Seasonal Savings

[Fern]

Most of us do not look forward to paying for heating oil with the arrival of cooler weather, but to put a positive spin on things, what ways can you save in the winter months? For me:

* No more shelling out $30 a week to the guy who mows my lawn! Found money, yes!

* Cooler temps usually mean low humidity, so i can turn the dehumidifier in my basement OFF and save on electricity.

* No need for A/C or fans, obviously, tho i only run my AC on extremely hot and humid days.

* i dont' have to race home from the supermarket (lower gas mileage) with a trunk full of groceries. In the cold months, i take my time! (OK, that's a stretch, but i thought i'd put in here there.)

[pearlieq]

I love September/October/November because I'm not paying huge heating OR A/C bills. The ambient temperature in the house is usually fine. There's only a couple of month a year, but it's nice to enjoy while it lasts!

[LuxLiving]

Our sugar consumption goes down from making iced tea most days during the year but we more than make up for that with consuming warm drinks like hot cocoa, hot apple cider or coffee!

Less canned pop & snack foods bought for outdoor activities such as going to the lake or picnicing.

[getforfree]

Our juice consumption goes down during cold weather, because we drink more hot tea then. Tea is much cheaper and we don't even pur sugar in it, we do only if we give it to kids when we are out of juice.

September, october, part of november---- than April and May, no AC or heat.

I am going to mow my lawn one more time, probably tomorrow, and then that's it until spring. Saving some gasoline. It's maybe only less than $1/week, but it also saves me about 1 hour every week.

Disadvantages of cold weather, except for the heat cost is that I won't be able to hang my laundry outside, maybe only on some days with no rain. We will also have more laundry, because we will have to wear socks, pants instead of shorts, sweaters-- and that takes more space in the laundry machine.

[PrincessPerky]

I can stop fighting how hot my house gets when I bake!
(I love to bake, and in mid summer, that makes the AC work harder...not so good)

[Ima saver]

We don't pay anone to cut grass, but it does save on having to pay for gas for the mower. My electric bill will go way down. (of course my heat bill will go up)
However, I don't like the fact that it gets dark so early, so I will want to eat out even more.

[PRICEPLUS]

A/C is off. The water bill goes down. Christmas spending can be a problem if I am not careful!

[Bookie]

Cooler weather does bring opportunities for saving.

No A/C use in the car has a significant impact on my gas mileage.

Also, I stay home more in inclement weather -- less driving and less exposure to spending opportunities.

Being home, I'm inclined to focus more on my living environment. Usually this will mean books and music collections are culled and the discards are often sold. I always find things I've forgotten about in closets and pantry. The old seems new again and at no added cost.

All this cleaning, culling, and reorganization gives me a welcome sense of achievement. Feeling good about myself, I'm happier, and that without the expense of mental health care or chemical mood enhancers.

I tend to make more one-dish meals, stews and casseroles, which means I have leftovers. I also draw more on the pantry for ingredients, thriftily using up what I have on hand.

And since I'm cooking anyway, I'm inclined to entertain more at home. Cost effective company.

Cooler weather also brings the holiday season. Because I'm alone, people assume I'm dolefully bereft of opportunities for festive cheer. So . . . I get invited, fed, feted and sent home with "something for later on." My grocery bill goes way down in December.

.