Guest Blogger: Saving Money On Your Heating Bill

I'm excited to have our Guest Blogger today to share some valuable tips for winter weather. We've have swapped blogs today and you can find my post here about ways you can save money by using lemons.

Depending on where you live in the country, you could be facing a few more months of winter. There's still time to make quick changes to help you stay warmer in your home and to keep your heat bill down.

First, make some adjustments in your home:

• Are there any air leaks around windows or doors? Put up some weather stripping or clear plastic window coverings from a home improvement store.
• If you have a fireplace but never use it, close the damper and cover the exterior part of the fireplace with plastic window covering. If your fireplace is like mine, you'll see the plastic move in and out with the wind, but the air won't get through.
• Roll up a beach towel and place at the base of your exterior doors if there's an air leak or if it just feels cold. If you have an area rug near the door, try placing that against the drafts. This could be a short-term fix, or you could consider buying weatherstripping to improve the seal.
• Keep closet doors closed when not in use. Why heat a storage room?
• Experiment with keeping bathroom doors closed, as well as unused rooms, to see if the rest of your house feels warmer for it.
• In unused rooms during the day (like bedrooms) keep the blinds and drapes closed to keep the heat in and the cold out.
• Feel the air near electrical outlets on your exterior walls. Do you feel a draft coming in the electrical holes? If so, consider getting plastic baby-proofing electrical covers. You can also purchase inexpensive foam plates to mount behind the outlet to add insulation.
• If you have ceiling fans, be sure they are switched to pulling air up, rather than blowing down as you'd have it do in the summer.
• Is your attic well-insulated? If you need to add insulation, be sure to check up on federal energy tax credits you can receive for this expense.

For every 1 degree you lower your thermostat, you could expect to save roughly 1% off your heat bill, according the US Department of Energy. If you lower your thermostat while you are away from home or while you're asleep, your savings will grow even more. Try to keep your heat as low as you can tolerate, while still keeping comfortable. Your body should be able to adjust to the lower temperature soon. Here's some ideas to make the switch a little more comfortable.

Have you ever had your kids complain that they were cold, only to see that they were wearing shorts and a t-shirt? Silly gooses! Around here, we wear:

• Long pants, long sleeves, and usually a sweater or sweatshirt.
• Socks or slippers.
• I like to wear scarves around the house. Just a little bit of fabric goes a long way to keep warm.
• Cuddle up with a cozy throw blanket.
• Wear a vest to add warmth without bulk.

If the chill just won't leave, try these things before cranking up the thermostat.

• Make a mug of hot tea, coffee or cocoa. Cradle the mug in your hands while you sip -- don't set it down. Let it infuse you with its warmth.
• Wash some dishes by hand. The warm water over your hands ought to make you feel warmer fast.
• Get moving! Run the vacuum, pick up some clutter, fold laundry. All tasks that need completed, and usually getting your body moving will help you feel warmer.
• Bake something. Dinner, cookies, whatever! When you're finished with the oven, leave the door cracked a little to let the heat escape into the room. Obviously, this won't work if you have pets or small children who could hurt themselves.
• Make a rice sock. Take any old sock, fill with uncooked rice, and tie the end off in a knot. Heat the sock in your microwave for around 60 seconds. Hold it in your hands, put it on your feet, or wherever you need extra warmth. This trick is also great if you want to warm up your bed before getting in at night.
• If you're still too cold, get out of your house for awhile. Run errands, do some work at the library or a coffee shop, or visit friends. Warm up on someone else's heat bill :).

Kacie blogs at Sensetosave.com, where she writes about her family's personal finance. She's always on the lookout for new ways to save money, spend better, and invest for the future. She hopes to teach her 3-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter that a penny saved is better than a penny earned.