Four ways to prosper even as you stay home this winter season

NEW YORK -- Look out the window at the brutal winter weather in some parts of the country and you might decide never to leave your house again. Can you turn winter blues into a comfy but also financially rewarding nesting opportunity? You bet.

The simple part is saving money: You'll save money simply because you are home, not in a bar, not in a restaurant, not in a shoe shop, not on a plane, not anywhere! You are home with the things -- your iPod, your DVD player, fluffy throw pillows, fuzzy slippers, warm robe -- you already own, getting maximum use of out the money you already spent.

I did this myself over the holidays and as I share the story with friends, I think they are envious. My home is organized. I enjoyed music sitting in my living room. I spent quality time taking walks and thinking about the new year and setting personal goals.

As for how to prosper from your newly acquired nesting habit, try these ideas:

1. Get organized
Now is the perfect time to tackle all of those organizing projects you always mean to get around to. Get comfy on the couch with the box of crumpled receipts that need to be organized before tax time. Who knows what kinds of business expenses and small donations you might uncover in time to get a write-off? Are you paying your bills online yet? Saving the cost of a stamp isn't much of a deal, but if it helps you pay on time and avoid late charges it's worth it.

2. Start a side business online
Once your life is nicely organized, you might realize you have much more stuff than you need. Spend those cold winter nights at home monitoring your auctions on eBay or Craigslist and turn the things you no longer want or need into money you can stash for other uses. My book , "The Millionaire Zone," has some great stories of how people have done this successfully.

3. Knit and donate
Many charities are happy to receive handmade items to distribute to their clients. You can knit warm hats for premature babies, families in shelters, or soldiers stationed overseas. If you know other knitters, why not invite them over for an evening of knitting at home and share the warmth? Knitting for charity won't generate a huge tax savings (all you can deduct is the cost of the yarn) but it will have the added bonus of knowing you've done something nice for someone who needed it.

4. Nest to invest
While you're sitting there on the couch, look around your house. Is there anything happening at home, your home, that's also happening in the country at large that might result in a profit? Perhaps a stock that will increase in value now that the product is being embraced? For instance, many folks are staying home with their noses buried in a book. Amazon.com, anyone?

Or, are you comforting yourself with a dish of chocolate nearby? Chances are millions of other people are, too. Hello Hershey Co. Baking Betty Crocker brownies in the oven? Try General Mills Inc. Painting your toenails yourself and slathering on some lotion? It's Avon calling. How many movies are you watching on DVD this week? Netflix is here to help. The idea here is to use what you're familiar with -- the old Peter Lynch approach to investing -- to learn more about the companies behind those products and services.

So, make yourself comfortable and achieve some of your financial goals, too. Not a bad combination for starting the year.