I have a confession to make..

Do you know how frugal I've gotten since filing BK? There are lots of things that I just refuse to spend money on anymore unless I absolutely have to.

It's 63 degrees in my house and I'm trying desperately to start a fire in my fireplace with NEWSPAPER! I have plenty of dry wood but dh keeps forgetting to me some pine so all I have to start the wood with is newspaper.

I have central heat but it's so darn expensive to run it that I'd rather try to get a fire going instead.

Luckily my kids aren't home otherwise I would have already turned the heat on.

Congratulations on your frugality. Not a thing wrong with that and if you have a fireplace (that is safe) why not use it?

Be aware Oak is wonderful but burn pine only as tinder. Pine carries a tar that can build up and in time, cause a chimney fire. There is a type of pine called liter, or literknot, or unbled heart pine. It is a wonderful liter of fires. It is pine that has died and the sap falls to the root. It is turpentine and has that smell. Used in "LITTLE" pieces is a wonderful tinder. Before I knew what it was, I put a chunk of it in a wood stove. That stove was so hot you could see through the red iron, and the wife and I were washing down the walls with water that was steaming off. I damped it back but you would not dare put water on the stove as it would have exploded.

You can buy this and also starter logs pretty reasonable. Also household burnables such as plastic bottles and milk bottles. They burn well (smell a bit) but will start oak. Is the oak seasoned? New cut oak will not burn well and if burning will smoke. Oak aged cut for a year is good. Hope that helps. I learned a lot in the 70's from Mother Earth News. 'Hub

P.S. if you wish to know how to make a passive solar hot water heater, I have made many and they work.

at 63 all you need is a sweater, no need for heat. I've heard it's the drastic temperature change that makes you ill, not the cold.

Nothing wrong with being frugal when complemented with some good ol common sense. When it does get very cold inside your home...use your heat. You shouldn't risk your health/life and become a cold casualty.

Congratulations on your frugality. Not a thing wrong with that and if you have a fireplace (that is safe) why not use it?

Be aware Oak is wonderful but burn pine only as tinder. Pine carries a tar that can build up and in time, cause a chimney fire. There is a type of pine called liter, or literknot, or unbled heart pine. It is a wonderful liter of fires. It is pine that has died and the sap falls to the root. It is turpentine and has that smell. Used in "LITTLE" pieces is a wonderful tinder. Before I knew what it was, I put a chunk of it in a wood stove. That stove was so hot you could see through the red iron, and the wife and I were washing down the walls with water that was steaming off. I damped it back but you would not dare put water on the stove as it would have exploded.

You can buy this and also starter logs pretty reasonable. Also household burnables such as plastic bottles and milk bottles. They burn well (smell a bit) but will start oak. Is the oak seasoned? New cut oak will not burn well and if burning will smoke. Oak aged cut for a year is good. Hope that helps. I learned a lot in the 70's from Mother Earth News. 'Hub

P.S. if you wish to know how to make a passive solar hot water heater, I have made many and they work.

Yes I only use the pine as a starter. It normally takes just a very small piece. We have lots of dried Oak and a great log splitter so we don't have to chop by hand anymore.

You've actually made a solar water heater? How may I ask? I'd love to get solar panels actually but getting that started is quite high.

Oak, among many other woods, is very good for cooking. If you really enjoy this, and are interested, you could easily attach a small smoker box to your fireplace, vent it back INTO the fireplace, and be cooking smoked foods.

I have done this for many years, and if you are burning the wood anyway, you can get another use from it for very small cost. Putting together a setup like this might cost anywhere from zero to a hundred dollars. And the taste is divine.

Run some searches online and you will quickly see ideas. Very easy, very tasty, very economical.

We use newspapers to start fires in our fireplace all the time. We roll and then twist the newspapers into knots first - here's a good explanation of how we do it - http://www.woodheat.org/tips/newspaper.htm

If you live near evergreens that drop pinecones, pinecones make a great firestarter as well. All you have to do is go out and pick them up :)

Here's another newspaper method that involves creating newspaper "logs" - http://www.ehow.com/how_4964426_make-fire-logs-out-newspaper.html#

Good for you that you are finding ways to save money!