With all this cold weather and a record number of blizzards, too many families are spending a fortune keeping their homes warm.

Many heating oil companies require a minimum order of 150 gallons before they’ll even deliver to a residence. (At $3 per/gallon that’s $450) I hope and pray you never run out of oil when you’re also running low on money!

What can you do?
If it happens, don't panic. A little known fact is that home heating oil and diesel fuel are both #2 fuel oil. You can substitute the diesel fuel oil you find at gas stations for home heating oil and your furnace will be just fine.

Here's How
So if you don’t have enough money for a 100+ gallon delivery of heating oil, you can safely heat your home with a few gallons of diesel. But beware, it'll will cost you more per gallon because diesel fuel is taxed to cover road maintenance. And if you’re heating a big house or it’s so cold that your furnace is working double-time, you’ll be making frequent trips to the gas station getting 5 gallons at a time. But that's better than being in a house with no heat or running space heaters 24/7.

Ounce of Prevention
Lastly, make sure you’ve sealed up drafts in your house. I got a thermal leak detector to find hidden cold spots in our house. (Disclosure, if you order through this this link I’ll get credit for referring you.) As soon as it came out of the box, my kids wanted a turn using it. They loved sleuthing around the house looking for cold spots and coming up with ideas to block drafts. They declared themselves “Cold Spies.”  

Who would’ve thought that staying warm and finding new ways to save money on heating oil would also be so much fun?