Tips and Tricks for basic survival in Winter.

Survival tips and tricks for basic low income people...including myself.
1. During the winter months take a hot bath and relax and then allow the hot water to slowly cool before sending it down the drain. Leave the bathroom air venting fan on for a few minutes in order to remove most of the humidity and then use a roll up window shade or a small  sheet of plastic to cover your bath. This will stop most of the humidity and will allow the heat from the bath water to escape and keep your bathroom warm for hours. Leave the bathroom door open and the heat will transfer into your apartment or home. The alternative is to drain your hot water and then spend hundreds of dollars on your electricity bill.

2. Speaking of the Electricity bill here is a great idea! Place a shut-off  switch next to the hot water heater and after taking a bath or a shower, shut off the hot water reservoir tank. Turn it back on only when you need a bath or shower once or twice a week The saving on your Electricity bill will be dramatic!

3. Today most people wash their clothes in cold water but did you know you could wash your dishes in cold water and Vinegar?  Fill up an empty litre pump bottle with both Vinegar and a squirt of non-polluting dish soap. I use a dish soap called 'Attitude' which claims not to contain carcinogens.
Squirt your dishes and leave them for five seconds and then rinse. Repeat if you find anything left alive on your dishes! Grin! For those of you with little faith...I have been doing this for years and it works!

4. It is cold in winter so dress warmly and in layers. I wear two light cotton T-shirts and a sweater during the day and I keep them on when I go to bed. The next morning I will remove the inner T-shirt and throw it into a soapy cold water filled bucket. The revolving shirt system works great and I always have a clean and soft cotton T-shirt against my skin.One more thing! Cotton T-shirts are everywhere and cheap!

5. With the traffic on the roads today, driving a car is dangerous!  Take a bus or a train or a walk For those who walk, make sure you have small cleats under your boots for the icy side-walks and streets. I walk with my Bicycle for extra grip on icy roads and I ride the Bike when the roads are clean and dry...even in winter!

6. Don't forget to throw rock salt on your stairs and side-walks. More tips and tricks later.
Bye for now. J.R.