If you live in a region that experiences multiple seasons every year, you can’t afford to avoid being vigilant. Although I don’t have the ability to burn wood to stay warm in the winter, there are a whole plethora of things to do before the cold season starts every year. One obvious example is making sure that I have warm clothing that isn’t falling apart at the seams. I don’t like getting a few weeks into cold weather only to find out that I need new clothes for the season to stay warm. At that point anything left at the department stores isn’t going to be cheap or in the exact colors or orientations that you want. The best time to shop for warm clothing is whenever your local stores start to unveil spring and summer clothing. That’s when the clothing stores need room for the new arrivals so they clearance out any of the warm winter clothing that remains. I have bought quality sweaters and pairs of jeans for over 75% buying them in the spring, weeks after I need them. If I save them until the following autumn, it’s like having brand new clothing at the start of the warming season. But the most important thing to do before either winter or summer is getting your heating and cooling systems inspected respectively. You don’t want to get a few weeks or months into either season and realize that you need either portion of your HVAC system repaired or replaced. By then most of the local HVAC suppliers will have waiting lists for their service appointments. That’s why I always get my HVAC system inspected before a period of time when I know I’ll be using it regularly.