How can I stay warm through the winter, my house is freezing!?

Question

As every one knows, money is tight. Well my family either had to choose between heat or electricity, guess what won? My parents are always warm, no matter what, as is the rest of my family. But of course me being the complete oppisite of everyone else in my family, I'm always cold. Right now it's 40 degrees outside (I live on the south coast of massachusetts) And i'm wearing two pairs of really warm pajama pants, a t shirt and the warmest sweatshirt I have, and fuzzy socks. I'm still freezing! How am i supposed to stay warm through the whole winter when I can barely stand the cold now?

Answer 1

My parents made the same choice when I was a kid. Here's some tips:



Convince them you need a heating pad and/or an electric blanket, or my favorite -- the Electric Afghan! Put your clothes into the dryer for a few minutes (and your towels before you shower) to warm them up. Make your own heating pillow from fabric and buckwheat seeds (google it, you heat it up in the microwave). Get some long underwear. Learn to like oatmeal, hot cider, broth, tea. Spend time over at friends, with plenty of sleep-overs at their houses. Take up jogging - it raises you body temperature for hours. Get a humidifier. Put up plastic over your windows (cheap kit from the hardware stores), then put up heavy curtains over the windows. Seal up any drafts (chances are the heat is seeping out of your house through cracks around windows and doors). Keep your doors between rooms closed to keep in the heat. In my house, we hung heavy curtains over the door openings between rooms. The hall was 50 degrees, the TV room was always 65 from the TV, the lights and the people.



At other times, we had electricity, but no heat or hot water. Boiling water to wash your hair and taking sink baths...that's rough. Or heat but no electricity. That's the worst.



ADDED: Get an old fashioned hot water bottle and fill it with boiling water. Wrap a towel around it and put it in your bed. Also wear a hat to bed, a huge amount of heat escapes from your head when you sleep. And if you take the advise of another poster and take a hot washcloth to bed, put it in a plastic zippy bag first or you'll wake to damp spots.

Answer 2

I live in Boston and I avoid putting on heat until December and when I do - I put it on 55. I am "cold-blooded" like you so I will tell you my strategies.



You really need some wool garments. Cotton does not keep in heat at all. You say that money is tight so you are going to have to go to thrift shops and used clothing stores.



What I have on at the moment, is a silk knit long underwear turtle neck, these are very thin but heat-retaining. Over that I am wearing a lightweight, long (to my behind) cashmere sweater that zips up the front and has a hood, I have the hood up. On top of that, I have on a wool cardigan. And a down vest. When it really gets cold, I will add a lightweight down jacket.



I am also wearing fleecey sweat pants and wool socks.



I did not spend much on any of this, but I have been accumulating my woolies for years so have a lot of them. I go to used clothing stores often, even in the summer, looking for good inexpensive winter things.



I would say the first item you should acquire is a tightly knit wool turtleneck sweater. The turtleneck will help prevent heat escaping upwards. Second item, another wool sweater to go over it. Then some washable wool socks, a goose-down vest or jacket, and something for your head.



Avoid cotton, at least on your upper body. Wool,silk or down only. Wear multiple layers.



Explain to your parents how uncomfortable you are and ask to be brought to a good used clothing store. Spending $40.00 or so on a selection of woolies is a bargain compared to how much heat costs.



I live in Boston and don't know where you are so I can't suggest a place to buy good-quality used. I shop in several places around Boston and some of the things I have bought in thrift shops were actually not used at all, I guess some of my things were gifts that someone didn't want so they donated or consigned.



Someone else mentioned exercise. It is true that if you go for a long fast walk it heats you up and your body stays warmer for a good while.

I haven't done much yet today but as soon as I get moving, one of my layers will come off.



For night, you could ask for a gift of a down comforter. These are ordinarily very expensive but there are some outlets where you can get them sharply reduced. Example:

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Heavyweight-500-Thread-Count-Siberian-White-Down-Comforter/3507286/product.html

Answer 3

Chinchillas do not need to be warm. They should be kept between 75 degrees F and 30 degrees F, as long as they are above 8 months of age. Chinchillas come from the Andes Mts in S America, so really do well in colder climates :)

Answer 4

I'm in a similar situation. I live with my parents, and they are always warm, (I'm always cold))so they keep the heat down. I just pile up the blankets and take long hot showers.

If I win the lottery I'm moving to Phoenix

Answer 5

WELL BUY A HEATING BLANKET. AND GET A HUMIDIFIER BECAUSE THE HUMIDITY MAKES IT MOIST IN THE AIR AND IT MAKES IT ALOT WARMER. OR JUST BUY A HEATER. DONT LET YOUR PARENTS KOW YOU HAVE A HEATER CUZ IT WILL MAKE THE ELECTRICITY BILL GO UP. GOOD LUCK

Answer 6

1.Two Wash Cloths. each dipped in very very hot water, hot as possible.

then squeeze the water out (it will hurt. alot).

then when you go to sleep, put 1 on your feet, and one on our forehead.

this will keep your body temperature warm.



2.Or, try putting tape around all cracks on your windows. so the cold air does not seep in. best to just tape/glue plastic wrap over your windows..



3.and then put a bucket or any sort of bowl that is LARGE. full of steaming steaming hot water. and then put a towel over it. and put that on the bottom of your bed ( on the floor in front of your feet)

So the heat stays within and heat will evaporate up and keep your feet warm :D and probably wet too and like prunes maybe I'm not sure :D



4.Make yourself Exhausted. it will make you warm.make your self exhausted by possibly... playing video games that seem very hard, exercising alot, jumping up and down on your bed til you get tired :D ,

LOTS AND LOTS OF MASTURBATION!!!! O_O lmfao, I'm joking but that would work but don't take that as advice!!! lol.



make armor out of Pillows and Blankets. lol!!!!

no really lol!! put your legs in a pillow case With the pillow in it still,

Get a blanket, pit half of it on the side your feet aren't touching the pillow in the sheet, and then wrap the blanket upwards around your legs, up to your hips, wrap them lol. and then get another blanket and wrap your torso and arms together. lol. and then a pillow under your head lol. ULTIMATE PILLOW ARMOR!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!





I'm silly I know but all these ides are sure to work lol.

Answer 7

take a warm bath