Recession Proof your Winter

Fall is here and with the fall season comes the cooler temperatures as winter quickly creeps up on us all. The recession will play a huge role in many lives this cooler season due to the unfortunate rise in cost of living through higher utility bills and more.

I though I would take this time to share with you all a little breath of fresh air as we fall onto times that are more expensive and maybe some relief on those as well. We do not need to let the recession beat us; rather we can beat it.

Here are just a few tips to help you beat the recession during these cooler and downright freezing months ahead!

As everyone is quite aware of, gas usage goes up during the fall and Winter Months. Furnaces are being turned on to take the chill out of the air in the fall and then move on to run non-stop during the winter months. During the winter, people begin to warm their vehicles up before leaving t o work as well. A couple things that will help lower your gas usage are:

Only warm your vehicle for no more than 5 minutes before you leave to work. Car pool if you can! Keep your home thermostat set at no more tan 68 degrees while you are at home and then turn it down 2 degrees before you leave to go to work and when you go to bed at night. Pull the blankets out and wear socks during you awake hours at home. Remember during the summer when you were so hot that you were turning the thermostat down to 68 just to cool off? Use that as your inspiration to remember that 68 degrees is really not that cold.

Electric bills go up as well during the fall and winter months. It is darker out earlier therefore at times it seems like every light on the house goes on, especially if you have kids! Put sticker reminders at all your light switches reminding yourself and others that if you are not using the room, shut off the lights. Regardless if your water heater is gas or electric, turn it down just a couple degrees. You would be amazed at the savings!

During the fall and winter months, produce prices go up as well. They are out of season and are being shipped in from areas where it is still feasible to grow. If you plan ahead during the later summer months and early fall you can stock up on many produce items and freeze or can them up for the winter. You can easily save a couple hundred dollars by just doing this!

Remember, just as home expenses go up, so does industrial expenses. And just how do they make up for their extra expenses – they raise their prices. It would be nice if homeowners could do the same, but we can’t unless we start charging the little ones, cats, dogs, and the occasional mice that want to set up house in our homes during the winter for our increased expenses.

If you use common sense alone, you can cut back on some of those expenses. Putting plastic up on windows, closing off rooms not used, insulation strips on doors and window seals, and throwing on a sweater or blanket rather than turning up the heat all help! The recession doesn’t have to hold you back from being comfortable or going broke. You can prosper if you want if you want it bad enough. To learn more about how you can prosper during the recession visit the Turning Point.