Winterizing your home doesn't have to be an expensive endeavor. It doesn't even have to take a lot of time. Today, I've gleaned for you the best advice on the web regarding weather-proofing. Here are nine ways to prepare your home for cold weather in one afternoon.
[InvestingAnswers Feature: Stay Warmer and Richer With These 6 Winterizing Tips]
1. Grab a roll of packing tape and seal cracks inside your home around the door, windows and floor boards. It is easiest to find and seal the leaks if you work on a windy day. No need to buy a specific winterizing product; regular packing tape will serve you well as long as the surface is dry.
2. Insulate basement pipes with a sheath of foam. A pair of scissors will cut through the foam for smaller sections and corners. The foam rolls come in four-packs at your local hardware store and require no extra parts. Just pop 'em onto your pipes. Without this added layer of insulation, your water heater is working overtime to heat water that will already have cooled off before it gets to your shivering body.
3. Buy sheets of plastic and double-sided tape from the hardware store and make a cheapo version of a double- or triple-paned window. These actually work! Plus, you get to use your hair dryer to melt plastic. These transparent sheets create a warm slot of air in between you and your drafty window. The real problem is how to install them without getting into a fight with your spouse.
4. One item Savvy Money recommends to ready for winter is not something I've seen anywhere else: prepare emergency supplies. A winter storm is as capable of knocking out your power as a summer hurricane or tornado. Why not stock up on canned goods and other essential emergency supplies? I created an emergency kit for $22 with one trip to the 99 Cent Store. It's easier than you think!
5. The four tips to save on winter heating costs posted on CNNMoney include estimates for how much each step costs and how soon you'll recoup your money. Plus, how cool are programmable home thermostats that you can adjust from the office if you have to work late?
6. Let's cut to the chase. Of these long lists of chores, which tasks can you skip? The writer of Free Money Finance confesses that he doesn't do everything he's supposed to do to prepare his home for winter.
7. Bobbi at BargainBabe.com suggests imitating Scrooge and wearing a hat at night, among five other easy steps to save in cold weather. You'll save money and get in the holiday spirit all in one!
8. Wise Bread has its own winter prep to-do list, including the much-dreaded chore of removing window screens and installing storm windows. The dollar savings are worth every drop of sweat! I'd rather take their advice to time my cooking and baking so that the oven heats the house.
9. Still energized to prep your home for winter? Jim at Bargaineering has a winter checklist with 10 easy things to look into to save money on winter heating costs that pretty much covers it all.
