Winter is a beautiful time of year. The snow and the holiday decorations coming up can make almost any town look picturesque. But for people who are financially challenged, winter can be harsh. The cold can weaken your immune system and leave you vulnerable to illness.
This is why it’s important to take preventative measures to make sure that you don’t fall victim to the cold. After all, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Here are a couple of suggestions to help you pull through.
Shelter is Key
It’s important to make sure that your house is well insulated. Do a thorough inspection of your home, because any holes in the roof or cracks in the walls are potential places for heat to escape. When you’re trying to save money, turning up the thermostat can get pretty expensive. That’s why it’s important to make sure that as much heat stays in as possible.
It would be wise to hire a roof repair service if you do find any holes in it. Moisture can enter through the holes and cause more damage to your ceiling, and drive the cost of maintenance up even higher. It might cost you a bundle now, but it will save you money and headaches in the long run.
Keep Warm
Make sure that your house’s heating system is working correctly. If it’s not performing up to par, it’s best to have it fixed instead of just dealing with the cold. It might cost you a bit more money than you’d want to spend, but the comfort and safety a good heating system can provide can save you more than you spent.
It’s also a good idea to invest in good quality winter clothes. While it can be tempting to just buy cheaper clothes, it’s worth it to buy something a little pricier that’s guaranteed to be of good quality. This can sound counterproductive from a frugal point of view. But not needing to replace your winter wear season after season because you bought the good stuff right away will save you money in the long run.
Good Nutrition is Important
Daylight hours are shorter during winter, and you’re less likely to go outside because of the cold. This can potentially lead to a deficiency of vitamin D. If your diet doesn’t give you enough vitamin D through your food, then you need to supplement it somehow. Adding more fruit to your diet, or drinking vitamin supplements can help deal with any nutritional deficiencies.
If you neglect your diet during the winter, your immune system might get weaker and make you more vulnerable to disease. If you get really unlucky and catch something serious, that can cost you a small fortune in medical bills especially if you don’t have health insurance.
Stay Active
While it might be more difficult to work up a sweat, it’s still important to stay active during the winter. Exercise can help alleviate boredom and keep you strong and healthy. Staying active can also help you avoid putting on those extra holiday pounds.
If you aren’t the kind of person that enjoys exercising, then you can still be active by doing chores around the house. This keeps you moving, and has the added benefit of keeping your home nice and clean.
Winterize Your Vehicle
Snow and sleet can make the roads treacherous during winter. Make sure that your vehicle has snow-ready tires that can deal with the extra slipperiness. If you haven’t gotten a tune-up yet, it might be worth it. Winter can be difficult on your vehicle, so it’s vital that you make sure that it’s in good working order to avoid any accidents.
Given the extra danger of winter driving, it’s best that you adopt a more defensive style of driving in the meantime. No matter how competent a driver you are, you can’t control the other people on the road. Just assume that everyone else on the road is trying to get you, and you’ll find yourself driving safer than ever.
Be Prepared
Power outages can be brutal in the winter. It would be good to keep a first aid kit and an emergency bag just to be safe. It should have power banks, canned food, and heat packs if you can manage to get them. Try to stock at least enough emergency supplies to last a couple of days in case you get snowed in during the winter.
Make sure that you have easy access to everything you need so that you can avoid those inconvenient moments where you realize you need something, but you’ve left it just out of reach. Have the tools you need to dig yourself out of the house close to hand, don’t just leave them in your garden shed where you can’t reach them.
