It's that time of the year when winter comes and brings along with it a blanket of snow and freezing temperatures.

How prepared are you this year for the cold? As the temperature drops, it's important to keep you and your loved ones warm. So what are the best ways to keep yourself warm without your wallet suffering?

Toasty tips to keep warm:

• Layer your clothing, both indoors and outdoors. Inside it's easier and faster than waiting for an entire room to heat up and layering up for outside helps you fight off cold winds.
• Open the curtains during the day to get as much sunlight in, and closed at night to keep warm air from escaping out.
• Block any drafts of air from windows or doors with cloth or fabric to stop cold air from making the room colder.
• Cook something up! Make dinner or bake; it adds warm air to your home and also provides you with something to eat!
• Create a tent over your bed to trap the warm air your breathe out, like a canopy or using a blanket.
• Move your body! Activities like yoga, stretching, or exercising produce heat within your body and keep you warm.

Other safety tips to keep in mind:

• Do not use your gas oven or stove as a source of heat, it's a fire hazard and harmful gases may leak out, causing carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Remember your pets! They can only handle a certain amount of cold, so don't forget to layer up your furry friends.
• Check on neighbors, friends, relatives, and clients (if you are a service provider) during freezing temperatures.
• If someone living on the street may need help during these ice cold winter days, call 311 for the Department of Homeless Services, and they will send a team to assist them.