When October rolls around, it’s time to get ready for winter. With colder weather closing in fast, there’s a lot we can do to get ready. Our lives don’t stop just because the temperature drops. The better we can prepare ourselves, the more we can embrace and enjoy our frosty Canadian winters. Here are three parts of our lives we can prepare for the deep freeze.
Winterize your wardrobe
With cold weather dominating much of our calendar, we know that your winter wear needs to be on point.
There is something to be said for paying upfront for quality when it comes to warm clothes. A single parka can run anywhere from $50 to hundreds of dollars. There’s no guarantee the less expensive coat will keep you warm or even last the whole winter before falling apart. And if you’re savings conscious, you don’t want to buy a second jacket before the season ends. Spending a little extra on a top quality jacket can actually save you in the long run.
If you’re being especially price conscious, thrift shopping might be your go-to. Buying secondhand means you can find great style and quality without the hefty price tag. Bloggers like Thrift Diving and Thrift Love show that with a little ingenuity and creativity, savvy shoppers can be some of the most stylish people on the street.
One more way to find great styles while saving is by hosting a clothing swap. The idea here is you and some friends get together to exchange the clothes you don’t want anymore. This way, not only are you updating your wardrobe, you’re clearing out the old clothes cluttering up your closet.
Winterize your home
Whether you own or rent your house or apartment, the winter months can easily drain your savings in heating bills. Heat isn’t always included if you’re renting. So, even if you don’t own your home, there are simple ways to keep those costs low.
The easiest way to make sure your home is heat efficient is checking the seals on windows and doors. If either aren’t closing properly, then the warm air from your furnace will head right outside. You can repair the seals yourself yourself, hire a professional or ask your landlord to help repair the seals.
There’s also another quick and easy way to keep the heat in your home. Using plastic wrap on your windows and sealing them with tape can actually hold in a lot of heat and prevent any moisture and condensation from building up. Most hardware stores carry shrink-wrap sets for your windows, but if you’re adventurous, there is a way of using bubble wrap to seal your suite from the cold.
One final consideration, especially for price- and environmentally-conscious folks, is to turn down the thermostat. Keeping enough heat in your home to ensure your pipes don’t freeze is important, and can save you on costly water repair bills. But, bringing your heat down a little and cozying up with a warm throw blanket and a cup of tea can help keep monthly heating costs low.
Winterize your commute
Whether it’s by bus, train or your own car, commuting in the winter can be challenging to say the least. Life and work don’t stop because of a snow storm! Ensuring you’re prepared for your winter commute means that cold weather won’t put your life on ice.
If you own a vehicle, winter maintenance is crucial to prevent your car from breaking down and incurring extra bills down the road. Improving the grade of engine oil, checking your block heater and cleaning the heater will help guarantee your car won’t freeze in its tracks. Most auto services offer winter maintenance packages, which looks over everything in your vehicle that could commonly go wrong from the cold.
Lastly, and we can’t stress this enough, winter tires can save lives! They are specifically designed to grip the road and keep your vehicle in control even during some of the most treacherous conditions. Thankfully, saving for a set of winter tires can be easy. Motive’s Savvy Savings Account is just way to make springing for the investment easier.
Are you ready for our seasonal change? How are you getting ready to enjoy our amazing Canadian winter season? Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter so this conversation doesn’t stop cold.