Keeping warm in the credit crunch
As we head into winter, the thought of plunging temperatures must be striking fear into the hearts of many a shivering citizen (well, when I say we, I mean you, I’m basking in Spain and unlikely to see snow, or ice on the inside of the window). With utility bills rising faster than inflation in Zimbabwe, it seems that many people will be wondering if they can afford to turn on the heating this winter. Fear not, there are ways that you can keep warm without taking out a second mortgage to pay your gas bill.
The best way is to think smart. Suppose you have to spend a lot of time at home, because you’re retired, or not working. Well, there’s no need to sit around shivering, especially if you have the right Damart thermal clothing. If you live in a city or large town, try enjoying some of the cultural sites. Visit museums and galleries; after all, you are paying for them in your council tax, and take advantage of their central heating. You could even volunteer as a guide, and stay warm all day.
An even more useful tool is your local library. Make maximum use of this wonderful resource (and its warmth). No-one will think it odd if you spend all day, every day, there – unless it´s closed, in which case it will be unheated, and you´ll be arrested for breaking and entering. I can´t promise the police cells will be heated, so you may want to avoid that option. Anyway, the library is a perfect way to save on your own heating bills, and it has enough material to give you good reason to stay there for hours. They have newspapers, internet, even books (if you look hard enough among the DVDs). I am writing this on my laptop in the local library, and even though it is warm and sunny here (sorry to rub that in … okay, I´m smug, not sorry), I am still saving on lighting and electricity.
Supposing your libraries don´t have the generous opening hours that we do in Spain, which are open until 9 pm? What do you do on a weekend, for example? Simple – go shopping. Visit your local mall, and check out the Damart winter clothing range to keep you warm while walking back and forth to the library. Shops are guaranteed to be overheated. Or why not visit a friend, who can afford heating? In fact, you could while away the winter spending a week here, a week there, and before you know it, spring will arrive … You might have to invent some creative excuses for wanting to stay with friends in your own town, but it´s better than staring at a four-figure electricity bill, and wondering if you can pawn your children …