I am at home all of the time, sure I go out and about, meet friends for coffee, get my shopping in etc during the day while the boys are at school but because I’m unable to work I am generally at home most of the time.

Also because of my condition (ME/CFS) I feel the cold ALL of the time, but during the winter I refuse to heat a whole house by putting the central heating on when there is only me in the house. My OH always tells me off for this and will always tell me to put the heating on if I feel cold, which I do as soon as the boys are home from school.

When it is just me though I do think it’s a total waste. So I have over time found very thrifty ways to keep myself warm when I’m here on my own. Hopefully some of you who work and blog from home will find some of them helpful.

1. Wheat heat pads! These are fab and I was introduced to these by my mum as I struggle with muscular pain anyway. Literally you stick it in the microwave for 1min 30 secs and voila – instant heat. I use these to ease my neck pain and also helps to keep me warm.

2. Fingerless gloves! These may sound a bit Steptoe and Son but trust me when you are sitting at the laptop and your hands/ wrists get cold then you are going to feel cold generally. I’m a knitter so these are easy enough for me to make and I have several pairs. But really you could pick up a pair of cheap gloves from a pound store and cut the tips off so you can still type etc. It’s amazing how much heat they hold.

2. Good old fashioned water bottles! Either the full size ones or the little half size ones are fab. I have a full size one with a fleece cover on which will stay hot for ages. If I’m sitting on the sofa using the laptop then I rest my feet on it- once my feet are warm then I’m warm. I also have a little half size one which I use for my hands or rest against my back while I’m sitting.

3. Electric shoulder and neck pad. I was given this from my mum and use it all the time. It works the same as an electric blanket. If I’m sitting for any length of time then I plug this in pop it on a low heat and it has 90 minute cut off. I keep the heat minimal but wear it for the full time if I’m on the computer or sitting knitting/ crocheting/ reading/ watching telly etc. You can pick these up in places like Aldi or Lidl’s for around £15- a great investment rather than forking out for a days heating.

4. Thermals! I know soooo attractive- NOT. But these are great I have several pairs of ‘Heat’ knee length socks, normal thermal socks and some thermal vest style tops that go under what your wearing. Like I said not the most attractive things but they do work and can be picked up quite cheaply from sports shops to  Primarni!

5. Hot drinks.! This is obviously a no brainer and there is a chance you may get a bit waterlogged throughout the day but they do help. For this I recommend a flask- as sometimes when having a bad day I will be in bed or on the sofa most of the day. My OH and kids know to always leave me a flask of hot green tea! But for those lucky enough to have a little home office a hot drink from a flask is a godsend as it saves you interrupting your work or the flow of your writing all the time for a cuppa- so when you make your 1st cuppa fill a flask at the same time and that way you have your next warm drink at your fingertips. I have several single size flasks that keep a hot drink hot for ages.

So if your like me and are at home during the day but don’t want the expense of a huge heating bill over the winter try some of these tips and let me know how you get on.