3 tips that'll keep you warm without overspending

There are a number ways that you can keep your home warm, and you can pull a few of them off without spending a dime - as long as you have the right stuff lying around your house.

When the temperature is dropping fast during the winter in many parts of the U.S., it's time for homeowners and renters to start finding ways to heat their spaces. This can be an expensive task for many people to take on, and some may choose to simply suffer through the freezing temperatures. However, there are a few ways that you can stay warm this winter without spending much, or any, money at all. For more on the ways that you can stay warm through the winter without spending too much on heating, check out some of the tips below: 

1. Trick the thermostat
If you live in a place where the thermostat is locked, such as an apartment building, you can manipulate the device without ever pushing a button, according to Instructables. The way to do this is to place something very cold on top of the thermostat. Remember those flavored ice pops that you used to suck down by the pound during summers when you were younger? Well, give one of those the time to freeze up and lay it down across the top of your thermostat and you make the device think the room is colder than it is. The devices detect the temperature near them, so if you place an ice pop on top, it will think that the room is cold. Don't use an ice cube though, it could melt all over the thermostat and break it.

2. Try eating more whole grains and drinking less eggnog
Not only are whole grains healthy, they are a great way to keep warm, Lifehack explained. Whole grains digest especially fast, which means that they will warm you up extra quickly. Also they are a source of some pretty important nutrients such as vitamin B, magnesium and others that can benefit the adrenal gland, which plays a role in regulating body temperature. Also, you can stay healthier and warmer by cutting down on your alcohol intake through the winter. While a shot of whiskey may make you feel warmer, alcohol actually has a detrimental effect on your body's ability to regulate temperature. Cutting down on the drinking will improve your body's ability to keep you warm while keeping the extra money you'd have spent on that six-pack in your wallet. 

3. Let your shower do the work
There are a couple ways that your shower can warm up your home or apartment through the winter, Instructables noted. If you take a hot shower or bath, don't let the water drain. Water holds heat very well, letting it sit and cool will radiate heat. This way, not only will you contain all the hot air within your walls, you'll also humidify the dry air a little bit. 

Showers can keep you warm through the winter in another way as well. If you take cold showers your circulation will improve, which will ultimately help your body in regulating its temperature. To make it easier, you can start with a hot shower and gradually make it colder. This will force your body to direct warmth to your vital organs - hot showers cause blood to rush to the surface of your skin, which will briefly make you feel warmer, but will do little for your circulation. 

These are just three tips that will help you stay warmer throughout the winter, but these three tidbits will also save you some money. Next time you're feeling a bit chilly, take a cold shower and eat some whole grains instead of flipping on the electricity-draining space heater.