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Winterizing Your Home on a Budget- Week 2

Winterizing Your Home on a Budget
Week 2


Winter has arrived and trying to keep your home warm is quite the challenge.  If you are not planning
on how to heat your home efficiently then you are planning on failing at the job.  
Just think about it. If you are heating your home to 70 degrees and it is 20 degrees outside then you
will be heating the outside and your furnace will run non-stop resulting in higher heating bills and
wear and tear on your furnace.  
This series is geared towards simple things you can do to help eliminate heat from escaping and
keep your heating bills in check while on a budget.  
This week’s focus is on your Windows and Doors.  
Check your doors seal (where the door meets the frame) by running your hand around the door to
see if there is a draft.  If you find one, no worries- it is easily and cheaply fixed. You can purchase
foam weatherstripping at your local hardware store.   
Talk with your local hardware store staff for help with the size so that the seal is solid.  It is easy to
install and very effective. I found weatherstripping tape for $4.18 at my local store, so it is easily
within budget.
The base of outside doors, basement and/or attic doors may also have a draft coming through.  I
have used a draft snake/draft dodger for years to block the cold air draft in these areas. This is an
easy DIY craft and here are a link to how to make one yourself.  


If this is outside of your budget, then you could also use old towels rolled up and placed in front of
the doors.  
If you have an extreme draft coming from the base of our outside door, then a door stopper can be
used.  This can be purchased on amazon or a local hardware store for $16.99.
Lock all of your doors and windows that lead outside.  This will create a tighter seal keeping more
warm air in and reduce heating bills.

Insulate your basement windows.  We have old windows in our home and the basement gets a little
cold in the winter.  I found this idea on Blessed Beyond Crazy and thought it was fabulous. Cut
insulation to size and hold it in place with a Styrofoam board to prevent drafts from coming
in and help to save money on energy costs.


Wrap your windows in plastic.  I know it sounds tacky but believe me it works great.  We lived in an
apartment on the 7th floor and the wind was intense, but once we installed the plastic wrap our
apartment was warmer and much more comfortable.  It also saved us on our heating bill. I always
look for sales at the end of season in preparation for the following year.

Before we moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio, we had just purchased new windows the year before
and noticed a significant difference in the warmth of the house.  Now our new home is much larger
than our home in Pennsylvania, but the windows are older and I feel a draft coming in. No worries- I
know what to do. I hung blinds and curtains.  The house did come with some blinds and curtains,
but not every window was taken care of. I used what I had and am working towards making new
ones for this home. Now this tip is especially important if you have older windows.  
If you have any suggestions on how to maintain your furnace’s efficiency, please leave a comment
below.  

Hit the subscribe button and never miss a post.  There are more tips to come for winterizing your
home.  
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