In parts of the East Coast, wintry weather started in October, and it’s only going to get chillier. Meteorologists predict surges of snow in some areas, accompanied with blasts of freezing air in the coming months.
If you’re one of the many retirees in the U.S. living on a fixed income, it’s important to get ahead of the brutal winter on the horizon. You want to get necessary winter-related products before they become more desperately in demand and prices go up or inventory runs out.
Let’s look at 10 Home Depot items East Coast retirees should stock up on before winter hits with a brutal, bitter bang.
Snow Blower
Currently the least expensive snow blower available at Home Depot is the Ryobi One+ Single-Stage Cordless Electric Snow Shovel, priced at $99. This item has garnered 4.2 out of 5 stars.
Heat-Up Thermal Vest
Keep warm against the ruthless chill with this Men’s black 7.2-volt lithium-ion heated vest by Ororo, priced at $149.99. There is a women’s option for the same price. These are awesome for long days in the cold as they stay heated for up to 10 hours. Plus, they’re machine washable.
Insulated Utility Gloves
If you’re going to be spending much time outdoors, you’ll want to keep your hands cozy and well protected. Instead of a pair of knit mittens, consider these Firm Grip winter utility gloves available in a variety of sizes for $11.97 at Home Depot.
Disposable Toe Heaters
Do your feet get achy in the cold? Do you have arthritis, which can flare up in the cold weather? Splurge on these disposable toe heaters (40-pack). They’re not cheap at $58, but they’re worth it if you have sensitive or arthritic toes.
Heating Pad
Another worthy investment to stay cozy and stave off winter aches and pains, particularly while lounging in bed or on the sofa? A heating pad. Consider the ConAir king-size option, selling at Home Depot for $32.31.
Portable Generator
If a big storm spurs a power outage in your area and you don’t have a generator, you’ll surely regret it. Not only will all your food in the fridge likely go bad, but you could be without heat, which is dangerous. One of the least expensive (yet well-reviewed) items in this category at Home Depot is the 4,000-watt/3,250-watt propane gas powered recoil start portable generator priced at $341.51. It’s the priciest item on this list, but it’s worth every penny for the sense of security alone.
Door Draft Seals
Cold air can blast in your house through doors that connect to the outside. Consequently, it will be harder to keep your house warm and your heating bill could go way up. Prevent that from happening by stocking up on these vinyl-clad foam kerf door seals. You probably won’t need many and they’re only $6.47 a pop.
Insulated Door Curtain
An insulated door curtain such as this Tricia Stone polyester room darkening single rod pocket curtain panel ($12.63 at Home Depot) is another cost-effective solution to blocking cold air from entering your home (especially if any of your doors have windows). This product is one of the more attractive options that is also affordable, and you can choose from a variety of colors.
Window Draft Seals
Don’t forget about the windows in your home. They also need to be protected against drafts that could make your home colder and drive up your utility bills. Get the self-adhesive weatherstrips by Frost King, selling at Home Depot for $4.44.
Space Heater
If only one or two rooms in your home are being occupied at a time, it makes sense to turn down the central heat and use a space heater or two. The gray electric tabletop ceramic space heater by Lasko is one of the cheaper options ($31.67) in this category sold at Home Depot. And it’s well reviewed with 4.5 stars out of 5.