To recommend this to keep warm inside..and ask for others

[daretodenim]

This has been on my mind for a few days with the rising heating costs and so I'm posting here for traffic, as maybe it can be useful for others.

I have my heating very low during the day and I'm often at home sitting - and get cold easily. Decathlon have cheap ski base layers. I use them to keep warm and they're great. I only use the tops but I have the leggings too and rarely have used them when there's not snow outside. So I'm not recommending those as a first step, unless your legs are always cold. They are really warm though! I often wear the base layer top under a jumper or sweatshirt, jeans and warm socks and it makes a really big difference.

The adults costs £6 and kids ones are £4. They're also quite thin so dry quickly.

There are also merino ones and other brands that make higher quality ones, but for the purpose of staying warm at home, rather than concerns about staying warm and dry on a cold piste, these do fine.

www.decathlon.co.uk/p/women-s-base-layer-ski-top-100/_/R-p-302806?mc=8510031&c=GREY

Anybody else have good tips?

PS if you're going to make your own, look up instructions so you don't accidentally make something flammable.

Some great ideas.

I have some leggings from Primark with fluffy insides. They are so so warm and water repellent so great out in the rain and snow. I usually can't wear them inside but this winter with minimal heating they are great.

Foil on the wall above a radiator is meant to work a treat

I am a cold person, I wear long-johns and undershirts from October to April (our winter is a lot longer here.)

I like a hot water bottle but for the kids I give them a wheatie. This is a cotton sack about the same size as a hw bottle but it is filled with grains of whet. It can be heated in a microwave or oven and it stays warm and nice without the possibility of spills. Also smells a bit like a brewery.

But my number one tip is to wear a hat. There is a reason people used to wear caps to bed and winter sleeping bags have hoods. Even a thin touque will keep you much warmer, especially if you are cold at night. Fingerless gloves can also be helpful.

Joggers! not attractive but brilliant for keeping legs warm, i find I'm colder in jeans. Thick socks and warm slippers with a hard sole keep feet toasty.

I do layer up with a vest, polo neck and a cardigan, and WFH means only the top part of me needs to be presentable.

Oh, and if you have a source of heat that will only be on part time, a radiator or electric fire or real fire, pile some bricks nest to it. They will absorb heat and release it slowly. You can also wrap one in a cloth and put it under the sheets at the foot of your bed.

If you are struggling for money, don’t waste what little you have on buying new base layers from decathlon, however good value. Just wear your existing jumpers/blankets/coats.

When you boil the kettle, put the remaining water in a thermos, stays hot for hours

Fluffy hedsocks are brilliant for keeping you toasty

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

Fleece is brilliant all round and you can pick it up very cheaply by the meter in fabric shops and on market stalls. A layer under your bed sheet makes the bed toasty warm and a layer tacked to the back of your curtains keeps out draughts.

Genuine question, not being snippy but isn’t fleece fairly flammable and therefore not a good idea for curtains? I have a vague memory that there are fire safety requirements for curtain materials.

Agree with pp. If you're short of cash, don't go buying solutions. Use what you already have. Always wear socks and slippers/shoes or even better boots. I wear my fleece dressing gown when the house is feeling chilly.

If it’s really cold a woolly hat is brilliant for keeping you warm.

Hot water bottle, I bloody love them. With a cover on stay warm for ages.

Brushed cotton sheets.

Genuine question, not being snippy but isn’t fleece fairly flammable and therefore not a good idea for curtains? I have a vague memory that there are fire safety requirements for curtain materials.

You are absolutely right, fleece is highly flammable. A very bad idea to use as curtains.

Living in a top floor flat with everyone below you having their heating on is the reason I only put the heating on when I need to dry loads of washing quickly 🤣 (even have my windows open right now! And in the summer, open windows lots of breeze coming in!)

Fluffy socks, hot water bottles, duvet/blanket all the time, cuddling the dog! Hot chocolate and coffee help too!

Sometimes treat myself and hang pyjamas on the radiators and blast the heating for a short time to make them warm then put them on after a shower!

If you have a Clubcard then you get the Silent Night snuggie blanket for £10 instead of £20. It is a teddy fleece blanket with sleeves so good for working from home.

Microwave heat discs, we use them for pets, heat them for 10 mins in m/w, they last for 8 - 10 hrs and super safe, electric throws - best invention ever. Curtains over outside doors, keep draughts out. Electric blankets on beds, pile extra duvets on beds at night, really cosy. If you have an open fire and use coal, when you clear out the ashes, you will often find half used coals, wet them and reuse, they last ages on an open fire and once a week I get at least 1 - 2 buckets of embers that will do me a day and save on coal

I have a fake oodie from Amazon, like wearing a blanket so cozy!

I’ve got a foot muff which used to plug in and heat up. It stopped working so I cut the wire off it and now I full a hot water bottle, wrap it in a pillowcase and place it in the foot muff - utter bliss.

I have a heated throw and cashmere wrist warmers. Need to keep ankles and wrists warm!

I layer up. I only really notice it is cold in the day when I wfh. The other days I spend rushing about doing things for other people in my family.

When wfh I have two hot drinks through the day. (And sip a herbal drink which is cold), but when I have boiled the kettle I always fill the hot water bottle at the same time. Extra layer also quite a lot.

I splurged last autumn and bought some merino thermals from Dilling (20% off today!) and while they were relatively expensive, the difference between them and my M&S base layers is amazing! My DM suggested merino thermals, as she remembered her dad always buying them from the army and navy stores. I couldn't find any online and I wasn't near an army store, but if you are it could be worth checking. I seriously cannot emphasize how much warmer they are!

Also a Canadian friend once told me to never wear more than two pairs of socks, as it effects the circulation in your feet. Reading about all this layering just reminded me of it!

With the right outdoor thermal underwear you will not be cold. I’m in a very cold country (with warm houses, never ever cold indoors..always wear t-shirts and sleep with open window!). Google what’s recommended for spending the night at the ice hotel in Kiruna, it would work for UK houses too (seriously). 🙃 Good thermal underwear are essential, and thermal socks.

A tube of calking can also be surprising effective.

Also a Canadian friend once told me to never wear more than two pairs of socks, as it effects the circulation in your feet. Reading about all this layering just reminded me of it!

Yes, and if you are going to wear thick socks you really should make sure the shoes you are going to wear will fit over them for the same reason.