Winter is approaching and nothing makes us feel more prepared than a good arsenal of life hacks at the ready for whatever MN throws at us. There are so many brilliant life hacks out there, but only some of them can stand up to the toughness that is Minnesota. From beer stacking to staying warm, here are some life hacks that everyone in Minnesota should remember and use!

  1. This winter, turn your ceiling fan on backwards to push the hot air back down!

Wikimedia/Hans Olav Lien Heat rises while cooler air sinks. By switching the direction that your fan blades turn, that cooler air is drawn upwards and forces the warmer air near the ceiling back down. This can actually save up to 10% on heating costs.

  1. Make your headlights look like new with a little toothpaste and hot water!

Wikimedia/Maryland Pride

  1. Keep your house clean and let your boots stay dry and warm with this easy DIY rock tray.

Dollar Store Crafts It looks lovely and keeps them off the cold floor!

  1. And keep them standing up straight with pool noodles!

Happy Go Lucky Blog

  1. Stack your beers with a binder clip to save fridge space (when they’re not out in the snow that is).

  2. Use a shower caddy for clean car eating! Perfect for all those drive-through meals!

Lookie What I Did Blog

  1. Add a few drops of essential oil to the inside of your tissue box and help clear up any congestion!

Pixabay/Annaj

  1. Put gas in your car from the backseat to really stay warm when its below zero!

Whatsmeme This may not be the best idea, but it has definitely been done.

  1. Use a clothespin to hold nails!

The Frugal DIY Mom

  1. Bring cardboard to put under your feet at outdoor events and stay warm!

Wikimedia/Richard Wheeler (Zephyris)

  1. Use duct tape to open tricky lids!

Toat.com Stick a little duct tape to the lid, leave yourself enough extra tape to act as a pull-handle, and pull on the tape to twist the lid off.

  1. And as a drink holder in the car when there aren’t enough!

Hudson Essex Terraplane ‘Open Forum/rambos_ride

  1. Put a Minne-skirt on it! Wear one of these amazing full-zip down feather skirts by Heim-Made over any pants you have on!

Facebook/Heim-Made

  1. Clear the fog on your windshield without letting the cold air in!

Wikimedia/John Phelan Keep a dry erase board eraser in your car and use it to clear the windshield from the inside. It works wonders!

  1. Insulate your skin from the cold and moisturize cracked, dry skin with baby oil.

  2. Wash under your car by driving over a sprinkler slowly, and prevent damage from all that salt and de-icing material!

Pixabay/Byrev

  1. Men and women can wear pantyhose under their clothes for an extra layer of winter warmth. It’s an old hunting trick - or maybe a lumberjack one?

Wikimedia/Daniel Case

  1. Use hand sanitizer to melt a frozen door handle!

Wikimedia/Sean Narvasa

  1. Use a razor to fix your pilly sweaters.

The Burlap Bag

  1. Stay safe when you’re biking this winter with a few strategically placed zip-ties! The extra traction will come in handy.

Dutch Bike Co

  1. Bonus: Remember this for next summer, keep a fan turned on you to prevent mosquitos from flying close.

Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures

These life hacks should help you get through the upcoming winter and hopefully through years to come of Minnesota’s unpredictability. Which one of these is your favorite?

Wikimedia/Hans Olav Lien

Heat rises while cooler air sinks. By switching the direction that your fan blades turn, that cooler air is drawn upwards and forces the warmer air near the ceiling back down. This can actually save up to 10% on heating costs.

Wikimedia/Maryland Pride

Dollar Store Crafts

It looks lovely and keeps them off the cold floor!

Happy Go Lucky Blog

Lookie What I Did Blog

Pixabay/Annaj

Whatsmeme

This may not be the best idea, but it has definitely been done.

The Frugal DIY Mom

Wikimedia/Richard Wheeler (Zephyris)

Toat.com

Stick a little duct tape to the lid, leave yourself enough extra tape to act as a pull-handle, and pull on the tape to twist the lid off.

Hudson Essex Terraplane ‘Open Forum/rambos_ride

Facebook/Heim-Made

Wikimedia/John Phelan

Keep a dry erase board eraser in your car and use it to clear the windshield from the inside. It works wonders!

Pixabay/Byrev

Wikimedia/Daniel Case

Wikimedia/Sean Narvasa

The Burlap Bag

Dutch Bike Co

Pixabay/PublicDomainPictures

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