Autumn is in full swing here and already it’s getting pretty cold at night.  While I’ve avoided turning on my oil heat and convinced my family to wear a blanket or a Snuggie.  I really have to start to close up the house against the cold.  Here are the things I’m doing right now to get everything warmed up without turning up the heat.

• I’ve removed all the AC units from the windows there’s no chance of 90° weather anytime soon I can get those out of the window.
• I’ve got a space heater a simple oil filled radiator that I can adjust from 1500, 900 or 600 watts.  While it does affect my electric bill I can heat only what I need.   I use a tower fan to blow the heat around a room.
• Socks and blankets are in full swing.  You can pick up a simple blanket at Walmart for less than $10 or go all out and get a Snuggie for $15 to $30.  It’s a little adjustment but it helps
• I’ve been using the oven a bit more.   Baking bread not only tastes great, smells delicious but it’s healthier and warms the kitchen.
• Great Stuff,  this is one of the BEST NAMED products of all time.  Because that stuff you spray and turns to foam and expands while descriptive doesn’t really tell you how great this stuff is.   You can fill in holes and it expands to fill the gaps.  One dry you can cut it with a knife.  I use a serrated steak knife.
• Plastic on the windows – While I would LOVE to replace the windows, the plastic you shrink with a hairdryer is a fast way to get a leaky window nice and warm.

All of this should help warm up my place without costing a lot.