College is already expensive as it is, so why waste more money on a sky-high gas or electric bill when you can follow these cheap and efficient tricks?

Warming tips from The Art of Manliness website:

Natural light is your friend

Learning to let natural sunlight in during the day can really make a difference. Sunlight is free energy to take advantage of. Even when temperatures are below freezing, light from the sun can still warm up a home, but only open up the curtains where light is shining in. On the other side of that, it’s important to close curtains when the sun goes down to prevent the heat in the home from escaping.

Use your oven as a short-term furnace

For people who do a lot of home cooking, take advantage of the excess heat. After finishing cooking a meal with the oven, keep it cracked open so all the heat circulates around the home while it’s cooling down.

Look at which way your ceiling fan is spinning

It seems like a crazy idea to use a ceiling fan during the middle of the winter, but most ceiling fans have a “winter” mode. If a ceiling fan has a switch on it, turn it so the blades on the fan rotate counterclockwise compared to clockwise. Since heat naturally rises, a counterclockwise rotating fan will recirculate the heat trapped near the ceiling of a room.

Seal leaks using cellophane, foam or caulk

Drafty windows can be a nuisance, especially in below-freezing temperatures. Cover windows by taping cellophane to the walls and create an airtight seal around it. Drafts can also be fixed by caulking the edges of window frames. A cheaper alternative is cutting up cloth or foam, such as can insulators or koozies, and sealing them around the window to prevent the draft.

Use door stoppers to prevent excess air circulation

By sticking a divider under the door, a room can heat up a lot quicker because of the lack of air circulation. Even closing the door will cut the amount of air circulation dramatically. Cheap alternatives to door stoppers could be foam tubes or towels.

Move furniture away from vents 

One of the easiest and most overlooked ways to keep a home warm during the winter is to make sure couches, coffee tables and other bulky furniture items are out of the way of the vents. This way, the furnace will be able to circulate and heat the home properly.

Bury yourself in blankets instead of heating up your home

Probably the easiest way to ensure staying warm this winter is to keep yourself under the wraps of blankets. This way, you’re not cranking up the furnace and spending a fortune on your energy bill.