Winter can be expensive, especially if you live in a cold climate. Preparing for the upcoming winter season monetarily now will help you meet the cost of heating your home even during extended periods of extreme cold weather. Having food and water is always necessary, and I covered them in previous posts. Be sure that these supplies are located in areas of your home where it’s not likely to freeze. When it comes to those items, think of providing hot and comforting drinks and foods in your pantry stores and you’ll have a good idea about what to add in that department.
Insurance
I am not an insurance professional. What I suggest here is based on my own experiences and opinions.
Be sure your insurance is up to date. Always check your insurance when it comes due. Check to see that you have everything covered that is likely to occur where you live.
Keep as much money in your pocket as possible.
To save money, have only the highest possible co-pay possible, but have than amount of co-pay in your bank account.
This will keep your insurance premiums down and will keep money in your pocket. Sit down with your insurance agent and look at the difference between the highest co-pay and the lowest co-pay. Bank the difference into a savings account marked “insurance co-pay. Do this with any insurance policy you have. Use this money to pay your co-pay. When you have enough money in the account to cover your largest co-pay, take additional funds that are collected from the difference and use it to increase your portfolio by investing in stocks bonds, gold, or real estate.
Use term insurance for life insurance when possible. For instance, term life insurance on your house or car payment occurs on a sliding scale. This way, you get the biggest bang for your buck because if something happens to you, at least your car and house payments will be eliminated, but you won’t have to pay as much for life insurance overall. Use other forms of term insurance as well. Take the difference between term insurance and whole life and add that to your portfolio in the form of paid-off debt, bonds,
Insulation
A little more insulation strategically placed can prevent disaster during extreme cold spells. Seal air leaks around doors and windows as well. This will save you money on your energy bills.
Fuel
Once you’ve sealed the holes to conserve energy, the next step is to cover your winter energy needs. Store up winter heating fuel and an alternative fuel source in case the primary source is ineffective. When supplementing with wood heat or with a propane heater be sure to have plenty of fuel on hand to last through any extreme weather event. You never want to be without a reliable heating source and alternative of some kind.
Prepare Your Vehicle
Prepare your vehicle for the winter season by changing the oil and other fluids as necessary. Do any necessary maintenance. Be sure that tires are suitable for your area and be sure that tire chains are in working order. Place jumper cables and snow brushes and ice scrapers in the car. Other supplies like flares will help keep you safe when you’re on the road. Having a spare battery charged and ready to go would be an added bonus.
Winter Vehicle Emergency Bag
Having prepared your car for winter, you need to be ready for extreme weather while you’re on the road. Many drivers get stuck in a storm and are miserable when they don’t have what they need in the car. It helps to prepare a winter vehicle emergency bag and carry it with you whenever you leave home.
Be sure to have extra warm clothes and blankets in the vehicle. Carry a pair of suitable boots in case you have to get out into the weather. Add some hand and foot warmers. You don’t want to end up with frozen fingers or toes. Replace these extremity warmers every year to guarantee their effectiveness. In extremely wet weather, throw a pair of rubber boots and a rain jacket into the car instead.
Have a pair of cleats available in case you are forced to walk on ice. Bring extra water and food if you’re more than an hour from home. Bring food that is easy to open and use. Hot drink mixes are also a good choice for making uncomfortably cold situations more tolerable. Having a way to heat up food or water is a good addition to the bag.
Bring your winter vehicle emergency bag into the house after each trip. You’ll want to avoid letting the food and water freeze.
Besides these mentioned, I know there are other preparations that people can do in different areas of the world. Always look at potential scenarios and prepare accordingly.
You can also have a supply of inexpensive vegetables in your home that you grew yourself. Check out this book The Survival Garden by Cygnet Brown
The Perpetual Homesteader 