Cost of the Cold

Throughout the east and Midwest we have been experiencing very cold temperatures this past week.  Since I live in on-campus housing, my closet is small.  This means that I am not as prepared for the cold as I would like to be.  But instead of going out and getting cold weather gear to deal with the chill as I am walking to class and meetings, I am getting creative, and it saved me a ton of money because those coats, etc. can get pricy.  I took the advice I saw on the morning news when I got up, and it kept me warmer than I could have been if left to my own devices. 

First they said to layer.  I knew that, but I used some Christmas gifts to make this even better.  I got a fleece sweater which I put over a shirt and an undershirt then put on my wool coat to keep my upper half warm.  Then I grabbed an old pair of tights I found in my drawer to act as my thermal underwear and put it on under my jeans.  A pair of socks and a warm pair of shoes were next, but I was still not prepared to go outside.  I learned this morning on that news program that you lose 40% of your body heat through your head, so I got out my scarf (also a gift) and made sure it covered a good part of my face and topped it all off with some gloves and sunglasses.  A friend of mine from Chicago said that the sunglasses are really key because they keep the wind from hurting your eyes.  While it was still cold when I went out I was much more prepared than I usually am, and did not have to buy anything extra to deal with it.