Winter cold mornings have to be my least favorite time of year. There is nothing more painful than trying to get kids awake in an ice cold house! Let’s face it, single digit temperatures, don’t say rise and shine! This time of year, I tend to get up early to start the chores, laundry being one. I found it helps to have nice warm clothes to encourage the kids and my husband out of bed. While it warms up the house, it gets me going for my chores, too!. Before this new plan, I would just turn up the heater on high, costing us a fortune. So, now adjusting the oil furnace every morning over and above our energy budget, didn’t happen. Mom websites are the best for learning these little tips. I noticed a difference the first time I tried it out! With this as my biggest and most constant chore, I didn’t mind getting an early start. I was really surprised when I got my first energy bill, after trying this trick! My husband was impressed too. After only one month of using the dryer in the morning, we saw the savings on our electric bill that we could add to our savings. Our normal December heating bill is close to $350 on a good day. It was closer to $200, after using the furnace less frequently during these cold months. Most people tease me relentlessly, when I say the dryer is my alternative heating unit. But, I know it works well and saves us money. I still can’t find any way to help the cooling system in the Summer, but at least we can save money during one of the seasons.