Wednesday, October 23, 2013

That Time of Year: Preparing for Winter

Yup, the cold wind, rain and talk of snow has already moved into our corner of the world here in Michigan. Michigan winters can be challenging all in it's own right and usually for me a stressful time of year I don't enjoy all that much. Throw a Mobile home into the mix and it makes things even worse. Mobile homes are terrible for winter living, lacking in insulation, hard to heat and just plain cold. The wind blows right through the walls, your heat is being wasted in a multitude of areas and the floors are like walking straight barefoot on ice. Trying to keep it warm and heating along with holidays, is usually very stressful for me and I am like an eagle keeping an ever watchful eye on the propane tanks gauge. I really stress more than I should though because almost always we somehow always manage to stay on top of things.

This year I also   have the added problem of not being able to regulate my body temperature very well and the cold is already really getting to me. I can not layer up too much because then a hot flash will hit and I will be boiling hot for a few minutes stripping off my layers!

Despite all the odds seemingly stacked against us though I am determined to enjoy this winter and all the beauty and warmth winter can bring! I am not going to stress AT ALL and I am going to ENJOY the winter season!

To start with we are doing all  the usual preparations that come with this season.

The heating tape is on our pipes, which works pretty good at keeping pipes from freezing. We only have to drip the faucets when it gets to the 10 and below temps.

Hubby got plastic up on some of the windows yesterday, the side where the wind almost always comes from anyways.

The plastic on the windows are getting finished up today, all together we have 2 large 12 foot long windows. One is at each end of our trailer and then 6 other windows total. These windows are quite leaky and let a ton of cold windy drafts in so plastic over them is a complete MUST for the winter season.

After plastic is put up over the windows we then cover them with blankets or heavy curtains.

We had our propane delivered a few days ago before the cold hit for our 300 gallon tank. With the tank sitting at 25% that allows for the minimum delivery of 200 gallons that cost us $393. In a typical winter we will have  to fill this 2 more times at the 200 gallons each before winter is over.

I still need to get the outlet plugs and cover up a few mouse holes along with using that expanding foam insulation in a few areas.

If this was our place there is a ton more things I  would do that I either can't in a rental or do not want to put that much work or money into a place that is not ours.  But for now the little things we do help keep fuel prices down and us more comfortable and that is what matters!

So cheers to the Winter Season, may you be warm and blessed this season!

2 comments:

  1. I know what you mean about chilly trailer living. We lived in one in our early years of marriage and when we would walk past an electric socket in the winter, the cold air shooting through would make us jump!

    BTW, I was Simple Sister on a Shoestring, but I started a new blog so that I can be anonymous & thus more transparent in what I share. I had too many friends and family reading whom I didn't want to know my personal "stuff". Hopefully, I can be more open now. It would be nice if you can stop by! Stay warm!

    http://thepensionpincher.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I was trying to place what blog I originally knew you from! LOL Of course I will be happy to stop by!

      Delete