It’s gotten chilly here in the deep south which is a reminder to make sure we are ready for winter. Although winters here are fairly mild, we still encounter many below freezing days, and once every 10 years or so we have significant snow fall. When it snows more than a dusting here everything shuts down, so no matter where you live you should expect the unexpected.

A few things to think about:

• 3-5 days non-perishable food and water stored. Think of filling foods that are easy to serve like soups, instant oatmeal, granola (not the high sugar bars), crackers, peanut-butter. Don’t forget some instant coffee, tea and milk. I’d love to hear what kind of food preparations you make for winter, please leave a comment!
• Toilet paper (don’t laugh).
• Paper cups/forks/plates/napkins
• Charcoal and/or gas for your grill; don’t forget matches.
• Candles or kerosene lamps and oil, lamps give off better light.
• A corded phone that is connected to a land line, not a cordless phone. This is great to have stuck away in case the power goes out for a few days, but there may still be phone service when all your cell phones and cordless phones are dead.
• A way to heat the house if the power goes out. We have gas heat and our tank gets filled in the summer when it is cheaper.
• Stock some extra to help neighbors who need help.

Read the post about Winterizing Your Home and Yard (some are videos).

Things to do in your yard before winter:

• Trim trees if there are branches close to the house or electrical wires.
• Dig up and transfer flower bulbs, plant spring bulbs.
• Mulch perennial flower beds.
• Reseed bare spots in the lawn.
• Seal driveways, brick patios and wood decks.
• Move potted plants indoors before the first freeze.
• Rake debris away from buildings. Leave some fallen leaves to fertilize your grass.
• Stock up on salt/cat litter for frozen walk ways.
• Empty water hoses and store in a shed/garage.

There are all kinds of things that need to be done to get ready for winter, many things you can assign to your older children.

Making sure that the house is ready for winter can make you more comfortable and save you money in the end.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Furnace Inspection - Have your furnace inspected to make sure it is running properly. You don’t want that first cold snap to prove that it’s not.

• 
  Change all air filters.

• If you have a fireplace get the pipes/chimney cleaned before you have to use it. The last thing you want is to call the fire department and have a house full of smoke, or worse.

• Check the exterior doors and windows; this is the number one way to loose heat.

• 
  Caulk windows.

• Replace weather stripping on doors.

• Check your roof for any loose shingles or potential problems, you don’t want to make repairs once that winter wind starts blowing or the freezing ice and snow start falling.

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  Clean out all gutters and downspouts.

• Inspect your foundation for any cracks that need to be filled, this will help keep the wind and rodents out.

• Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Put new batteries in all detectors.

• Prevent Plumbing Freezes