Cold weather hints and hacks
@1creekgirl (42481)
United States
January 22, 2025 12:53pm CST
I'm sure many of you who live in a much colder climate than we do in eastern NC already know these hacks and more.
But we have three inches of snow on the ground and the temp at 2pm is 27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our winters are usually fairly mild, but this is a much colder winter.
I was thinking about little things to make our home warmer (other than running up the heating bill!)
We keep our blinds and curtains closed unless we want to let a little sunshine in.
Keep bedrooms with the door and vent closed to avoid heating a room unnecessarily.
Wear a long sleeve shirt or maybe a sweater around the house. Sip on a cup of something hot to warm you up inside.
I have a pot of chicken rice soup on the stove for dinner which is healthy and yummy.
If you use an oven or even a toaster oven, when you're finished, leave the door open a little to let the heat into the room.
Lower your thermostat at night...cooler rooms are usually better for sleeping. Wear socks during the day and if you have cold feet like me, wear socks to sleep in.
What's your advice for staying warm? Surely spring can't be so awfully far away.
16 people like this
14 responses
@much2say (57209)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Jan
I shouldn't even comment as it's never truly cold here . . . our Southern CA cold means anything less than 50-60 
. I layer up my clothing - including socks sometimes. I move around all I can to keep blood in circulation. I wash all the dishes by hand (to get the heat from the water!).
. I layer up my clothing - including socks sometimes. I move around all I can to keep blood in circulation. I wash all the dishes by hand (to get the heat from the water!).3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (141872)
• United States
22 Jan
Uhm... if you have central heat, shutting a vent and closing an unused room actually can increase your heating bill and make your heat system work harder. 
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
22 Jan
@DaddyEvil Thanks for the link, but I'm still skeptical. We've done it for years without harm that we can tell.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
@DaddyEvil I can sure understand that. Did you get much snow?
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (185437)
• United States
22 Jan
I have myself parked next to a heater. It is comforting. I had soup for lunch.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (75178)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan
I have the heat higher then I should mostly for my husband. But he's also fully dressed and under two blankets to keep warm.
2 people like this
@kaylachan (75178)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan
@1creekgirl Yes he has. He's always been cold natured. He used to push himself to incress his heat intolerance. But yeah.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
@kaylachan My husband's like that, too. He's always cold.
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
Has he always been cold natured? Having cancer changed me from a hot natured person to being cold more often.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (106806)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
22 Jan
Since it hardly snows in south Louisiana, my advice would be to drink hot juice and wear socks, a knit cap and a knit sweater when stepping outside.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
22 Jan
Thanks, George. Did y'all get much from the storm?
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
@Deepizzaguy Oh my goodness! Hope it goes away soon.
1 person likes this
@Deepizzaguy (106806)
• Lake Charles, Louisiana
23 Jan
@1creekgirl You are welcome. My area received around 10 inches of snow outside.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
22 Jan
That was certainly wise advice, but unfortunately impractical. I'll just have to keep being thankful we don't live where the weather is much colder than here! I know three inches is nothing to you all.
1 person likes this
@porwest (96319)
• United States
25 Jan
@1creekgirl It is impractical for us at the moment as well. Oh well.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (162252)
• United States
23 Jan
I want to caution you that they say keeping a vent closed is bad for your furnace somehow. I still will close off the doors on unused rooms though. You do not get so many drafts. One thing I want to do but have not yet is to put clear shower curtain liners across our north facing picture windows. It is supposed to be good to stop the chill but still let you get light. Be sure you have good weatherstripping around the doors. If they are drafty roll a towel or rug across the bottom of them.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (96088)
• United States
23 Jan
@1creekgirl That’s what my stepmom says. 
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
@AmbiePam I know most women eventually get past menopause and hot flashes, but I think I'll have them if I live to be 100!
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
24 Jan
In this cold weather, I'm glad we don't have a big house to heat or cool.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (82591)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan
I keep layered up and at night where I sleep I have a space heater heating up the air,
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (162252)
• United States
23 Jan
@1creekgirl If air gets in under your exterior doors, a draught excluder (in US it is draft) keeps the cold out. Like those "door snakes" sometimes sold at craft fairs. I just roll a towel or rug at the base of the door.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
I'm sorry, but I don't know what draught excluders are.
2 people like this
@1creekgirl (42481)
• United States
23 Jan
@GardenGerty Oh, okay. I know what they are now. Thanks.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (4758)
• United States
12 Feb
Invest in a high quality parka and wear it for the entire winter season. That's my advice.
1 person likes this
