Want to lower your costs and put a little more breathing room in your budget? Check out this mega-list of 30 ways to save money this winter!
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Do you like to save money? (Hello… who doesn’t??) The colder months can bring some hefty bills, so let’s talk about how to lower them. Today, I’m tackling three of the biggest budget busters – energy, fuel, and food – and giving money-saving tips for each of them. If you’d like to lower your costs and put a little more breathing room in your budget, check out this mega-list of 30 ways to save money this winter!
Winter Energy-Saving Tips
Follow the tips below to save on energy costs during the winter months. (And be sure to bookmark this post to learn how to lower your energy consumption and save on utility costs this summer!)
Immediate Savings
Here are some steps to take that will provide immediate energy cost savings this winter:
Understand your heating system AND utility pricing structures.
Knowing how your home is heated will help you make more informed decisions about your energy use. You can ask your technicians or other experts for recommendations on servicing and improving system efficiency.
Knowing how you are billed is important, too. For example, if your electric company uses a peak-demand pricing structure, you’ll want to avoid peak use times and days. If they use demand metering, you’ll want to stagger your energy use and avoid using multiple large appliances (ex: dryers, ovens, dishwashers) at the same time.
Lower your thermostat a few degrees.
It’s amazing how much of a difference a few degrees can make! The U.S. Department of Energy recommends a winter setting of 68 degrees during waking hours, and lower while you are asleep or away.
Here are a few tips for staying warm without turning up your heat:
- Bundle up in layers
- Cozy up with a blanket
- Work out at home
- Drink a hot beverage or eat a warm meal
- Cuddle up with family members or pets
- Stay in the warmest room of the house
- Leave the oven door open after baking
Turn down your water heater.
Many water heaters are set higher than they need to be. Turning down your water heater from 140 degrees to 120 can lead to an energy savings of 4% to 22%, according to the Department of Energy.
Seal air leaks.
Ensure your windows and doors are properly sealed to help prevent cold air from entering your home. Applying weatherstripping, caulking gaps, and covering windows are all effective ways to winterize your home and conserve energy.
Inspect your air ducts.
Leaky HVAC ducts are a big culprit of energy inefficiency in the winter. Seal joints and intersections with foil-backed tape or silicone caulking to reduce your energy use and save money this winter.
Use Your Ceiling Fan.
It’s counterintuitive, I know, but ceiling fans can actually help you stay warmer in the winter. Reverse the motor in the ceiling fan so it rotates clockwise, and run it at low speed. This will pull the cool air from the room up and push the warm air from the ceiling down. It won’t raise the temperature of the room, but it will help you feel warmer.
Use your curtains strategically.
Open your home’s curtains during the day to let the sun in, but close them at night to help keep out the cold air from the windows. (Consider buying insulated curtains for more energy-saving potential!)
And, of course, continue following year-round energy-saving tips, such as:
- Turn off and unplug appliances and electronics when not in use.
- Replace older light bulbs with LED bulbs.
- Remove obstructions, such as furniture, away from vents and registers.
Long-Term Savings
Here are some steps you can take that require an initial investment, but will pay off in winter energy-savings in the long-run:
Install a programmable thermostat.
Take all the guesswork (and “oops, I forgot!” errors) out of efficiently heating your home with a programmable thermostat. Investing in one now will return significant energy cost savings in the future.
Properly insulate your home.
Ensure your attic and crawl spaces have sufficient insulation. An inadequately insulated attic can cause a house to lose a significant amount of heat, so install new insulation or look for leaks in or around existing insulation to save money on your winter energy bills.
Change your air filters every three months.
Dirty filters can reduce airflow, making your heating system work harder and take longer to heat your home. Changing them regularly will keep air flowing smoothly and your heating system functioning at optimal levels.
Make energy-efficiency home improvements.
Consider getting a professional energy audit (pro tip: many utility companies offer this for free!) The experts will be able to pinpoint possible places to improve your energy-efficiency and tell you exactly what needs upgrading, sealed, and/or repaired. Make the suggested home improvements and swap out appliances for energy-efficient models as you are able. (Check with your utility company to see if they offer any rebates for energy-efficiency upgrades – many do!)
Replace old windows and doors.
If you have significantly drafty windows and doors, it might be worth the money in the long-run to replace them over time. Depending on the condition of your current ones, it may not take long to recoup your costs in energy savings!
Save Money on Gas This Winter
Follow these tips to increase your fuel-efficiency and save money on gas this winter!
Combine your errands and trips.
It takes your vehicle longer in cold weather to get up to its most fuel-efficient temperature. Combining trips and errands saves it from having to warm up multiple times a day, as it won’t completely cool between stops.
Check your tire pressure.
Winter temperatures can cause changes in tire pressure, which can hurt your fuel efficiency and wear out your tires. Help your vehicle get its maximum fuel-efficiency possible (and prolong the life of your tires) by keeping an eye on your tire pressure.
Park in the garage, if possible.
Parking in a garage will keep your engine warmer, reducing the amount of time needed for it to warm to a fuel-efficient temperature.
Don’t let your vehicle idle for long periods.
Most manufacturers are now saying that letting your car idle for 10 minutes or more before driving in the winter is outdated (and unnecessary) advice. They’re now recommending drivers wait about 30 seconds after turning on the engine, and then slowly driving away to warm the engine gradually without wasting fuel.
Winter Money-Saving Grocery Tips
Follow these tips to save money on groceries this winter:
Buy seasonal (or frozen) produce
Sure, it’s nice to be able to eat whatever fruits and veggies we want whenever we want them (we’ve gotten spoiled that way!), but it’s also significantly more expensive. You can save a considerable amount of money simply by sticking with what’s in season (or frozen versions of your favorites). And trust me – it’ll make those spring and summer foods taste all the better for having to wait for them!
Lean into soup season!
Soups are great for saving money, because they’re extremely versatile (you can use what you have on hand), they can be easily and cheaply stretched for larger crowds or additional meals, and you can use a slow-cooker or Instant Pot, which use less energy than the oven or stove.
Related Post: 15 Favorite Simple Soup Recipes
Make your own baked goods
I always do more baking in the winter, since, unlike in the summer, I don’t mind heating up my oven. Plus, we’re typically home/inside more often AND it’s just so comforting during those dreary winter days! So, I make the most of the season by making more of our baked goods from scratch.
Preserve food in the summer to use in the winter
While I realize this doesn’t help you now, growing a garden and preserving food this summer will help you save money on food next winter.
Follow these year-round tips for saving money on food:
- Cook from scratch as much as is feasible for you and your family.
- Plan your meals around sales and what you have on hand.
- Simplify your meals.
- Use simple ingredients (and substitute items you don’t have on hand).
- Stock up at sale prices and buy in bulk.
- Learn how to prepare cheaper cuts of meat.
- Use small appliances, such as slow cookers, Instant Pots, air fryers, and toaster ovens.
SHARE WITH US: Do you have other tips for saving money in the winter? Share them in the comments below!
More Money-Saving Tips:
- 7 Ways to Save Energy At Home This Summer
- 50 Ways to Repurpose Leftovers: Waste Less, Save More!
- 8 Simple Ways to Save Serious Cash
- 25 Pantry Meals You Can Make With What You Have on Hand
- 25 Meatless Meals (That Aren’t Pasta)
Share your thoughts!