Money saving advice for families in winter

Winter can be a difficult time if your family is struggling with money. You may worry about the costs of Christmas or rising energy bills or need help paying for food or clothes.

There are some things you can do to help keep the costs down, and places you can go for help.

Rising energy prices can be a huge worry for families. It’s important for your mental and physical health that you don’t stop heating your home altogether, but there are ways to reduce the costs:

• Turning the temperature down by 1°C and wearing extra layers instead can help save you money. You can teach your child energy saving rules at home.
• Get moving. A little bit of activity from time to time can help to boost your circulation.
• Spend time in other warm places. If you are home a lot, it is expensive to keep the heating on all day. You can take your children to public spaces like libraries. Some councils advertise their warm spaces in winter or you can find a place near you on the Warm Spaces map.
• Check what support you’re entitled to. If you are on certain benefits, you could get a cold weather payment when the temperature is below zero.
• If you are in Scotland, you can’t get cold weather payment, but you might be able to get a winter heating payment or child winter heating payment.
• Make sure your home is energy efficient. If you own your home, there are grants available to help you. If you rent your home from a private landlord, they must make sure your home meets certain standards. Read Citizens Advice guidance on how to make your home more energy efficient.

Foodbanks are there to give you food when you can’t afford it. Sometimes they can also offer other essential items and clothing. Check the Trussell Trust foodbank finder.

You can save on the cost of food if you:

• Plan and only buy what you need.
• Shop around to find the best deals. Trolley.co.uk lets you search for products and find which shops have the best prices.
• Save energy and waste by bulk cooking.
• Use a slow cooker or air fryer. These are typically more energy efficient than gas cookers and electric ovens.

Keep your children wrapped up warm in coats, scarves, gloves and hats. If you need help buying warm clothes for your child, you can go to:

• Charity shops and online selling groups for secondhand clothing.
• Your child’s school or childcare setting. They might offer uncollected lost property or can direct you to charities that can help.
• Local charities, churches and family centres. These often collect and give out children’s clothing.
• Out of season sales. You can find reduced winter clothes in the spring, so you can buy the next size up for your child to wear next winter.

You might feel pressure to spend more money in winter as your child gets excited about Halloween, Bonfire Night and religious celebrations.

It helps if you can manage your child’s expectations early. Involve your child in coming up with creative ways to celebrate that don’t cost too much. Maybe you can make homemade costumes and decorations together. If you talk to your child about money, you can agree a spending limit together or they might want to save up their own pocket money.

Read our advice on what to do if you’re worried you can’t afford Christmas and ideas for Christmas on a budget.