It almost feels inevitable that Winter is going to cost a fortune. Between keeping ourselves cosy, lighting our homes for longer and fixing any seasonal repairs, it’s tough not to feel worried as soon as we start to feel a chill in the air. But there are actually steps you can take within your home to save money for this Winter and all future Winters, too. Here are five ways to save money this Winter.

Get yourself some thermal clothing

Instead of immediately turning the heating on, I prefer to start layering up my clothing, or even grabbing some thermals. Most Winters I live in an oversized hoodie – I like to snuggle up inside it, and I love knowing that I’m saving money on my heating. Wearing thermal clothing is also better for my skin, as I can sometimes find that artificial heating dries my skin out, so not only do I save money on heating but I’m also looking after my skin! 

Check on your boiler

One of the biggest expenses that many people have in the Winter, is dealing with a broken boiler. There are a number of common issues that you can watch out for in advance, and it might work out worth your while to book in a full boiler service before the days get really cold so that you can stop any problems before they happen. Boiler repairs can get expensive – in fact, in some cases it is cheaper to do a new boiler installation – so you don’t want to get caught with a broken boiler and a high repair bill in the middle of Winter, especially if the cold weather is preventing an engineer getting to you quickly. Avoid an emergency by preparing an advance.

Cook big batches of hearty meals

As soon as Winter rolls around, I think my body immediately knows it, because it starts to crave really hearty meals like stews and soups. These are fantastic for Winter – a bowl full of homemade soup immediately warms up your insides, and that cosy feeling can see you through for the rest of the day. There are some additional benefits to cooking hearty meals though, which make money saving even easier throughout the Winter. Firstly, the ingredients are cheap but they will go a long way, which means that your initial costs are low and then should see you through for a good 3 or 4 days – which also means less cooking, another bonus! Another great thing about cooking soups and stews, though, is that the long time they spend on the hob naturally fills your home with warmth, so you can be warm and cosy even while you’re waiting for it to cook.

Do your laundry less frequently

Whether you’re washing only one pair of trousers, or all of the duvet covers in your house, your washing machine actually uses the same amount of energy and water to do a full wash cycle. This is quite surprising – you would think that a lighter load would be better for the environment and better for your bank balance, because in theory, it should use less water for washing fewer items. Let yourself wear your clothes an extra day before popping them in an energy-efficient wash load, so that clothing can build up and you can bulk up your wash with more items. Winter is the best time to do this anyway, as you’re not as likely to be sweating in your clothes, so you can get a little bit more wear out of them. 

Make blankets part of your home decor

In my opinion, there’s nothing better than getting snuggled up under a blanket, and I’ve never got one far from reach all through the year. I tend to keep blankets that go with the colour schemes of my rooms around the house, so that if anyone is ever chilly they’ve got something to grab to warm up, but it never looks out of place when they aren’t in use. I like to get draught excluders that match the colour scheme of the rooms too, which helps keep all of the heat in without standing out like a sore thumb. The blankets and draught excluders might have an initial outlay cost that I need to factor in, but once I’ve got them I don’t need to pay for them again, which means that I can always keep my home warm without any additional ongoing expenses.

Do you find yourself spending more money over Winter? How have you been able to save money? Share your ideas and tips in the comments below!

Georgie

Georgie – twenty something content creator based in Yorkshire, writing about all things pretty in life