Bargain Advocate | Nine frugal ways to beat the winter blues

There’s something about living in a place with five months of winter that seems to give folks the winter blues. After all, once Christmas is over, what’s the point?

Defeated by the prospect of facing three more months of cold and gray, we hole up in our dens, don fleece pajamas and huddle up next to fireplaces and space heaters while we search online for deals on winter coats and snow boots. All while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

(Wait. You don’t do that?)

I was inspired recently when Middle Roy dramatically moaned to me that she WISHED there was SOMETHING to DO — the Bargain Advocate had specified it should be something quiet so Tiny Roy could nap, thus eliminating more than half the pool of potential activities — to come up with a list of things grown-ups can do to beat cabin fever.

Because, let’s face it — haven’t you thought the same thing?

Feel free to use this list as a starting point to inventing your own crazy entertainment. Just keep it legal, please.

Go to a festival. Believe it or not, Ohioans know how to party in the winter. A recent visit to ohiofestivals.net turned up no fewer than 20 events in the Buckeye State in February alone, mostly having to do with winter or beer. So if you’re into one or both of those things, here’s your motivation to get out of the house and have some fun. Cheers!

Learn a new hobby. Woodworking is a hobby that runs in our family. My dad inherited it from his dad; my brother inherited it from him. Earlier this year, Mr. Roy decided to jump on the boat and started to learn some basic skills. His first project was a new set of house numbers that we have yet to hang on our house; currently in progress is a new bookshelf, because the Bargain Advocate is a hypocrite and doesn’t like to get rid of books despite all this talk of decluttering.

Winter is great for learning hobbies because it gives you a productive outlet for your cabin fever. ... Besides, you know, binge-watching back episodes of The X-Files while you down a bag of Cheetos.

Head to the library. If you’re frugal or live in an old house, like we do — or both, like we are — chances are the thermostat in your friendly public library reads higher than yours. Obviously, you can get free books there. Depending on your library, you can also take (free) classes, join a book club, rent movies and download books. Did I mention it’s free?

Go mall walking. Our mall recently added these gigantic stuffed-animal-looking things-on-wheels that kids can ride around in order to make their mall-going experience tops.

I am not suggesting you do this.

I do, however, support mall-walking as a form of exercise. It’s indoors and it’s free as long as you don’t actually buy that $90 pair of pumps you’ve been eyeing after every lap ... or succumb to the aroma of Auntie Anne’s that keeps wafting your way.

Set aside time for planning and goal-setting. Vague, I know. But being stuck indoors is a great time to sit down and plan for your future: What you’ll plant in your garden; outdoor projects on the horizon; map out a budget; plan meals for a couple weeks — maybe even get ambitious and cook a few in advance.

Be hospitable. Fight the urge to isolate yourself from the rest of civilization by hosting a game night, movie night or asking friends to dinner. You don’t need to pull out all the stops ... just get together with someone and catch up on life. You may be surprised at what you’ve missed since October.

Accomplish indoor projects. That woodwork you’ve been meaning to stain; floors you’ve been meaning to polish; rooms you’ve been waiting to paint; space you’ve been hoping to reorganize. Pick a day and make it happen.

In the words of the folks behind Home Depot’s ad campaign, “Let’s do this.”

Shop ahead. This past week I bought Little Roy a new winter coat for next year. Thanks to a clearance price and extra coupon code, I scored a $90 winter jacket from Land’s End for less than $40, including shipping. (Maybe $40 still seems like a lot, but the Bargain Advocate believes in purchasing good coats for Little Roy with the hopes that they will survive both Middle Roy and Tiny Roy when she is done with them. So far, Land’s End has held up well. (No, they’re not paying me to write this.)

In the next few weeks, keep an eye out for outerwear clearances and stock up. The longer you wait, the lower the prices will get ... but the selection will narrow, so decide how risky you’re feeling.

Sell stuff. If you took my advice last week and have begun decluttering your home (still hanging onto that creepy nutcracker, are you?), perhaps you’ve got a stash of stuff you’ve been waiting to post on your local selling website or Craigslist or eBay. Give yourself a deadline to list it, then wait for the cash to begin flowing in. Right?

Now stop complaining about the winter blues and get busy. There’s enough here to keep you occupied until spring cleaning — and then you will have earned your ice cream.

If you have insight about a frugal living topic or an idea for a future column, email me at amroy@nncogannett.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy saving,

Abbey