Tip #10 - Keeping Warm

This tip is based on a suggestion from my friend Meghan, who pointed out that, with the cold weather approaching, a higher proportion of our money will be spent keeping warm. Here are some pointers on how to cut down the cost of toasty fingers.

Keep your heating equipment functioning well

Make sure your boiler or heater gets a check-up early. Like, now. It will decrease your headache if it goes on the fritz in January. This has to be done by a qualified professional, but in order to make sure the boiler isn't working overtime for nothing, you need to make sure your radiators are free of dust. Before you turn them on for the first time, run a dusting cloth attached to an unbent coat hanger between the heating panels of the radiator, making sure all the dust is gone.

If you have hot-water radiators, connected to a boiler, make sure the air is thoroughly bled from them. Do this by using either a wrench or a special radiator key to open the valve on the side of the radiators. Hold an old cloth or some paper towels against the valve to prevent any spillage when the air is removed. As an added bonus for this style of radiators, stick sheets of aluminium foil with blu-tak to the wall behind the radiators. This will propagate the heat out into the room, heating it faster and more effectively.

Know your energy plan

There are many energy plans out there, with different prices for different types of energy (gas, oil, and electricity). Know what your house or apartment uses for heating, cooking, and water heating (these can be different), and what your energy plan is charging you per unit. This information should be found on your energy bill. Use this information to compare to other energy suppliers. If you find a cheaper solution, phone up your own supplier and threaten to switch. Chances are, they want to keep a paying customer, and will put you on a cheaper plan if one is available.

Another tip for dealing with the energy suppliers is not to pay by direct debit. Although it may seem nice to have a single, flat rate each month to pay, and to have it leave your bank account worry-free, you could be paying too much. By paying through a per-usage, meter read system, you could not only save money, but you will be more conscious of your monthly usage, and therefore able to cut down on your usage in a conscious way.

Acknowledge your circumstances

If you need to heat your house, you're not living in a tropical country. There is therefore no reason why your house should be heated to 30*C. Lower the temperature and add a layer. You will save loads of money.

There are some other tricks of the cold-country trade which should be learned if you're new to this situation:
(1) take your shoes off at the door and switch to slippers or thick socks
(2) eat more complex carbohydrates (providing heat and energy for longer) and protein
(3) have a sofa-blanket so you can snuggle up warmly while watching TV or reading a book
(4) wear warm pyjamas and sleep under a duvet (better than blankets!)
(5) turn the heating down at night and when you're not in the house - you need it to be warm enough to not have pipes freeze (minimum inside temperature of about 16*C) - but it needn't be blasting heat when you're not going to enjoy it
(6) get any door and window leaks seen to and plugged, before the cold weather really starts. Nothing kills your buzz like a draft.

Recognize other areas your energy cost is going

Cooking, showering, and using hot water cycles on washing machines and dishwashers also contribute to your monthly energy costs. Cutting down on these is a hidden way to cut your expenditures.

Cooking: as above, with changing the type of food you eat, you should also think about the method of preparation. Use a kettle to boil water; Use more one-pot recipes such as home-made soup, stir-fry, or curry, making sure you use a good thick-bottomed pot; If you have one, use a Crockpot, which can cut down on energy costs dramatically. Make more than you need, freeze it, and re-heat in a microwave.

Showers: it's no secret that hot water uses energy, but in winter a hot shower can be incredibly enticing. If you want to save money, buy a cheap water-proof timer and time your showers. Aim to reduce them by 10 seconds each shower until you reach a point where you feel you couldn't take any more time off and still come out clean (and shaven). I usually have my showers at night, allowing my body to cool down ready for sleep and reducing the need for hair drying equipment.

Washing clothes and dishes: some countries offer discounts to households which run large appliances only at night. If you have a washing machine or dishwasher equipped with a timer function, and these discounts are available in your area, take advantage! Just make sure you empty it in the morning. Also, make sure you have a full load each time you use one of these machines, and use the cold water cycle of washing machines. If you're running your dishwasher during the day, open it before the heat dry cycle begins. Your dishes will still dry, they will just take a bit extra time and won't be warm.

And the final and most important tip: dress warmly, inside and out...

... because being blue isn't sexy.

Tip #9 - Growing up means lowering your expectations

It's interesting that our parents, in general, have all worked very hard to give their children (us) a "better future". Us Gen X- and Yers are just plain spoiled when it comes to our expectations of what is normal in life. Look at it this way. Our parents worked up the corporate ladder, saved, scrimped, and spent strategically to get where they are today. The assumption that when we leave the nest we will keep the amenities of today's lifestyle - big house, nice furniture, clothing, gadgets - is foolish.

So I challenge you: ask your parents how they were living at your age. Chances are they didn't have a brand new car, didn't have their own three-bedroom house, and didn't earn the salary to cover all of that.

For example, my Mum's house is lovely, but when she was my age she lived in a tiny, cramped apartment with furniture cobbled together from empty boxes and bricks she found on the street. Similar story for my dad.

When I graduated University two years ago, I had only one expectation: independence.

I expected to be able to live independently from my parents, but WITHIN MY MEANS. In the past two years that has meant renting an apartment in a cheap part of the UK, and later renting a small apartment in a poor, destitute part of London, because that's what I could afford. We got furniture from a variety of sources, including second hand stores, family, and friends of family; We only bought a new gadget if we could justify the need and the expense based on that need; We took the bus (read my previous post about transportation) because the tube was more expensive; We walked to the supermarket to get exercise and avoid spending money on the bus.

I understand that the expectation of independence is not always needed, wanted, or possible. But no matter what your circumstances, you need to view yourself as no longer under the safe protection of your parents' money, but as responsible for your own financial decisions and the consequences of poor financial decisions early on.