Schools are back, autumn is almost here and the cold weather will soon be upon us.
And with energy bills soaring right now, families are already planning on ways to keep warm without having to turn the heating on.
One thing that many parents are turning to, for themselves as well as their kids, is the Oodie.
Essentially an Oodie is a wearable blanket comprising an oversized hooded sweatshirt with a fleece interior and an equally oversized kangaroo pocket.
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They first became popular in 2020, when orders with the Australian company rose more by more than 200% from the UK, and with families struggling to pay their bills amid the cost of living crisis, demand for them is now at an all-time high.
On Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert website, one fan says she hasn't needed her heating since buying such clothing.
While not specifically promoting the Oodie brand, she said: "Invested in an oversized hoodie blanket to snuggle up in, not used heating since," she said.
And she's not the only one raving about the clothing.
One mum-of-two told us how her family's Oodies have been a godsend for keeping her and her kids warm both at home and on trips in their campervan.
"When you want to avoid putting the heating on these are fab," said the mum, who also follows the advice of Martin Lewis. "The kids love theirs and never complain about being cold."
The official Oodies are not cheap, but there's currently a sale on, with kids' starting from £47 and the reviews really do speak for themselves.
"BIG, fluffy, cuddly warm.. did I say BIG?" said one customer. "I love that you can fit a hot water bottle in the pouch. Up yours, energy company! I'll be in my oodie if you need anything:)."
"I got this 6 days after I ordered it and honestly it was worth the wait!" said another. "I was so impatient and so excited! It's so soft and cosy, I feel like I am locked in it! I love this so much and it fits my mom too and she wouldn't give it back!
"I am soo happy and it's the best thing I have put £50 pounds to. If you're thinking about getting one, just stop and def one! In other words, this is basically heaven online that you can buy! DEFINITELY Recommended!"
As well as the snuggly interior and the ease at which you can move around in an Oodie, one of the things customers like is the various designs - from avocados and penguins to Harry Potter and the newly released Minions range, which is available to pre-order.
You can save money with the bundles too, bringing the cost of four adult size ones to just over £50 each.
And if you don't want to splash out on the official Oodies, then other retailers are selling their own versions, including Primark, where its kids' fleece Snuddies cost from £10 and adults from around £19.
Its kids' range includes Spider-Man, 101 Dalmatians, pizza print and avocado print among others, while the ones for adults include everything from Looney Tunes and Mickey Mouse to Star Wars The Mandalorian and Marvel.
Have you been looking at ways to keep warm this winter? Are you planning on using your central heating less to keep your bill down? Let us know in the comments here.
A Money Saving Expert spokesperson said: "Any products mentioned on the MoneySavingExpert site are not endorsements and are purely down to journalistic research from the MSE team and Martin Lewis. In this instance, a wearable blanket was suggested by a member of the MSE Forum."
You can read the Heat the human not the home advice from Money Saving Expert here.
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