Recently, Texas and other southern states experienced freezing temperatures that crippled the power grid and left many people experiencing temperatures below 30 degrees inside their homes. Just one week before this happening, I wrote a column discussing ways to prepare for power outages after a reader shared an account of being without heat.
A few times each year, I like to touch on preparedness issues, as I think many go hand-in-hand with the couponing mindset of stocking up on household necessities. In this previous column, I referred to the loss of heat being a concern in “four-season states.” I want to apologize for this statement, as clearly, loss of heat and power isn’t solely a concern for cold-weather areas. For more than a week in February, snow-covered 73% of the continental United States.
We should all be mindful of the kinds of at-home preparations we can maintain for unforeseen circumstances. I would like to share some of the emails I’ve received from readers who lived through the recent snowstorms and extended power outages in the hope that, if anyone ever finds themselves in a similar, unexpected situation, these tips and experiences might be useful to you.
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Dear Jill,
We live in Louisiana and lived through the coldest temperatures our area has seen in 112 years. Our pipes froze, and we tried to make the best of things.
A few tips where previous couponing habits actually helped us: Do not waste what limited bottled water you have on washing dishes or hands if you can help it. Use paper plates and cups and plastic silverware until they run out. Use baby wipes for washing hands and 'sponge bath' type cleanups. You can always buy more once things are over.
Lillian F.
Dear Jill,
Like many Texans, when we lost power, we immediately worried about the food in our refrigerator and freezer spoiling. My neighbor taught us a trick that we should have thought of ourselves. Take plastic totes, put all the food inside, and set the totes out in the snow behind the house. He said, 'If there is snow on the ground, your food won't go bad.'
John A.
Dear Jill,
Sharing some thoughts about living through the coldest Texas weather I have ever had in my lifetime. When it gets cold, batteries drain really quickly, and there went the flashlights. With no plows to clear roads here, you won't be going to the store and will rely on whatever you have in the house. Candles are a must. They will always light and be reliable.
Go to an interior room of the house to stay warm. When my husband and I got really cold, we would go in our bathroom. With candles lit and our body heat, we were actually warm and had light too. Obviously, we could not stay in there all the time, but it was our warm-up place to sit and read.
Megan T.
Dear Jill,
During the blizzard, we were told to keep our faucets running slowly to help prevent the pipes from freezing. I've got what must to be the strangest tip you have ever heard:
A neighbor told us to take tealight candles and float them in the toilet bowl and tank to prevent the toilet water from freezing and cracking the porcelain too. You will need to float them on a small piece of wood or make a little boat out of foil. Of course, you must extinguish and remove them before using the toilet and leave the seat open. Remarkably though, the candle heat kept the toilets from freezing.
Ann C.
Even a small amount of preparations can help make things a little easier when disasters strike. Numerous readers emailed to discuss the importance of having both batteries and candles on hand, as well as sharing other surprising ways to stay warm and deal with the unexpected.
I’ve received so many interesting accounts of surviving the big freeze from readers that I’ll be sharing more in next week’s column as well.
Email your own couponing victories and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.
