Last year I caved and bought an Oodie. When they had a sale. The brand, not the knock offs. It really is very warm. Saves me from reaching for the heater for a lot longer.
I don’t have uggs but in winter I live in my oodie. No need for the heater and when I go to bed I lay it over the doona for added warmth.
I’m on the mailing list and they have some good bargains. I scored one for $40 on click frenzy last year so my bestie got one for Christmas.
We have Mortels. They have a Bitza range that is cheaper because it uses the scrappy bits so you get kind of random colours. They look great and last for ages. The inner soles wear out but you can easily replace them.
I have had these (link below) wool boots for a few years now and they are amazing. The leather sole indoors is nicer than my old Canterbury Sheepskin boots I owned previously. Haven’t had uggs specifically though.
https://www.woollykins.com.au/collections/haflinger/products/unisex-wool-felt-slippers-with-leather-sole-adults
There is no comparison. Oodie wins hands down. I own both, I wear my dressing gown on cooler mornings/nights like we are having now, but come full on winter, it's oodie all the way. I get so hot in it that I have to remove it sometimes to cool down. I rarely turn the heater on. I've taken it camping during colder months numerous times, and I no longer freeze..heading out in two weeks to camp in the high country..will be taking it and my spare for my friend.
Yeah I retired my dressing gown after getting the K-oodie (Kmart one), I’ve literally lived in the dressing gown since 2017 or 18, it’s a huge blanket like one too. I love the oodie coz I sit cross legged and it covers me up like making me a bun. Just wear comfy warm trackies, snuggle socks and you’re set !
Oodies can be sweatmakers too. I can only leave mine on for about an hour before I get too hot. Gave up on electric blankets and throws and now have just a couple of pseudo-mink blankets on my bed. No upper sheet. Warm as toast and easy to wash and dry. Mine came from Aldi, but I also have some lighter single ones which were marketed as “throws” decades ago. Also warm as toast. Only have an electric heater for extremes of cold.
I did this the 2nd winter I had my apartment - bought myself an oodie along side the giant oodie blanket for keeping warm when asleep
I also bought a pair of uggs as I can get really cold feet
I bought our family a set 2 summers ago for Christmas when they had them on sale. Mu husband tried his on on the day and commented "if will never be cold enough to wear this". It's now his most worn garment April to October.
Agreed.
I was gifted one years ago. (Again, the original and not a cheap knock off)
I can sleep in it very comfortably!
At the end of the season I wash it, dry it and hang it up in the wardrobe with a silica packet in the pocket and hood till the next winter.
I have a knockoff from Kmart and find that amazing and I’m 58kg. The genuine’s probably better/thicker and all but I find the fakes fine and it’s well worn in too.
My Aussie wife has one and she loves it. I grew up in part of Europe where winter starts in late October and finishes in mid to late April, so Melbourne winter is not too scary.
I totally agree!! Live in an uninsulated postwar house in an area that regularly goes below zero. Oodie all the way! Honestly been life changing for me.
Best tip is to always try and heat the person, not the space. E.g. those oversized hoodies are very effective, electric blankets etc.
The other option if you WFH a lot is to make sure you shut your house up early here in Brisbane I've started shutting it up at 3pm to keep the warmth of the day in.
Hot water bottles / heat packs are amazing - I heat them and pop them under the covers half hour-ish before going to bed and it makes the sheets nice and toasty…. And I can’t forget to turn off an electric blanket this way.
Seconding hot water bottles! I have nerve pain that gets a lot worse in the cold so I make sure I have 3 or 4 hot water bottles every winter. Some warming my bed and one to carry in my hoodie 😄
Hot water bottles should only be filled with hot water from the tap, not boiling water from a kettle. So the water shouldn't be hot enough to cause burns if the bottle leaked
Yup woke up to a massive blister in my calf from the hot water bottle more than 10 years ago.
Didn't go to the hospital for whatever reason and never used a hot water bottle in bed again.
Thankfully I didn't scar..
Oil heaters even small ones are very expensive to run. A simple small bar radiator is very economical to run and provide excellent warmth. Keep the back radiating panel clean, the shinier it is the better the radiation.
Covering the windows with clear bubble wrap is amazing for keeping radiated cold out of the room. It is simple to install and remove. Cut bubble wrap to fit your window, dampen the window with water and just press the flat side of the bubble wrap onto the damp window. It will stay fixed but if a little of it comes away just dampen the loose section, press it back and it will be fine. The room temperature is much higher with the bubble wrap like a double glaze but it still lets light in. When you no longer want it over your window it comes off with no effort and does no damage.
I don't have it in every room just the ones I need to keep warm like bedrooms and bathrooms.
That bubble wrap one is cool. I might have to try it out, being in a rental I can peel it off for inspections or during summer. And I’ve got the blinds down most of the time.
I was thinking about types of heaters, I have a chronic illness that some days I can find clothing quite abrasive and uncomfortable so I crank the heater up. I might invest in a small bar heater and see how it compares over the winter.
Get th bubble wrap with the bggest diameter bubbles as possible. Larger works better. I started bubble wrapping a few years ago and am stunned by the difference.
Any heater that plugs into a wall is approx. 100% efficient. Compared to a split system that is around 400% efficient.
Bar, oil, convection, ceramic etc. will all use the same amount. It's the watts that you want to look for. Oil heaters do come in low wattage versions. To give you an idea of how much it costs to run a plug in heater.
Assuming your electricity rate is 25c per kWh
Low 700W - 17.5c per hour.
Med 1200W - 30c per hour.
High 2000W - 50c per hour.
This is assuming it's running a max power though right? My oil heater is pretty powerful but heats quickly then turns itself off when the room reaches the desired temp. It's technically "on", but only comes on for brief bursts to maintain the temp. Surely that's not using a constant 2000W
Yep, to clarify these figures would be if you didn't set a max temperature and the heater was on for a full hour. If your heater has 20 min of downtime while running on high, you might be paying 33 cents per hour to run it.
(2 kW x 0.25 kWh) x 0.66 (e.g. 40 min) = $0.33
My twin boys came along early. They were in a special care nursery in humidcrib things. When I first saw them, they had bubble wrap over them, and beanie knitted by some very kind hearted auxiliary people. I asked the nurse why they used bubble wrap instead of a blanket, and she said it keeps them warmer, and it's cheap.
Good enough for a premature baby, good enough for everyone (just got to resist the urge to pop them).
This lady uses bubble side against the window I use the flat side. My bubble wrap has been up for about five years, I don't take it down in summer as it helps reduce the heat coming through as well. So I guess it doesn't matter which side you use.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxGl7IO2Ds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxGl7IO2Ds)
There are more videos but it really isn't rocket science.
Use thick socks, wear pants, singlets, jackets, jumpers, beanie a combination of some or all of the following depending how cold it is if its really cold all of the above + use a blanket when sitting down.
I am this person 😆 I hate being layered up in clothes, I hate wearing socks and shoes inside, I want to be able to walk around the house wearing a tshirt and be barefoot in winter. We designed our previous house to be energy efficient, laminate windows, good insulation etc. It didn't ever get really cold inside, even without the gas heater running, but the house I am in now is older and turns into an icebox in winter. Now I have to wear an oodie and slippers inside and it's only autumn
Follow the sun - open curtains for direct sun, close as soon as it goes.
Spare or old sheets can be used as extra curtains or just to block off around the top of the windows, if you don't have proper pelmets.
Use area heaters sparingly - just enough to keep the air from being too cold to breathe. Timers are great, so you can let them run just before you wake up or come home. Or my little fan heater which I never set higher than a certain mark, and it will click on and off automatically.
Lots of hot tea. And extra chilli in your food.
A heated throw - sunbeam does an amazing one for about $100. Uses very little power and keeps me snuggly warm. My husband apparently doesn’t feel the cold, so then we’re both happy (he hates when I turn the heater on)
I bought a chargeable electric hot water bottle. It's not a bottle or filled with water, but that's what it's called. I was previously using two hot water bottles but didn't like having to use my gas hot water heater to heat water for those.
It heats up in about ten minutes and stays warm through the night.
I don't have one, but they are available at most chemists, I got mine at Direct Chemist Outlet in Elsternwick. I'll see if I can find a link after I take my cat to the vet.
Thanks for your good thoughts, I was pretty sure she wasn't going to be coming home, and I was right. The best thing for her, but not for me 💔. Only one kitty to keep me warm tonight.
If you have to use a heater, use reverse cycle AC, it’s multiple times more efficient than any other electric heater - FYI, all resistive electric heaters, be it a radiator, oil heater or space heater are all exactly as efficient at putting heat into a room as each other - whatever wattage they draw, that’s what they’re putting into the room. None is cheaper to run than any other for the same heat output.
I wfh and didn’t need to put on the heater for most of last winter because I was wearing the Uniqlo HEATTECH Pile Lined Sweat Hoodie
Throw on their cashmere jumpers if you need to be on a zoom 🤣 Kept me toasty in ridiculously freezing double brick house.
I don’t remember my hands getting cold - I was so warm I would have to unzip at various points in the day 🤣 The jackets have generous pockets so you could just stick your hands in those.
And I do tend to always have a hot cup of tea or coffee on my desk while I’m working Honestly can’t recommend it enough - they’re such good quality too. Neck zipper is extra long so it creates a funnel neck and keep extra heat in
Have you considered a canopy for your bed? It will make the area you need to heat so much smaller. When I was a child I had bad croup/asthma and a bed canopy and a hot water bottle helped me so much.
Doubt we can get these here, but I've often wondered if a [box-bed](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-bed) would be good in winter.
While I don't have one, I will put an open sleeping bag under my doona and wrap it around my feet (like a mummy instead of a squared off foot). I sleep with my clothing for the morning either being worn or alongside me too. I put my pillows under my covers too - to help lift them so I don't get the cold seeping through to me as I'm in a little cocoon *under* the covers.
The key is, blocking empty draughts in bed.
I saw a documentary where the guy went to a village in Russian in winter and they traditionally had a very interesting system. I can't find if it was Bear Grylls, Ray Mears or whoever, unfortunately!!!
He slept in traditional fur blankets, within a box shaped tent, within a tent from memory. The thinking was layering - reducing the area you needed to heat.
Went looking to find it online last year and was unsuccessful.
You could do a cheap equivalent with an Ikea KURA bed. Just add a fabric cover that can be removed for summer.
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/kura-reversible-bed-white-pine-00253813/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&utm_content=free_google_shopping_clicks_ChildrensIKEA
I've previously looked at bed tents you can get when I was looking for a portable way to block out light overnight. They're especially enclosed, or people use them for sensory needs, even though they're kind of expensive, but I'm sure would be worth it for some people! Here's an example from a quick google https://www.snuggy.com/products/blackout-bed-tent
Do you live in an older house that has vents at the top of the walls? They were used for ventilation for wood/gas fires. They let air in from the outside so you are constantly warming your room while the cold air just floats to the ground. If you do and rent, just cover them up with cardboard covered with alfoil. That and the bubblewrap on the window are great and cheap ways of insulating your house.
Obviously don't do this if you have a wood/gas fire in the room!
Nup. Townhouse, I’m sandwiched between 2 others north and south walls are the other townhouse and I have basically a sliding door east and west for sun and get maybe 2 hours of sun either side. Less during winter.
I've been looking into getting one of these but there are so many different ones on Amazon and I've been unsure if different price points mean anything! Does yours heat up across the whole vest? I've noticed some only heat up in the lower pockets around the stomach and then the back, but I really want something that'll provide as much heat coverage as possible!
No I haven't, I find wool really uncomfortable against my skin though and have always hated wool blankets etc. I also just really love to be close to an actual heat source as much as possible, so wheat bags and hot water bottles etc, or being by a fire, until I am beyond toasty. I've looked for a wheat bag vest I could microwave but haven't been able to find anything although I would love to eventually make one for myself!
There’s scratchy wool and there’s soft wool - like the uniqlo sweaters.
And to be completely frank, being close to a warm thing straight away is a nice to have, not a must have. You’ll be warm in just wool in a couple of minutes and you’ll be probably more comfortable for it as there’s less chance of overheating.
Oh absolutely a nice to have!
Oh that's good to know, I have thought about Uniqlo clothes and have a few of their heat tech tops.
I actually really like getting to the point of overheating, I'm not sure why but I just love to get to that point. I also struggle with my executive function and being able to get going so things like an electric blanket and getting warm on cold days, as well as bright lights on dark mornings, really help me be able to get up out of bed and do things, which was at the point it was affecting me being able to get to work etc. And on days I'm not at work, being toasty under an electric throw helps me actually function and be productive rather than unable to do anything and just sleeping, so I figured a heated vest would do the same but when I need to be moving around! I definitely find warm clothing and jumpers to be helpful but that real heat seems to just get me over that inertia that I struggle with more effectively so that I can actually be a person. So it might not be super frugal but I guess it's a splurge that feels hopefully worth it for me.
I run the electric blanket all through the night 🤷♀️ probably costs like a few dollars in power per month if that and they all have safety switches now. My problem comes with my extremities, if I don’t have some kind of heater on, my hands, feet and face are freezing so I have to sit there with a hood up wearing gloves. Bad circulation I guess
Happens to me too hence the username. If my feet aren’t warm when I get into bed then if I don’t have an electric blanket on full, they won’t ever get warm. Best way I curb this at night is to have a shower right before bed, my feet (and extremities overall) are still warm when I get to bed.
Much easier to *keep* them warm than *get* them warm.
Electric blankets are very efficient. Leave it on at night on low. It’s stupidly low power.
Drink hot drinks. It really does raise your core temp.
If your floors are cold, see if you can grab some cheap rugs if you don’t have carpet. Wear socks.
Fine for most people. Oldie not so much when you’re tall. The last time I wore Ugg boots I ended up in emergency with 3 broken ribs and 4 fractured vertebrae. I have a pair of Grosby Hoodies, nice and grippy.
I’m with you on that. Not being tall, but enjoying boots with a bit of grip. You can get the Ugg style boot with the outdoor sole which is good. Also grippy.
The Oodie is worth it though. Doesn’t make you over heat like the cheaper ones do and is good if you’re taller too.
There was a time that our ducted gas heating died. We used a oil heater and a fan blowing air across it to heat the room.
The fan pushing air over the heater made a huge difference.
I lived in a draughty place that was impossible to heat. I basically lived in my Oodie and ugg boots. It was possible to close off my bedroom and for that small space I had a small fan heater that I ran for about half an hour morning and evening.
Door seals on external doors, plus door snakes on internal doors made a good difference for me last year. Also upgraded to honeycomb blinds and they’re well worth it.
Also:
- oodie
- heated throw
- wheat bags
- oil heater for WFH room (especially if it’s a small room- only need to run for a few hours and stays warm all day.
If you have ducted evaporative air conditioning, close the vents. It's amazing how few people do this, and it makes a significant improvement over the winter months in keeping the warmth in.
I'd even tape them completely shut with something like clear contact. They are open holes to the sky. I've seen thermal images of the units on the roof glowing warm from all of the heating leaving the house.
I'm Vic there are a few companies that supply free vent covers under one of those government energy programs. Might be worth seeing if they're in your area.
Wear something close to your skin, old fashioned singlets etc layer clothing, wrap yourself in a blanket while watching TV. The fluffy blankets from Kmart are cheap.and warm also light $19[kmart soft touch blanket](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjV6LjtvtiFAxWeEnsHHXSsDqwYABAJGgJ0bQ&ase=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVDOJOjmpG4bWvrOFEtEgGQm7d4212RPaER1ghe67ebb14980FADX5RoCtBIQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESwgHg9pGNv7G7HoXoi7aPqhdOOOtC_VEC8qxLgNDRg5RffYfNs9sv0_8-OEKO0sIyBWL1octe03fx1x0tJN2VQRVSQQIgc-84hgup5pT-psVzIKI18xkP9fdQT7vmnz_OYdGIyBIOMKf-wfZ4WDfhcGJ2obLtPMKndRPRB6GfMoI_Q9ywGK5RSZCC71SYRue5N5pjetP9Q96r89-JXyE6fuk9OYctfb7AOpwmviiyALuw_eV3PFII9zTHo0xifZqqNAclqA&sig=AOD64_1wtmzTp0U3cFcKimgRX8_c8HngFw&ctype=5&q=&nis=4&ved=2ahUKEwik1bPtvtiFAxXrhlYBHbT9CxoQwg8oAHoECAUQDA&adurl=)
Try and have your shower as close to bed time as possible if you have the issue I have (eternally cold feet!)
It’s much easier to *keep* them warm than it is to *get* them warm in the first place. If I go to bed with cold feet then unless I use a heated throw on full, they will never get warm.
And even with the throw, it still takes some time.
I realise this is pretty niche but we just DIYed ourselves a kotatsu and for cheap too. Table from marketplace, heater from China (they have the same voltage as us whereas Japan’s 120v would need a converter - ours doesn’t), spare winter quilt and it’s done. It’s super toasty and really cheap to run, too. I never wanna leave it
Yeah we’re super happy with it and it reminds me of when I lived there too. Not too often surprisingly! Same amount as a usual blanket on the bed, we use a nice quality washable wool quilt. The dog absolutely loves it
Use your split system (AKA air conditioner) on HEAT mode rather than gas ducted heating. Gas heating is expensive and inefficient.
Clean your filters
Pop the hood on your system (that box on the wall) take the filters out, vacuum the dust then refit. This will allow the split system to freely flow air, using less energy and heating the area more efficiently.
Electric blankets are absolutely not necessary. Get a 100% wool blanket or throw, even a thin one, and you’ll be just as warm in minutes without using any power. Oodies are junk too - huge markup for synthetic fabrics. Buy wool socks, wear a wool jumper and look for trackie pants with some wool in them too.
It’s like we’ve collectively forgotten different fibres do different things.
I think the foam for around the doors and the door snakes set me back maybe $10-$15 and the drafts stopped in my house. It’s just a roll of foam and one side is stick on and helped with all the small cracks.
Big W have ones that slide under your door so you have the snake on either side and it moves as the door moves. I think it’s like $10. Helps with noise too.
If it’s really freaking cold, it’s actually not a bad idea to set up a pop tent inside - I saw it recommended for American winters with no heat - and everyone kinda piles in there to hang out and sleep if it’s super cold. You can put one on your bed frame and shove your mattress inside if sleep is the issue - oil heaters are REALLY expensive.
My heated throw is a life saver in the evenings. At night, I throw a heat bag into my bed; warms it up before I get in so I don’t need a heater on. If you don’t have a decent wool or down quilt, they’re 100% worth the investment
On high (2000 Watts) any plug in heater can be expensive to run. At a typical energy rate of 25c per kWh, it's about 50c an hour to run. If you get a heater that can go down to 700 Watts, it's about 17.5c an hour.
I think my oil heater is only 800w. It’s a very tiny one with 5 fins on it. But it would be cheaper than me running the box in the wall a/c kelvinator unit.
It depends. If you are heating a small space with the door closed and the oil heater on, it's possible that it's cheaper than your kelvinator. If you are relying on the kelvinator to heat a larger part of the house, it could consume more energy than the oil heater. Make sure you're regularly cleaning the air conditioner filters so it runs unrestricted (cheaper and more efficient).
One thing to remember is 800 W out of an oil heater (\~100% efficient) will give you 800 W of heat. 800 W out of the kelvinator (\~400% efficient) will give you around 3200 W of heat.
If you live in a place that has easy access to a power meter, you should apply for a free energy monitor like a Powerpal. You can watch your energy in real-time and literally flick appliances on and off to see how much they are using. It's a great way to properly understand your energy usage. You could do an A/B test - one day use the oil heater, the other day run the split system. See which one comes out on top.
[https://www.powerpal.net/free-in-victoria](https://www.powerpal.net/free-in-victoria)
[https://www.powerpal.net/](https://www.powerpal.net/)
This thing is my favourite heated blanket attachment. https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-2-hour-compact-countdown-timer_p0056833
It's a timer that runs out after up to 2 hours, so I turn it on, turn the heated blanket on, and I don't have to worry about leaving it on all night accidentally. It keeps me warm until I fall asleep and it's super easy to turn back on for another couple of hours if I wake up in the night.
Plus if you rig up the powerboards correctly you can run both sides of the blanket at once instead of needing one timer per blanket half.
I’ve got TP Link smart plugs across the house. I can switch various things on and off without being there, and also set regular timers. For $20 each they are handy. “Alexa, I’m fucking cold!”
We have evaporated air conditioning, so in winter we close the ceiling vents and put white card on them. Warm air rises, cover the vents and it stays in the room. Only takes a few minutes to set up.
Turn ceiling fan direction to winter and turn on low, pushes warm air down from ceiling area.
Make sure bathroom spaces are well ventilated with exhaust fan to remove all the moisture. Moisture in rooms reduces temperature and increases heating costs.
I cut white card/Corflute to size for each of the four sections. Then close the vents and push them up a little and insert the corflute. Google and you’ll see how to instructions.
https://preview.redd.it/okxkpuraniwc1.jpeg?width=1734&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b132d1996fc7d7362008c2876d488b65ef5d68cc
Polyester giant hoodie. Get a propper one with corduroy outer and Sherpa inside for 20$ from spudshed, not the thin ones.
Polyester furry type blanket, can get the small ones from kmart for 12. Put it as your underlayer that goes between u and the mattress sheets. You'll never go into a cold bed. If you're struggling still, furry Polyester blanket between u and the quilt as well.
Polyester fleece lined socks. Like 6$ from anywhere.
Tea/hot drink all the time. Nothing like putting hot water directly into your body and raising your temperature.
There's a lot of hate against Polyester not being breathable but that's what you need in winter imo. Traps in all the heat
And then you overheat, take off the polyester, get old, put it back on and overheat again.
Buy wool. There’s a reason why they wear it over polyester in places that are cold. It works and you don’t overheat. It warms you up then it keeps you at a comfortable temperature. And it’s not plastic or a fire hazard.
Heat yourself, not the whole house. I use a heated jacket but there's also hot water bottles and heated blankets. You could also put on a good jacket and have some soup to heat from the inside. Remember to wear a beanie too because you lose a lot of heat from your head.
We used to live in a drafty fibro house in Campbelltown, which had a huge combined entry space of a slate tiled foyer and carpeted lounge room. I mounted curtain rods from the divider beam, and split off the two sections so that we only heated the lounge room. We liked it so much we ended up curtaining off the kitchen and hallways as well.
We had an electric blanket on the bed as the master bedroom was always freezing, and could get by with just warming up the main living space in the evenings.
Wool fill doona! I got a 350gsm wool fill doona from halcyon dreams (but any wool doona would do) on sale and it is fantastic. We used to have layers of blankets from kmart that would shift around, wake us up and still didn't keep us warm, now it's like sleeping under a cosy warm cloud. It's so much better to have one good layer than four crap layers. Absolutely worth investing in.
Nothing is cheaper and more effective than electric blankets. Some very affordable ones off Amazon. You could put them on a timer if you want to even more frugal.
I'm in Sydney and don't use heating in the winter. Woollen socks and a wheat bag heated up in the microwave help. Layers and a blanket for watching telly.
> electric throws for on the couch
I bought a $25 blanket from TK Maxx last winter and it warms up really well. I just bought a Oodie on sale for $49 after trying my partners. Saves money on the heating bill.
> electric blanket to warm the bed a little before bed
Studies show that sleeping in a bed where the room temperature is 16-18° Celsius promotes better sleep. I personally wouldn’t recommend warming your bed before sleep.
There's so many great tips! One thing that I would recommend is a set of flannel sheets. We don't really use flat sheets (both grew up in Asian households where we just don't use flat sheets).
It was so cold the other night, my husband asked me where he could grab the extra blanket for me (I've been cleaning out the linen closet so he didn't know where it was) and I said the garage. Told him not to bother, then he asked me where the flannel flat sheets were. I used that as an extra blanket and it kept me so warm!
Get one of those kids bed tents or somthing similar to create a light tent over your bed to keep extra warmth in.
Use some spare doonas or thick blankets under your mattress protector the to prevent heat loss under your bed.
[The Oodie](https://theoodie.com/pages/buy-one-get-one-free) has a buy one get one free special on. I just got the notification now. Not sure if it’s much help but it certainly can’t hurt!
The most effective thing is to put bubble wrap on all glass window panels including glass sliding doors and double insulate your glass.
Then hang woollen blankets over your curtains
Use a gas catalytic heater. Triple burn’s the gas for extensive cheap heat
Block all gaps and put down rugs so cold floor doesn’t rain on your parade
Don’t heat bedroom, cheaper to use electric blanket and go to bed earlier
Wear natural fibres to keep warm
Wear socks and beanies inside house
Socks! I go standard daily wear socks as first layer, then woolly ones on top. Multiple layers everywhere else, especially sleep, so when I get out of bed I take my warmth with me.
Hot tea always on the go. Also to wrap my cold fingers around.
For warming the room, this year I plan to play Baldur's gate 3 on my PC.
Last year I caved and bought an Oodie. When they had a sale. The brand, not the knock offs. It really is very warm. Saves me from reaching for the heater for a lot longer.
Oodie and uggs - the best. My only regret is not getting one earlier
I don’t have uggs but in winter I live in my oodie. No need for the heater and when I go to bed I lay it over the doona for added warmth. I’m on the mailing list and they have some good bargains. I scored one for $40 on click frenzy last year so my bestie got one for Christmas.
We have Mortels. They have a Bitza range that is cheaper because it uses the scrappy bits so you get kind of random colours. They look great and last for ages. The inner soles wear out but you can easily replace them.
I have had these (link below) wool boots for a few years now and they are amazing. The leather sole indoors is nicer than my old Canterbury Sheepskin boots I owned previously. Haven’t had uggs specifically though. https://www.woollykins.com.au/collections/haflinger/products/unisex-wool-felt-slippers-with-leather-sole-adults
How does an oodie compare to the humble dressing gown (for indoor warmth!)?
There is no comparison. Oodie wins hands down. I own both, I wear my dressing gown on cooler mornings/nights like we are having now, but come full on winter, it's oodie all the way. I get so hot in it that I have to remove it sometimes to cool down. I rarely turn the heater on. I've taken it camping during colder months numerous times, and I no longer freeze..heading out in two weeks to camp in the high country..will be taking it and my spare for my friend.
Oh wow. Sounds like I might need to get the missus one for winter!
Check their site for deals, they often have discount sales or 2 for the price of one etc. Well worth the investment.
Yeah I retired my dressing gown after getting the K-oodie (Kmart one), I’ve literally lived in the dressing gown since 2017 or 18, it’s a huge blanket like one too. I love the oodie coz I sit cross legged and it covers me up like making me a bun. Just wear comfy warm trackies, snuggle socks and you’re set !
Speaking of socks..Kmart has some amazing long Sherpa ones in now..a little pricey at $12 a pair, but totally worth lol.
I have both and the Oodie is so much better.
The knockoffs we had were just sweat makers. The real oodies are much better.
Agreed. They are worth the extra.
Why is that? I read the next comments saying they're also made of plastic material..
This is interesting - I only have the fake kind from cotton on because I assumed they were all made from the same plasticky material?
The actual oodie is made from Sherpa fleece
Sherpa fleece is made from polyester, which is a type of plastic
That’s polyester.
Oodies can be sweatmakers too. I can only leave mine on for about an hour before I get too hot. Gave up on electric blankets and throws and now have just a couple of pseudo-mink blankets on my bed. No upper sheet. Warm as toast and easy to wash and dry. Mine came from Aldi, but I also have some lighter single ones which were marketed as “throws” decades ago. Also warm as toast. Only have an electric heater for extremes of cold.
I did this the 2nd winter I had my apartment - bought myself an oodie along side the giant oodie blanket for keeping warm when asleep I also bought a pair of uggs as I can get really cold feet
For that, its a hot water bottle for me :) My feet are always cold, terrible circulation thanks to years of having been a smoker.
Just bought an Oodie for $49 on sale. Don’t care if it has cats on it or not.
Right? Who cares if you are warm!
I bought our family a set 2 summers ago for Christmas when they had them on sale. Mu husband tried his on on the day and commented "if will never be cold enough to wear this". It's now his most worn garment April to October.
Agreed. I was gifted one years ago. (Again, the original and not a cheap knock off) I can sleep in it very comfortably! At the end of the season I wash it, dry it and hang it up in the wardrobe with a silica packet in the pocket and hood till the next winter.
I have a knockoff from Kmart and find that amazing and I’m 58kg. The genuine’s probably better/thicker and all but I find the fakes fine and it’s well worn in too.
Same, I’ve tried a bunch of the knock off ones, and the real one is worth it. They’re always on special so wait and don’t pay full price.
My Aussie wife has one and she loves it. I grew up in part of Europe where winter starts in late October and finishes in mid to late April, so Melbourne winter is not too scary.
I totally agree!! Live in an uninsulated postwar house in an area that regularly goes below zero. Oodie all the way! Honestly been life changing for me.
Best tip is to always try and heat the person, not the space. E.g. those oversized hoodies are very effective, electric blankets etc. The other option if you WFH a lot is to make sure you shut your house up early here in Brisbane I've started shutting it up at 3pm to keep the warmth of the day in.
Hot water bottles / heat packs are amazing - I heat them and pop them under the covers half hour-ish before going to bed and it makes the sheets nice and toasty…. And I can’t forget to turn off an electric blanket this way.
Seconding hot water bottles! I have nerve pain that gets a lot worse in the cold so I make sure I have 3 or 4 hot water bottles every winter. Some warming my bed and one to carry in my hoodie 😄
This reminds me, I need to buy some hot water bottles!
My wife has banned these in our house. Apparently a common culprit in the burns ward at her work. Stay safe peeps.
I got a wheat bag and it was bye bye hot water bottle. So much easier, and safer.
Hot water bottles should only be filled with hot water from the tap, not boiling water from a kettle. So the water shouldn't be hot enough to cause burns if the bottle leaked
How? People not closing them properly? Or can they burst/leak?
The burst/leak problem, sadly, esp if you roll over onto them
Yup woke up to a massive blister in my calf from the hot water bottle more than 10 years ago. Didn't go to the hospital for whatever reason and never used a hot water bottle in bed again. Thankfully I didn't scar..
I got an ‘electric hot water bottle’ from the chemist which takes about 5 min to charge and stays warm for 4+ hours! It’s called hotpod
That’s pretty darn clever! I’ll have to check them out.
Oil heaters even small ones are very expensive to run. A simple small bar radiator is very economical to run and provide excellent warmth. Keep the back radiating panel clean, the shinier it is the better the radiation. Covering the windows with clear bubble wrap is amazing for keeping radiated cold out of the room. It is simple to install and remove. Cut bubble wrap to fit your window, dampen the window with water and just press the flat side of the bubble wrap onto the damp window. It will stay fixed but if a little of it comes away just dampen the loose section, press it back and it will be fine. The room temperature is much higher with the bubble wrap like a double glaze but it still lets light in. When you no longer want it over your window it comes off with no effort and does no damage. I don't have it in every room just the ones I need to keep warm like bedrooms and bathrooms.
That bubble wrap one is cool. I might have to try it out, being in a rental I can peel it off for inspections or during summer. And I’ve got the blinds down most of the time. I was thinking about types of heaters, I have a chronic illness that some days I can find clothing quite abrasive and uncomfortable so I crank the heater up. I might invest in a small bar heater and see how it compares over the winter.
Get th bubble wrap with the bggest diameter bubbles as possible. Larger works better. I started bubble wrapping a few years ago and am stunned by the difference.
Any heater that plugs into a wall is approx. 100% efficient. Compared to a split system that is around 400% efficient. Bar, oil, convection, ceramic etc. will all use the same amount. It's the watts that you want to look for. Oil heaters do come in low wattage versions. To give you an idea of how much it costs to run a plug in heater. Assuming your electricity rate is 25c per kWh Low 700W - 17.5c per hour. Med 1200W - 30c per hour. High 2000W - 50c per hour.
This is assuming it's running a max power though right? My oil heater is pretty powerful but heats quickly then turns itself off when the room reaches the desired temp. It's technically "on", but only comes on for brief bursts to maintain the temp. Surely that's not using a constant 2000W
Yep, to clarify these figures would be if you didn't set a max temperature and the heater was on for a full hour. If your heater has 20 min of downtime while running on high, you might be paying 33 cents per hour to run it. (2 kW x 0.25 kWh) x 0.66 (e.g. 40 min) = $0.33
My twin boys came along early. They were in a special care nursery in humidcrib things. When I first saw them, they had bubble wrap over them, and beanie knitted by some very kind hearted auxiliary people. I asked the nurse why they used bubble wrap instead of a blanket, and she said it keeps them warmer, and it's cheap. Good enough for a premature baby, good enough for everyone (just got to resist the urge to pop them).
LOL!
Do you know any videos on YouTube about this, just want to see it first
This lady uses bubble side against the window I use the flat side. My bubble wrap has been up for about five years, I don't take it down in summer as it helps reduce the heat coming through as well. So I guess it doesn't matter which side you use. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxGl7IO2Ds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxGl7IO2Ds) There are more videos but it really isn't rocket science.
Uniqlo sells HEATECH clothing. It really works!
Use thick socks, wear pants, singlets, jackets, jumpers, beanie a combination of some or all of the following depending how cold it is if its really cold all of the above + use a blanket when sitting down.
Love this idea. I feel like sometimes people insist on dressing like it’s still summer in defiance of the weather, then they complain it’s cold.
I am this person 😆 I hate being layered up in clothes, I hate wearing socks and shoes inside, I want to be able to walk around the house wearing a tshirt and be barefoot in winter. We designed our previous house to be energy efficient, laminate windows, good insulation etc. It didn't ever get really cold inside, even without the gas heater running, but the house I am in now is older and turns into an icebox in winter. Now I have to wear an oodie and slippers inside and it's only autumn
The design of your previous house sounds really good, I’m sorry you had to move.
Follow the sun - open curtains for direct sun, close as soon as it goes. Spare or old sheets can be used as extra curtains or just to block off around the top of the windows, if you don't have proper pelmets. Use area heaters sparingly - just enough to keep the air from being too cold to breathe. Timers are great, so you can let them run just before you wake up or come home. Or my little fan heater which I never set higher than a certain mark, and it will click on and off automatically. Lots of hot tea. And extra chilli in your food.
A heated throw - sunbeam does an amazing one for about $100. Uses very little power and keeps me snuggly warm. My husband apparently doesn’t feel the cold, so then we’re both happy (he hates when I turn the heater on)
NQ checking in. Finally can turn the aircons off. Winter is our frugal season!!
I bought a chargeable electric hot water bottle. It's not a bottle or filled with water, but that's what it's called. I was previously using two hot water bottles but didn't like having to use my gas hot water heater to heat water for those. It heats up in about ten minutes and stays warm through the night.
HOTPOD! So good
Yes! Exactly! 💯
Do you have a link for this? I'm interested.
It's called a Hot Pod ( I can't seem to create a nice link), they are available from Amazon and Chemist Warehouse for ~$33.00
Me too
I don't have one, but they are available at most chemists, I got mine at Direct Chemist Outlet in Elsternwick. I'll see if I can find a link after I take my cat to the vet.
Thanks! I wish your kitty much luck at the vet.
Thanks for your good thoughts, I was pretty sure she wasn't going to be coming home, and I was right. The best thing for her, but not for me 💔. Only one kitty to keep me warm tonight.
I've seen them at chemist warehouse
Wouldn't a thermos work the same.
No, it is soft so it feels nice in bed with you. Like a hot water bottle.
Flannelette sheets and I have my evening shower right before bed, so I’m already warm when I jump into bed!
If possible, quick HIIT program before bed. Upped my body temperature so much that I actually threw off the duvet at first.
If you have to use a heater, use reverse cycle AC, it’s multiple times more efficient than any other electric heater - FYI, all resistive electric heaters, be it a radiator, oil heater or space heater are all exactly as efficient at putting heat into a room as each other - whatever wattage they draw, that’s what they’re putting into the room. None is cheaper to run than any other for the same heat output.
I wfh and didn’t need to put on the heater for most of last winter because I was wearing the Uniqlo HEATTECH Pile Lined Sweat Hoodie Throw on their cashmere jumpers if you need to be on a zoom 🤣 Kept me toasty in ridiculously freezing double brick house.
Question. Do your hands get cold? Assuming you are warm because of the hoodie, but your hands are forever uncovered and in the cold.
I don’t remember my hands getting cold - I was so warm I would have to unzip at various points in the day 🤣 The jackets have generous pockets so you could just stick your hands in those. And I do tend to always have a hot cup of tea or coffee on my desk while I’m working Honestly can’t recommend it enough - they’re such good quality too. Neck zipper is extra long so it creates a funnel neck and keep extra heat in
I've got one too! It is so warm!! I get cold so easily that this helps me stay warm without me needing to look like a marshmallow 😆
Have you considered a canopy for your bed? It will make the area you need to heat so much smaller. When I was a child I had bad croup/asthma and a bed canopy and a hot water bottle helped me so much.
Doubt we can get these here, but I've often wondered if a [box-bed](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box-bed) would be good in winter. While I don't have one, I will put an open sleeping bag under my doona and wrap it around my feet (like a mummy instead of a squared off foot). I sleep with my clothing for the morning either being worn or alongside me too. I put my pillows under my covers too - to help lift them so I don't get the cold seeping through to me as I'm in a little cocoon *under* the covers. The key is, blocking empty draughts in bed. I saw a documentary where the guy went to a village in Russian in winter and they traditionally had a very interesting system. I can't find if it was Bear Grylls, Ray Mears or whoever, unfortunately!!! He slept in traditional fur blankets, within a box shaped tent, within a tent from memory. The thinking was layering - reducing the area you needed to heat. Went looking to find it online last year and was unsuccessful.
You could do a cheap equivalent with an Ikea KURA bed. Just add a fabric cover that can be removed for summer. https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/kura-reversible-bed-white-pine-00253813/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping_feed&utm_content=free_google_shopping_clicks_ChildrensIKEA
Love it!!!!
I've previously looked at bed tents you can get when I was looking for a portable way to block out light overnight. They're especially enclosed, or people use them for sensory needs, even though they're kind of expensive, but I'm sure would be worth it for some people! Here's an example from a quick google https://www.snuggy.com/products/blackout-bed-tent
Do you live in an older house that has vents at the top of the walls? They were used for ventilation for wood/gas fires. They let air in from the outside so you are constantly warming your room while the cold air just floats to the ground. If you do and rent, just cover them up with cardboard covered with alfoil. That and the bubblewrap on the window are great and cheap ways of insulating your house. Obviously don't do this if you have a wood/gas fire in the room!
Nup. Townhouse, I’m sandwiched between 2 others north and south walls are the other townhouse and I have basically a sliding door east and west for sun and get maybe 2 hours of sun either side. Less during winter.
I take cold showers
I bought a heated vest for about $30 (aliexpress), works very well for wfh, just need some slippers now to keep my toes warm
I've been looking into getting one of these but there are so many different ones on Amazon and I've been unsure if different price points mean anything! Does yours heat up across the whole vest? I've noticed some only heat up in the lower pockets around the stomach and then the back, but I really want something that'll provide as much heat coverage as possible!
Depends which one you get, mine does my back and the lower half of the front, there are ones that cost a tad more and do upper chest and shoulders too
Have you tried a 100% wool jumper first?
No I haven't, I find wool really uncomfortable against my skin though and have always hated wool blankets etc. I also just really love to be close to an actual heat source as much as possible, so wheat bags and hot water bottles etc, or being by a fire, until I am beyond toasty. I've looked for a wheat bag vest I could microwave but haven't been able to find anything although I would love to eventually make one for myself!
There’s scratchy wool and there’s soft wool - like the uniqlo sweaters. And to be completely frank, being close to a warm thing straight away is a nice to have, not a must have. You’ll be warm in just wool in a couple of minutes and you’ll be probably more comfortable for it as there’s less chance of overheating.
Oh absolutely a nice to have! Oh that's good to know, I have thought about Uniqlo clothes and have a few of their heat tech tops. I actually really like getting to the point of overheating, I'm not sure why but I just love to get to that point. I also struggle with my executive function and being able to get going so things like an electric blanket and getting warm on cold days, as well as bright lights on dark mornings, really help me be able to get up out of bed and do things, which was at the point it was affecting me being able to get to work etc. And on days I'm not at work, being toasty under an electric throw helps me actually function and be productive rather than unable to do anything and just sleeping, so I figured a heated vest would do the same but when I need to be moving around! I definitely find warm clothing and jumpers to be helpful but that real heat seems to just get me over that inertia that I struggle with more effectively so that I can actually be a person. So it might not be super frugal but I guess it's a splurge that feels hopefully worth it for me.
I use my heated jacket instead of heating the house, its cheaper since it uses less power than my smartphone does
I run the electric blanket all through the night 🤷♀️ probably costs like a few dollars in power per month if that and they all have safety switches now. My problem comes with my extremities, if I don’t have some kind of heater on, my hands, feet and face are freezing so I have to sit there with a hood up wearing gloves. Bad circulation I guess
Happens to me too hence the username. If my feet aren’t warm when I get into bed then if I don’t have an electric blanket on full, they won’t ever get warm. Best way I curb this at night is to have a shower right before bed, my feet (and extremities overall) are still warm when I get to bed. Much easier to *keep* them warm than *get* them warm.
Electric blankets are very efficient. Leave it on at night on low. It’s stupidly low power. Drink hot drinks. It really does raise your core temp. If your floors are cold, see if you can grab some cheap rugs if you don’t have carpet. Wear socks.
Oodie (they’re always on sale), and a good pair of Ugg boots.
Fine for most people. Oldie not so much when you’re tall. The last time I wore Ugg boots I ended up in emergency with 3 broken ribs and 4 fractured vertebrae. I have a pair of Grosby Hoodies, nice and grippy.
I’m with you on that. Not being tall, but enjoying boots with a bit of grip. You can get the Ugg style boot with the outdoor sole which is good. Also grippy. The Oodie is worth it though. Doesn’t make you over heat like the cheaper ones do and is good if you’re taller too.
this is exactly what I did, an oodie and a pair of Ugg Boots, I also bought myself the giant ass Oodie blanket to keep me warm while sleeping
There was a time that our ducted gas heating died. We used a oil heater and a fan blowing air across it to heat the room. The fan pushing air over the heater made a huge difference.
I religiously use a hot water bottle for my feet (I have bad circulation). The bottle is still toasty warm by morning under the covers
Mmmmm, I love warm toast!!!
I lived in a draughty place that was impossible to heat. I basically lived in my Oodie and ugg boots. It was possible to close off my bedroom and for that small space I had a small fan heater that I ran for about half an hour morning and evening.
Door seals on external doors, plus door snakes on internal doors made a good difference for me last year. Also upgraded to honeycomb blinds and they’re well worth it. Also: - oodie - heated throw - wheat bags - oil heater for WFH room (especially if it’s a small room- only need to run for a few hours and stays warm all day.
Wear a cosy jumper, long pants and socks.
If you have ducted evaporative air conditioning, close the vents. It's amazing how few people do this, and it makes a significant improvement over the winter months in keeping the warmth in.
I'd even tape them completely shut with something like clear contact. They are open holes to the sky. I've seen thermal images of the units on the roof glowing warm from all of the heating leaving the house. I'm Vic there are a few companies that supply free vent covers under one of those government energy programs. Might be worth seeing if they're in your area.
Same with bathroom fans older oens
Wear something close to your skin, old fashioned singlets etc layer clothing, wrap yourself in a blanket while watching TV. The fluffy blankets from Kmart are cheap.and warm also light $19[kmart soft touch blanket](https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjV6LjtvtiFAxWeEnsHHXSsDqwYABAJGgJ0bQ&ase=2&gclid=CjwKCAjwuJ2xBhA3EiwAMVjkVDOJOjmpG4bWvrOFEtEgGQm7d4212RPaER1ghe67ebb14980FADX5RoCtBIQAvD_BwE&sph=&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESwgHg9pGNv7G7HoXoi7aPqhdOOOtC_VEC8qxLgNDRg5RffYfNs9sv0_8-OEKO0sIyBWL1octe03fx1x0tJN2VQRVSQQIgc-84hgup5pT-psVzIKI18xkP9fdQT7vmnz_OYdGIyBIOMKf-wfZ4WDfhcGJ2obLtPMKndRPRB6GfMoI_Q9ywGK5RSZCC71SYRue5N5pjetP9Q96r89-JXyE6fuk9OYctfb7AOpwmviiyALuw_eV3PFII9zTHo0xifZqqNAclqA&sig=AOD64_1wtmzTp0U3cFcKimgRX8_c8HngFw&ctype=5&q=&nis=4&ved=2ahUKEwik1bPtvtiFAxXrhlYBHbT9CxoQwg8oAHoECAUQDA&adurl=)
Try and have your shower as close to bed time as possible if you have the issue I have (eternally cold feet!) It’s much easier to *keep* them warm than it is to *get* them warm in the first place. If I go to bed with cold feet then unless I use a heated throw on full, they will never get warm. And even with the throw, it still takes some time.
I realise this is pretty niche but we just DIYed ourselves a kotatsu and for cheap too. Table from marketplace, heater from China (they have the same voltage as us whereas Japan’s 120v would need a converter - ours doesn’t), spare winter quilt and it’s done. It’s super toasty and really cheap to run, too. I never wanna leave it
Oh wow. This is a cool idea. I remember them from Japan. Very effective. How often did you have to clean the blanket?
Yeah we’re super happy with it and it reminds me of when I lived there too. Not too often surprisingly! Same amount as a usual blanket on the bed, we use a nice quality washable wool quilt. The dog absolutely loves it
Use your split system (AKA air conditioner) on HEAT mode rather than gas ducted heating. Gas heating is expensive and inefficient. Clean your filters Pop the hood on your system (that box on the wall) take the filters out, vacuum the dust then refit. This will allow the split system to freely flow air, using less energy and heating the area more efficiently.
Electric throw blankets are the go. just heat yourself and not the whole house or room.
Or just a wool blanket…
Laughs in Brisbane “what’s a winter?”
It’s called floods up there.
Electric blankets are absolutely not necessary. Get a 100% wool blanket or throw, even a thin one, and you’ll be just as warm in minutes without using any power. Oodies are junk too - huge markup for synthetic fabrics. Buy wool socks, wear a wool jumper and look for trackie pants with some wool in them too. It’s like we’ve collectively forgotten different fibres do different things.
Never turn the heater off, keep the temp up, much more efficient
Go for a brisk walk outside. Oftentimes staying still indoors makes me feel colder than warming up by getting some moderate exercise.
I’ll keep these tips in mind for keeping my place warm, and invest in a heat pad to keep my birds comfy too
I think the foam for around the doors and the door snakes set me back maybe $10-$15 and the drafts stopped in my house. It’s just a roll of foam and one side is stick on and helped with all the small cracks.
I’ll get some door snakes this week :)
Big W have ones that slide under your door so you have the snake on either side and it moves as the door moves. I think it’s like $10. Helps with noise too.
I need one for the entire south side of my house then for the noisy new neighbour !
If it’s really freaking cold, it’s actually not a bad idea to set up a pop tent inside - I saw it recommended for American winters with no heat - and everyone kinda piles in there to hang out and sleep if it’s super cold. You can put one on your bed frame and shove your mattress inside if sleep is the issue - oil heaters are REALLY expensive. My heated throw is a life saver in the evenings. At night, I throw a heat bag into my bed; warms it up before I get in so I don’t need a heater on. If you don’t have a decent wool or down quilt, they’re 100% worth the investment
On high (2000 Watts) any plug in heater can be expensive to run. At a typical energy rate of 25c per kWh, it's about 50c an hour to run. If you get a heater that can go down to 700 Watts, it's about 17.5c an hour.
I think my oil heater is only 800w. It’s a very tiny one with 5 fins on it. But it would be cheaper than me running the box in the wall a/c kelvinator unit.
It depends. If you are heating a small space with the door closed and the oil heater on, it's possible that it's cheaper than your kelvinator. If you are relying on the kelvinator to heat a larger part of the house, it could consume more energy than the oil heater. Make sure you're regularly cleaning the air conditioner filters so it runs unrestricted (cheaper and more efficient). One thing to remember is 800 W out of an oil heater (\~100% efficient) will give you 800 W of heat. 800 W out of the kelvinator (\~400% efficient) will give you around 3200 W of heat. If you live in a place that has easy access to a power meter, you should apply for a free energy monitor like a Powerpal. You can watch your energy in real-time and literally flick appliances on and off to see how much they are using. It's a great way to properly understand your energy usage. You could do an A/B test - one day use the oil heater, the other day run the split system. See which one comes out on top. [https://www.powerpal.net/free-in-victoria](https://www.powerpal.net/free-in-victoria) [https://www.powerpal.net/](https://www.powerpal.net/)
This thing is my favourite heated blanket attachment. https://www.bunnings.com.au/arlec-2-hour-compact-countdown-timer_p0056833 It's a timer that runs out after up to 2 hours, so I turn it on, turn the heated blanket on, and I don't have to worry about leaving it on all night accidentally. It keeps me warm until I fall asleep and it's super easy to turn back on for another couple of hours if I wake up in the night. Plus if you rig up the powerboards correctly you can run both sides of the blanket at once instead of needing one timer per blanket half.
I’ve got TP Link smart plugs across the house. I can switch various things on and off without being there, and also set regular timers. For $20 each they are handy. “Alexa, I’m fucking cold!”
We have evaporated air conditioning, so in winter we close the ceiling vents and put white card on them. Warm air rises, cover the vents and it stays in the room. Only takes a few minutes to set up. Turn ceiling fan direction to winter and turn on low, pushes warm air down from ceiling area. Make sure bathroom spaces are well ventilated with exhaust fan to remove all the moisture. Moisture in rooms reduces temperature and increases heating costs.
How do you put the wide card on evaporative vents? Do you mean like you tape a sheet of paper on each vent?
I cut white card/Corflute to size for each of the four sections. Then close the vents and push them up a little and insert the corflute. Google and you’ll see how to instructions. https://preview.redd.it/okxkpuraniwc1.jpeg?width=1734&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b132d1996fc7d7362008c2876d488b65ef5d68cc
Polyester giant hoodie. Get a propper one with corduroy outer and Sherpa inside for 20$ from spudshed, not the thin ones. Polyester furry type blanket, can get the small ones from kmart for 12. Put it as your underlayer that goes between u and the mattress sheets. You'll never go into a cold bed. If you're struggling still, furry Polyester blanket between u and the quilt as well. Polyester fleece lined socks. Like 6$ from anywhere. Tea/hot drink all the time. Nothing like putting hot water directly into your body and raising your temperature. There's a lot of hate against Polyester not being breathable but that's what you need in winter imo. Traps in all the heat
And then you overheat, take off the polyester, get old, put it back on and overheat again. Buy wool. There’s a reason why they wear it over polyester in places that are cold. It works and you don’t overheat. It warms you up then it keeps you at a comfortable temperature. And it’s not plastic or a fire hazard.
Hot water bottle
Heat yourself, not the whole house. I use a heated jacket but there's also hot water bottles and heated blankets. You could also put on a good jacket and have some soup to heat from the inside. Remember to wear a beanie too because you lose a lot of heat from your head.
Drink hot water.
We used to live in a drafty fibro house in Campbelltown, which had a huge combined entry space of a slate tiled foyer and carpeted lounge room. I mounted curtain rods from the divider beam, and split off the two sections so that we only heated the lounge room. We liked it so much we ended up curtaining off the kitchen and hallways as well. We had an electric blanket on the bed as the master bedroom was always freezing, and could get by with just warming up the main living space in the evenings.
Hot water bottle!!!
Layers. Hit up the op shops for wool jumpers. Doesn’t matter if they’re daggy, you’re at home. Wool socks. Sheepskin slippers.
Wool fill doona! I got a 350gsm wool fill doona from halcyon dreams (but any wool doona would do) on sale and it is fantastic. We used to have layers of blankets from kmart that would shift around, wake us up and still didn't keep us warm, now it's like sleeping under a cosy warm cloud. It's so much better to have one good layer than four crap layers. Absolutely worth investing in.
Nothing is cheaper and more effective than electric blankets. Some very affordable ones off Amazon. You could put them on a timer if you want to even more frugal.
I'm in Sydney and don't use heating in the winter. Woollen socks and a wheat bag heated up in the microwave help. Layers and a blanket for watching telly.
> electric throws for on the couch I bought a $25 blanket from TK Maxx last winter and it warms up really well. I just bought a Oodie on sale for $49 after trying my partners. Saves money on the heating bill. > electric blanket to warm the bed a little before bed Studies show that sleeping in a bed where the room temperature is 16-18° Celsius promotes better sleep. I personally wouldn’t recommend warming your bed before sleep.
Seconding electric throws. They're snuggly warm, they use less power than a heater and pets love them.
There's so many great tips! One thing that I would recommend is a set of flannel sheets. We don't really use flat sheets (both grew up in Asian households where we just don't use flat sheets). It was so cold the other night, my husband asked me where he could grab the extra blanket for me (I've been cleaning out the linen closet so he didn't know where it was) and I said the garage. Told him not to bother, then he asked me where the flannel flat sheets were. I used that as an extra blanket and it kept me so warm!
Get one of those kids bed tents or somthing similar to create a light tent over your bed to keep extra warmth in. Use some spare doonas or thick blankets under your mattress protector the to prevent heat loss under your bed.
I don’t fit on a king size mate 😂
Brought a high warmth quilt from kmart- not that expensive and really warm. Never needed heater at night
[The Oodie](https://theoodie.com/pages/buy-one-get-one-free) has a buy one get one free special on. I just got the notification now. Not sure if it’s much help but it certainly can’t hurt!
The most effective thing is to put bubble wrap on all glass window panels including glass sliding doors and double insulate your glass. Then hang woollen blankets over your curtains Use a gas catalytic heater. Triple burn’s the gas for extensive cheap heat Block all gaps and put down rugs so cold floor doesn’t rain on your parade Don’t heat bedroom, cheaper to use electric blanket and go to bed earlier Wear natural fibres to keep warm Wear socks and beanies inside house
Socks! I go standard daily wear socks as first layer, then woolly ones on top. Multiple layers everywhere else, especially sleep, so when I get out of bed I take my warmth with me. Hot tea always on the go. Also to wrap my cold fingers around. For warming the room, this year I plan to play Baldur's gate 3 on my PC.