Winterize your wallet now

That's a great description I found on an ING website of some of the routine things blogger Jennifer Derrick reminds us we need to be doing about now to save money as weather turns colder. I wish I'd thought of it, but Ms. Ktnomics and I were outside most of yesterday winterizing before it gets nastier outside.

Now a recent jump in oil prices the last couple weeks makes winter preparation more imperative for both our homes and our cars. Here's an enduring list of some basics the federal government recommends every year. Some of the recommendations seem hard core, but take a look anyway. Even simple fixes, such as water damage from frozen pipes, can run a few thousand dollars more than any of us want to shell out right now, the Insurance Information Institute reports.