Brrrr! Hope you’re staying warm in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Warm up with this guest post written by fellow GTA blogger, Anne from Money Propeller.
Have you noticed that it is winter lately? I had a freezing cold snap, Toronto had a freezing cold snap, Saskatchewan only understands a perpetual state of snap! All in all, way too much cold.
My spouse was at the grocery store the other day, during one of our particularly awfully cold days, and chatted with the pharmacist. She had hoped that her shift would be nice and quiet, on account of no one wanting to venture out their front door, and that anyone who was brave enough would be at the ski hill for the skiff of new snow we had overnight.
Unfortunately, she was completely wrong. The store was swimming with people. She does, however, make a great point about people staying indoors when it becomes very cold out. One of the beautiful things about winter is the tendency to not venture forth and as a result, not spend terribly much money.
All of that goes out the window if you have a habit of online shopping.
Bing Watch Movies
Star Wars marathon, anyone? I, myself, wouldn’t subject anyone to that, but a lot of people find such things enjoyable. You could substitute in the Hobbit movies, or a television show. Perhaps the Gilmore Girls? Really anything you’d like!
Go for a Walk
Ready for rosy cheeks? Go for a walk. Some areas that are hideous, concrete jungles during the summer actually look quite lovely during the winter. Put on your warm clothes and go for an adventure. There will be fresh air, a bit of exercise, and a lot less couch in your day!
Image Courtesy of Pixomar/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Mull Cider or Make Hot Chocolate
Hot chocolate is an excellent excuse to consume marshmallows during the winter. I am a big fan of marshmallows. You can make hot cocoa from scratch for cents per cup. Likewise, adding spices and slowly simmering apple juice makes your whole home smell delightful and comes for an affordable price.
If you’re me, you probably want to add Baileys to your hot chocolate and brandy to your mulled cider, but that’s not necessary and it does increase the cost.
Alcohol in or not, invite some friends over and chat, while sipping on the classic beverages of winter.
Borrow Snowshoes
Do you know anyone who has some sporting gear you could borrow? One of the great things about snowshoes is that all you need is your own outdoor clothing and a pair of boots. Beyond general sizing, they aren’t fitted to you.
Ask on Facebook, or send some text messages, and see if any friends have some snowshoes that you could borrow. Then, find a park or a trail and put them to good use. Pay your friend back with some of that cider or hot chocolate. Don’t spend too, too long outside, though!
Re-evaluate Your Closet
It’s cold. You’re not going anywhere. Empty your entire closet onto the bed! Then, mix and match your things to make new outfits. You can even play dress up. If you are looking for some inspiration, invite a friend over and go through your clothes together. They will probably come up with some outfits that you have never thought of before.
Decide if some things do not deserve to make it back in to your closet. Put them into a box or a big blue recycling bag, and donate them to a charity of your choosing.
Alternatively, sell them! See how much money you can bring in. If you are selling on eBay, try putting them into lots, for example four or five pairs of pants in one size, versus a single pair.
Play Board Games
Most of the board games that I own were purchased at the thrift store, or received as gifts. The ones from the thrift store cost maybe two dollars each, I think more on the order of one dollar. Pull some out, invite some friends over, and have a ball.
Tell your friends that it’s BYOB and bring an appetizer. You can make a whole night of it, enjoy the dining experience, and keep your cost under $10.
There are six affordable activities for freezing temperatures. You’ll note that making mulled cider can be combined with everything else on the list; it’s something that I highly recommend!
What are your favourite, affordable activities for freezing temperatures?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne writes at Money Propeller about personal finance, lifestyle and traveling. She’s nicknamed a twit for spending too much time on twitter, you can join her there @moneypropeller. Her love of marshmallows is genuine, she used to take them by the bagful to England
During winter I prefer sitting in my living room with my PS3 gaming console, with a friend or two to participate.
That’s a solid approach!
Oh my, yes, it’s definitely winter up in Ottawa too. Just finished all 7 seasons of Gilmore Girls. Winter.
Haha – that seems to be quite a popular choice lately. I never really got into Gilmore Girls.
The cold weather does call for a mug of hot chocolate and a lineup of good movies! My favorite pair when it’s freezing outside.
Always good choices 🙂
We like to rearrange our furniture, organize our house, make fancy dinners, or play cosmic wimpout.
I find I tend to do a lot of organizing when it’s cold outside, or during any other type of unpleasant weather.