Families are forced to sleep in tents in their living rooms to avoid expensive heating
- Families set up tents in living rooms in winter
- This keeps heat down to avoid paying for electricity
- Aussies admit to doing this in the past
Families admit that they have slept or are considering sleeping in tents in their living rooms to save money on heating in the winter.
The idea comes as households are looking for ways to spend less during Australia’s cost of living crisis.
A conversation started online after a dad recommended the tip, after implementing it in his own home.
Mario, from Texas, shared a sad photo of his two children sleeping side by side in a tent that caught the attention of more than 864,000 Aussies.
The belief is that sleeping together in one tent reduces heat, making it easier to stay warm all night.
Mario set up a tent in his living room for his children to sleep to save money on electricity. Aussies say they’ve done or come close to doing the same thing in the past (stock image)
‘Tip for those who don’t have heating. Buy a tent and place it on your bed. Cover it with a blanket or two for insulation,” he wrote alongside the image.
‘This kept our family warm when the temperature in the room dropped, but in the tent it was 26 degrees Celsius.
“We used a $20 tent that has been sitting in my garage since last year.
“If you have one and don’t have power, I suggest doing this or buying one because who knows how long you’ll have power. The kids loved it and went to sleep warm and comfortable. Stay safe everyone.’
The post quickly went viral and has since resurfaced among Australian Facebook groups.
The boost comes as thousands look for ways to spend less during the cost-of-living crisis (stock image)
Parents said they have done the same thing or come close to it in the past.
‘We did that in our old rented house. Very effective. The house was old and freezing cold,” one mother wrote.
‘I like this idea. Maybe I should do this with my little man,” another wrote.
A third said: ‘That’s a great idea, the kids would love camping in the lounge. I put hot water bottles in my kids’ beds when they were younger about an hour before bedtime.”
Others were not shy about blaming companies for the high electricity prices.
“The Australian government should be ashamed of themselves,” added one.
“I think it’s really sad in this country that people are being forced to do this because big companies are crippling families financially, as we now see electricity and food becoming luxury goods,” said another.
At the moment, the price of basic necessities – such as groceries, gas, bills and alcohol – has risen, stretching the household budget even further.