3 Budget-Friendly Tips for Turning Up the Heat on Game Nights

When having family and friends over to watch the big game or to host your own game night, do you crank the thermostat up to keep everyone happy? Quit blowing your snack budget on heat by making these simple tweaks.

Set the tone
Use a crockpot to heat mulled cider (or just use apple juice and spices) to kick off a memorable, cozy evening. Or make your own hot chocolate with extra peppermint! And snacks don’t have to be cold either – check out this recipe for some warm roasted pecan goodness. Simple touches like a pair of candles give a winter ambiance and warm everyone from the inside and out.

Keep it moving
Ever notice how some games get people more animated than others? This doesn’t just mean breaking out throwbacks like Twister or Bop-it, awesome as they are. Any game that involves charades or competitive guessing can have people jumping off the couch - even if it’s not strictly required and especially if you have a fun group to keep it going!

Close down
Remember - if you did bump your thermostat higher, reset it after the party. You might even find that having extra people over generates enough heat to do the job for you. In this case, go ahead and close the doors to rooms you’re not using, since your air handler isn’t circulating as much. And if you don’t have a central heating system, it always makes a big difference to close off extra rooms.

We hope these ideas keep your party moving and help set you apart as the perfect host on game night.