add to breads and baked goods, on yogurt, etc. 

The larger pumpkins won't taste as good, but you can still get some of the meat from inside, puree and add to muffins, quickbreads, etc. and they will probably taste fine with perhaps a little extra sweetener.

Now's the time to consider winterizing - just look where cold air could come in and cover it (especially at night, when there is no sun to help warm the house).  Who cares if it looks funny to outsiders! Are they paying your electric/heating bill?  Will they be there when your family is snuggly warm each night? 

Please - let that sunshine in those windows during the day, and enjoy the cooler weather (and lower electric and heating bills)!