Comments on: My feet are now warm and toasty. http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2008/12/my-feet-are-now-warm-and-toasty/ cheerfully living on less Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:11:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: steve http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2008/12/my-feet-are-now-warm-and-toasty/#comment-967 steve Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:45:56 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=638#comment-967 By the way, over the last two years I have reduced my house to about 57 degrees during the day (except the kitchen, which is usually around 60)and down to 52 at night. this started last winter, when heating oil went up and I was thinking a lot about global warming and my role in it too. I went out around Christmas and spent the equivalent of a partial oil tank filling to buy warm clothes (some sweaters, a down vest, and such) specifically to wear to be comfortable in the house. I viewed it as my "heating bill", but invested in clothing that would keep me warm a lot more efficiently and economically (and much much longer) than 200 gallons of heating oil would. I don't recommend dropping the temperature so far all of a sudden, it was the result of my environmental ethics and money awareness over time. I have learned to just wear warmer, and more, clothes, and how to be comfortable in a colder setting. I would say that it is easy to program your thermostat to drop the temperature way down at night and set your bed up warm as a stepping stone and a relatively painless way of saving cash and energy. Also, leaving it way down while you are away from the house. I find the house heats up quickly, and anyways after coming in from the frigid outdoors, the house feels toasty at first even if it's at 52-55 degrees. Then it warms up as the heating system comes on. My bed has two sleeping bags on it and is super cozy. I am very comfortable sleeping in the colder temperatures. If I have guests or for special occasions or when I am feeling sick I may up the temperature, but I wanted to share that over time you can become comfortable/used to lower temperatures. If 65 is a stretch for you now though, congratulations on keeping up the effort and investing in warmer slippers! By the way, over the last two years I have reduced my house to about 57 degrees during the day (except the kitchen, which is usually around 60)and down to 52 at night. this started last winter, when heating oil went up and I was thinking a lot about global warming and my role in it too. I went out around Christmas and spent the equivalent of a partial oil tank filling to buy warm clothes (some sweaters, a down vest, and such) specifically to wear to be comfortable in the house. I viewed it as my “heating bill”, but invested in clothing that would keep me warm a lot more efficiently and economically (and much much longer) than 200 gallons of heating oil would.

I don’t recommend dropping the temperature so far all of a sudden, it was the result of my environmental ethics and money awareness over time. I have learned to just wear warmer, and more, clothes, and how to be comfortable in a colder setting. I would say that it is easy to program your thermostat to drop the temperature way down at night and set your bed up warm as a stepping stone and a relatively painless way of saving cash and energy. Also, leaving it way down while you are away from the house. I find the house heats up quickly, and anyways after coming in from the frigid outdoors, the house feels toasty at first even if it’s at 52-55 degrees. Then it warms up as the heating system comes on.

My bed has two sleeping bags on it and is super cozy. I am very comfortable sleeping in the colder temperatures.

If I have guests or for special occasions or when I am feeling sick I may up the temperature, but I wanted to share that over time you can become comfortable/used to lower temperatures. If 65 is a stretch for you now though, congratulations on keeping up the effort and investing in warmer slippers!

]]> By: steve http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/2008/12/my-feet-are-now-warm-and-toasty/#comment-966 steve Thu, 11 Dec 2008 03:35:41 +0000 http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=638#comment-966 I hear you about warm slippers and wool socks!They are great! I think really the issue is that if any part of your body is cold, you have an unconscious primal sense of discomfort. I learned this when riding my bike in winter (I ride my bike to work and for shopping through all 12 months): if any part of your body is uncomfortable, all of you is uncomfortable in a sense. So keeping hands and feet warm is very important, and covering all parts of the body equally is important, when biking in the cold. In the house, making sure that your feet and head (if it's cold in the house I'll wear a hat or a hoodie to keep my neck/head warm) are key areas to focus on, after making sure your core is warm. I hear you about warm slippers and wool socks!They are great!

I think really the issue is that if any part of your body is cold, you have an unconscious primal sense of discomfort. I learned this when riding my bike in winter (I ride my bike to work and for shopping through all 12 months): if any part of your body is uncomfortable, all of you is uncomfortable in a sense. So keeping hands and feet warm is very important, and covering all parts of the body equally is important, when biking in the cold. In the house, making sure that your feet and head (if it’s cold in the house I’ll wear a hat or a hoodie to keep my neck/head warm) are key areas to focus on, after making sure your core is warm.

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