There are conflicts going on all over the world. Look no farther than any news outlet to read about wars in the Middle East and chaos in Ukraine. Unfortunately, a battle is raging in the 1500 household as well and it’s starting to get ugly.
Mrs. 1500 is currently a stay at home mom and I work out of the house. As a result, both of us spend a good deal of time at home. Normally, we live a fairly harmonious existence. We have small battles when I forget to put down the toilet seat or Mrs. 1500 loses all of my underwear when doing wash. She “falls in” and I end up a little chafed, but these spats are short lived. However, a full on battle breaks out every year when the winter weather sets in.
Mrs. 1500’s corrections to the inconsistencies in the above paragraph: Mr. 1500 lives in a house with 3 girls and zero other boys. I don’t think it is an unreasonable request to ask him to put the seat down. Second, I have never lost all of his underpants when doing the wash. I do “lose” the ones he has had since high school, that are in an indecent state. When mere threads connect the myriad of holes, they suddenly “disappear” never to be seen again. Oops.
Mrs. 1500 is comfortable when the thermostat is set at about 102. I’m a lot better at 67. There is no common ground.
Mrs. 1500 again corrects the factual errors in the previous statement: I actually prefer the thermostat to hover around 68-70. Our home is exceptionally insulated – we blew mountains of cellulose into the attic. The furnace rarely comes on. Mr. 1500 would prefer it to be around 64, which doesn’t seem like much, but really is.
Working in my home office with sweat pouring off, I have no choice but to knock the thermostat down to a reasonable temperature. I’m good for an hour until Mrs. 1500 walks by and cranks it back up to 105 or so. Back and forth it goes.
Mrs. 1500 AGAIN refutes the blatant lies being presented by Mr. 1500: He drops the temperature down far lower than ‘a reasonable temperature’ – let’s try 63. Not cool. Actually, really cool. Way too cool. I lovingly nudge the temperature back up to 68 or maybe even 69 in an effort to melt the icicles hanging from the ceiling…
To try to inspire Mrs. 1500, I told her about the Frugalwoods who stated in a recent podcast that their home was currently 55 degrees. This tactic did not work. Mrs. 1500 muttered something like this:
Good for the Frozenwoods. Hopefully their greyhound survives the deep freeze.
It gets even worse in the car. A couple winters ago, Mrs. 1500 had the heat cranked up so high that I took off all of my clothes above the waist. I thought that the appearance of my pasty white torso in the middle of winter would humiliate her into setting a temperature somewhat less that what is required to trigger a fusion reaction. Nope. Joke was on me. The 4 wheeled sauna rolls on.
Mrs. 1500 comment: This was on a long drive. I like to wear just clothes on a long car trip, rather than be bundled up in a jacket, hat, gloves, scarf, etc. Mr. 1500 thinks nothing of wearing all the aforementioned items, then complaining that he is too warm. Also, I think he was sitting in the sun.
The nuclear option
I have a solution and it isn’t pretty:
Yes, the nuclear option is the locking thermostat guard, seen in high-schools and office buildings everywhere. For only $15, I could be the temperature overlord forever.
What do you think? Do I pull out the nuke? Will deployment of this device end in mutually assured marriage destruction? Can our hot-cold marriage survive a Colorado winter?
Mrs. 1500 comments: I wouldn’t recommend it…
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i know these battles all too well. It doesn’t help we currently reside in a drafty older home and the heat rises like crazy, creating a very different environment upstairs while the living toom and kitchen is only mildly comfortable. I’ve woken up sweating because he’s cold watching tv, forgetting that I’m basically melting (I go to bed earlier than him).
My biggest want in this area is o someday have dual zone climate control in a car. Oh to be driving with my foot up against the vent because it’s on the gas and to have warm air warming up my toes rather than nothing!
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Alicia-
And you’re in Canada to boot! Bleh.
We added a 2nd story and noticed the same phenomenon, despite all of our insulation. I closed all of the vents on the 2nd floor and that seems to do the trick.
Mrs. 1500 is also a big fan of the lower vents in the car. This is also a battle now that I think about it. She switches to the lower ones and I go back to the dash vents.
It’s currently 65 in the house and Mr PoP is still in bed. I’ll bet you guys a beer in Omaha that when he comes out he turns on the heat before putting socks on. =)
Mr PoP and I don’t vary too much in house temperatures, I’m just more willing to put on a sweatshirt and socks when we get these cold snaps whereas Mr PoP thinks it’s his god-given right as a Floridian to never wear socks again.
Cars though are another matter entirely. I HATE air conditioning in cars. Spring/Summer/Fall I want the windows down and in the winter I want the heat on. Mr PoP on the other hand likes his cars with icicles hanging off the vents. So car trips are where we battle.
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“whereas Mr PoP thinks it’s his god-given right as a Floridian to never wear socks again.”
Stop, you’re destroying my beautiful picture of Florida (never wearing socks!).
It is funny you mention the car A/C because while Mrs. 1500 likes it to be about 99 in the car in the winter, she is like Mr. PoP in the warmer weather, cranking on the A/C all. the. time. I don’t understand.
WOW, 65! I’m moving in with you. I think I could see my breath when I woke up this morning…inside the house!
Just leave the dinosaurs here with me.
We solved the car issue by splurging for a car with dual automatic climate control – best splurge ever! I can have my side set to 70, he can be at 74 (or whatever). And it works surprisingly well considering that it’s shared space.
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Hah! Frozenwoods! Love it. I only feel like that when getting out of bed in the morning… it’s just momentary frigidity and then I pull on a sweater and all’s well. We’ve turned our heat on now so we’re set at 62 during the days when we’re home and 58 the rest of the time and at night. I go around the house and remove the icicles every morning so they don’t fall and pierce anyone. It’s no big deal.
Frugal Hound has a heating pad in her snuggly doggy bed as well as some houndy sweaters, so she stays warm. Mostly, we just wear a lot of clothes inside–I have 3 layers on top and 2 on the bottom at present moment. Our issue is that winters are soooo looooong here (basically September to May) and we shudder to think what we’d spend if we heated our home any warmer.
P.S. I do not recommend the thermostat lock box. Looks like a recipe for a lifetime of lost underwear 🙂
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Hmmmm, I need to bring the Mrs. around to your way of thinking. To do this, we must conspire. Once the homestead is up and running and you have a place for guests, YOU will put the lockbox on YOUR thermostat and set it to 62! YES! Mrs. 1500 is less likely to seek revenge on friends than she is on me.
I agree about the lost underwear. I’d be doing with an unfurnished basement in not time if I installed the lockbox.
A nuclear option might just lead to a nuclear winter.
Ask your dinosaur friends what a long, cold winter did for their families. Just sayin’.
Ha, nice one! Comment of the day!
Did anyone notice the temperature set on the thermostat inside the lockbox is 72?!? What a nice, reasonable temperature!
Wife, that is a consumer trick, designed to make you feel good about the device so you buy it. After ours is installed, you will NEVER see the number “72” through its little plastic shell.
No, I think it is showing you what a normal thermostat should be set at.
You have fallen for this clever consumer trap. I thought that you were above such trickery.
The article was good but this exchange is just … Y’all crack me up.
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72 in the summer, right? 😉
We all must be related somehow.
Mrs. 1500, if you spend a week at chez nous, you’ll go back home and think Mr. 1500 has the Midas touch with the thermostat. I’m working at home today and the current temp is 59 (granted, we live in a house similar to Alicia’s–old and drafty, in spite of the tons of insulation we’ve blown, installed) and will drop to 57 before the furnace kicks back on.
Also, Mrs. 1500, just a recommendation: don’t mess with a man and his underwear. I have a few pairs that have been around longer than my children (one ready to enter high school). We–the underwear and I–have a special bond.
“Also, Mrs. 1500, just a recommendation: don’t mess with a man and his underwear. I have a few pairs that have been around longer than my children (one ready to enter high school). We–the underwear and I–have a special bond.”
***fist bump***
You have given me an idea. I’ll disconnect the furnace altogether. After living in 50 or 40 degree temps for a couple days, I’ll magically fix is. She will then be thankful for 65 or 53,
Youbetcha; stoicism, Mr. Money Moustache style.
If the furnace “breaks” in this weather, I will call a repairman to fix it if Mr. 1500 won’t. Don’t take that as a threat…
Right on. Mrs. 1500 isn’t much of a stoic. Not yet at least.
This is a battle we have constantly… although the last few years, Mr. SSC has been playing the ‘think about the babies’ card against me to keep the thermostat in what I consider ridiculous ranges. But, I am soft-hearted and weak-willed when it comes to my children, so I have lost the battle…for now.
I don’t know what it is – but in the winter, I like to be cold, and in the summer, I like to be warm – but I think most people seem to think that is crazy and unnatural!
On a side note – we did contemplate installing one of those locking systems over our thermostat when Mr. SSC’s Father-in-Law was with us for a few weeks one summer… he cranked the AC down so low my breath was fogging! But then they parked their truck on our lawn and turfed our grass, so I flipped out and miraculously they found an apartment to move into the next day!!!
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Hello, Mrs. SSC.
I thought of you this morning when I got up, rapidly downing coffee in an effort to warm myself…
I am hot right now and am heading downstairs to turn down the thermostat.
Get a space heater with a fan/cold air function! Blow the cold air in the office while you’re working, let the thermostat hover at 69, and no one has to get a divorce. 🙂
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Space heaters cost a lot to run, so Mrs. Hotpants will never have one. On the other hand, I’ll buy her a had from the thrift store (on half price day).
I have to chime in on Mr 1500’s side here. Our home is currently 58, but if it gets above 62, my whole family has a tough time sleeping. When I wake my 8 year old son up in the morning, his body is warm. I say it’s my Irish skin that was built for the cold. My hubby didn’t always like it cold but after 12 years together he has acclimated.
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Wow, Mrs. 1500, are you listening?
Mrs. 1500 is Irish. Maiden name even has the “O'” thing going on. I guess this trait passed her genes over. As a result, she’ll have to wear thicker jeans.
Haha, I love reading through the comments and seeing couples with completely different ideal temp ranges. We’re no different. I’m always warm and Meg is always cold. We’ve settled on winter temps at 68 when we’re home and 60 from when we’re away/sleeping.
This is obviously less than ideal for her. In the summer I’ve had the A/C set to 72 during the day… up until this year. I figured I should experiment with my own ‘settings’, and spent the summer with the house 78 (75 at night). It took a few weeks to get used to, but wasn’t too bad. I noticed the humidity was the biggest factor over whether 78 in the house was uncomfortable or tolerable!
Insert Subrant… I notice your 90 temp setting on the thermostat. I know Meg thinks that if she turns the thermostat up higher, the air blowing out will be hotter. I constantly have to explain how it just runs longer to get to the temperature, not actual hotter air. Maybe these newfangled furnaces run that way, but our house was built in ’27 so I’m surprised our primary source of heat isn’t a wood burning stove (except those apparently are back in).
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BGM, you don’t count since you’re from the Dakotas. 50 in a house probably feels like the Sun after being outside.
I know just what you’re saying with the subrant. The Mrs. does something similar in the car; to get warm, she’ll crank the can up to the highest setting. This just causes the air coming out of the vents to not be as hot.
See, Mr. 1500??? BGM says “…We’ve settled on winter temps at 68 when we’re home…”
And he lives in North Dakota! I think their state motto is “North Dakota…the not warm state.”
That or, “North Dakota, where you see nothing but the inside of buildings for 6 months of the year…” I’ve heard either one.
On a side note, we’ve had wind chills in the negatives for most of the last two weeks and I think I’ve worn a coat to work once.
It.
Just.
Isn’t.
Cold.
Big Guy Money recently posted…Identify, Then Embrace The Power Of Choice
Funniest post of the week. You’ve won the internet.
I think this is a case of the least comfortable person winning out. I find that I get cold easily so, as long as I’m in a hoodie and a hat and I’m still cold, I get to turn the thermostat up a degree or so. If Mrs. DB40 is in her swimsuit and is still hot (and let’s be honest, she always is), then she can turn the thermostat down.
There may be no middle ground though. In that case, maybe there’s something else that can be bargained?
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Hey DB40.
Maybe we should switch spouses? How handy are you around the house?
Enough to be dangerous…
Done by Forty recently posted…Power of the Baseline
“There may be no middle ground though. In that case, maybe there’s something else that can be bargained?”
I have threatened to send Mrs. 1500 off to live with her folks in Texas or her cousin in Arizona. She will not budge.
He can have all the dinosaurs, and all the Diet Mt. Dew. I just want the thermostat to be set at 68. Is that too much to ask? Not according to Big Guy Money…
Hmmm start a war? Wouldn’t recommend it
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Too late…
Hilarious! Oh and I never understood putting the toilet seat down…what’s the big deal?? It’s one quick motion. But I ALWAYS do it…because there’s one thing I’ve learned…Your Wife is ALWAYS RIGHT…….even when she’s not! =)
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“because there’s one thing I’ve learned…Your Wife is ALWAYS RIGHT…”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Next up: The Toilet Seat Wars.
Oh man.. Toilet Seat Wars: Attack of the Thrones
Big Guy Money recently posted…Identify, Then Embrace The Power Of Choice
Long time reader, first time commenter. I look forward to “Thursday Rant’s” with bated breath but this “Thursday Battle” was awesome! Not to disparage any of the other work done on this fantastic blog but this most recent post was exceptional. The eternal temperature battles constantly rage at our house making it resonate with my experiences. The worst is in the summer time in our Alabama heat and humidity. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Seth for the kind comments! I don’t envy your humid summers. I’m sure you don’t envy my freezing-ass winters….
We have the same “fun” interactions at our home! When I tossed one pair of my husband’s holey underwear I thought he was going to never stop whining. I went and bought three new pair to replace the worn out one and he is still complaining. Sigh.
JD, how could you!
this was interesting to me, because this: http://www.kenilgunas.com/2014/11/the-art-of-keeping-warm.html was also in my reader this morning…personally, we heat with wood, so if you want to be warmer, you’re closer to the stove and if you want to be cooler you go into another room. I bet a thermostat with zones would do the same thing though, right? My partner and I are mostly on the same page about heating our space, though car trips used to be a battle of wills–he likes it cooler than I do, but he ripped the thermostat out of the passenger side heated seat, so it just keeps heating up and needs to be cycled on & off periodically ( because it is always heating full-on) and that, combined with not turning on the heat in the car itself, does the trick for us 🙂
Wow, what an interesting post and house! I like the picture of him sitting there with a sleeping bag on. Oh Mrs. 1500, are you seeing this?!?
Pretty sure you have a hammer in the house… plastic doesn’t hold up so well to a hammer and a screw driver… So if you really enjoy repairing drywall… I say go for it! Exercise the nuclear option
Damn, she saw this comment and then tormented me with it. Now, I will have to make my own thermostat box out of sapphire glass.
If you guys upgraded to a nest thermostat, you wouldnt need to get up to change the temp…..just sayin’
$250 though? I’m too cheap for that. Besides, the stairs offer a bit of exercise.
My wife and I have the same battle. She is constantly asking me to turn the heat up, but for whatever reason never does it herself. So I never do and then I won’t hear about it until the next day when she will ask “is it cold in here?” I say no and then counter with “We are from Minnesota, if it isn’t below zero, we shouldn’t complain.” That doesn’t go over real well. I am with Mr. 1500 I program the temps to 64. Mrs. ROB could change the temp if she wants too, but so far our house is cool and I am saving on heating bills.
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“She is constantly asking me to turn the heat up, but for whatever reason never does it herself.”
It takes Mrs. 1500 about .01 seconds to get up and turn the stupid thing back up. Perhaps I need to put some kind of alarm or shocking device on it?
“We are from Minnesota, if it isn’t below zero, we shouldn’t complain.”
We lived in Wisconsin for 6 years. Almost the same. Mrs. 1500 has quickly forgotten.
This was really well written. Quite amusing. 😀
Thanks Joe!
I like it cooler than Dad pretty much all year long. I tend to suffer in the heat in the summer to make a point (I don’t turn the A/C on until it’s over 80F outside!). My ideal temp is about 68. I’m fine putting on more layers, but once my nose starts getting cold, it’s too cold….
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I cannot stand the heat either. Being hot sucks.
Lol my wife and I have the same battle too, expect our difference is not as huge. She wanted to set the temp to 69 and I wanted to set it to 65 during the day. We ended up somewhere in the middle. I basically convinced Mrs. T to wear a sweater at home during the day, maybe Mrs. 1500 could do the same? Or maybe a jacket too if she feels cold.
At night we set the temp to pretty low. We like sleeping in the cold and burn off the extra calories. 🙂
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Way ahead of you, Tawcan. I have a thick sweatshirt on, and frequently wear a hat around the house. Wool socks, warm pants. Still cold. I don’t think 68 is asking too much…
It is asking too much. 68 is ridiculous. You lived in Wisconsin. 68 is tropical Fiji weather compared to that frozen place. Be happy with 64 or else I’m moving the family to North Dakota.
In the Boston area, my house has been at 55 degrees for most days and nights these past two weeks. Yes, it is cold. Bring on the layers! My teenagers stay in the basement most of the time, where it is much warmer. When my daughter comes home to visit from LA next week, she will crank it up to about 68. I will begrudgingly allow this, because I like when she comes home to visit.
Unfortunately, my hot water tank runs off the furnace, so I completely shut down the whole system after we’ve taken showers in the morning. I have enough hot water to do a load or two or laundry, plus wash some dishes too.
By the way, this back and forth between Mr. and Mrs. is hysterically funny.
Thanks Cheryl! 55 is really badass, even for me. However, it may take threats of “55” to make the Mrs. accept 63.
We don’t have control over our heat, so no battles there. Don’t get me started on the heat in the car, though…
The worst is that the driver’s side of the car is a lot warmer than the passenger’s side. It means I wear a coat AND freeze if my husband is driving.
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I think we always drive so that whatever side Mr. 1500 is sitting on, that is the side that faces the sun. I fervently wish for the warmth of the sun, warming my frost-bitten face…
“Frost-bitten!?” Really? I didn’t know it was possible to sweat your butt off in our sauna-house and get frostbite at the same time.
Enjoying the battle. Same issues here – but husband wants warmer temps and blasting cold AC in the summer.
He went a bought an electric space heater to heat the GARAGE! (Man cave.) He left it running most of december last year and our electric bill came in and I nearly had a heart attack. He is now saying he needs to get a gas heater installed in the garage to save money. How about we don’t heat the garage honey? That will save lots of money. Sigh.
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Ha, I emphasize a bit with your husband, but only if the garage is well insulated.
Yeah, electric heat is terribly expensive and inefficient…
PS: What kind of an a-hole would steal a Christmas tree? Does it get any lower than that? Whoah. Glad you were too young to remember.
Perhaps split the difference and shoot for 65ish? That’s where we usually have it, though we both tend to run hot.
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She WILL NOT compromise. I totally did though. I offered the Mrs. $5 to go buy additional blankets at the local thrift store to help keep her warm.
I had fallen for the “72” trap in the past. The last few years we’ve been testing out lower and lower temperatures. We’re trying 65 during the day and 59 at night this year. (it was higher before we switched over to a celcius display and this is just how the easier numbers turned out)
Our daughter caught croup from her play group friends last week and I turned it up to 70 for a couple days. When I wasn’t sweating it did feel nice to have the heat up again.
I think we’re both on the same page now that we don’t want to go lower!
Don’t go nuclear. No one wins.
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65 seems like a pretty good compromise and I would do it. Mrs. is stubborn though and definitely would not.
I think the “nuclear option” is only a matter of time. I’d do it too. I’m thinking about also threatening her with a home urinal. DEFCON 1.
I like the thermostat set at 62, wife likes it at 68 of course our compromise is when it gets really really cold she goes under the electric blanket and I even sometimes to keep the wife happy move the thermostat to 65 remember happy wife happy life. I also would at all costs not put that on your thermostat you’re asking for marriage trouble, frugalsouras could disappear or get kidnapped.
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Oh, she wouldn’t dare tough Frugalsaurus! Well, maybe she would.
Electric blanket is actually a really good compromise, especially since we have one somewhere. Tine to go through boxes…
ahhhh, so good to be single!
Ha ha!
Ha ha! We normally set ours between 65-67. A few years ago would have been nearer 72. However now we live in a well insulated house so I think the house feels warmer for the same temp setting, but also I think if you lower the setting you do get used to it after a while!
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Mr. Bug and I are constantly debating the temperature in the house. He is from Northern Germany and much more tolerable of the cold than my Midwestern self. We have found a happy medium at 65-67 during the winter but we still struggle during the summer since I am fine with 78 and he wants 70. Sigh.
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Conveniently enough, no climate control battles in this house. I’d much prefer to be hot rather than cold, so we have it at 68 for now. But, that may be up for debate once we get the first gas bill for this new house. We did manage to survive the summer at a rather toasty temp. Our electric bill never crossed the $100 mark, even when the temps broke the 100F mark. Not too shabby considering I was very pregnant all summer long.
In other news, Mr. and Mrs. 1500 set a marriage example we could all hope to embody… what a wonderful illustration of mutual love and respect for each other!!
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The only thing I don’t understand is how you think you’re going to win, Mr 1500… women are always right, even when they’re wrong.
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Stop! My side hurts from laughing.. I was just asking my wife why the heat is on all the time even on the warm days. She said it’s the return air.. What? Is that like recycling? Still sweating 🙁
72 if we are home, 71 if we are sleeping, 70 if we are gone.
I tried every scenario of lowering the temp 10+ degrees and slowly bringing it back up. That actually added to our heat/electric bill because the furnace ran continually during the “bring the temp back up” cycles.
These temps keep our 2 story with a basement acceptable on all 3 levels. I do “vent opening/closings” based on season. In the winter I close all vents on the top level and open the bottom two. That seems to balance things out.
If we get below 68, I need thicker socks, multiple layers of shirts. It just doesn’t seem worth it. 65, 60, 55. Those are all “well below” my comfort threshold.
It was great meeting you two in person tonight!
Get a tamper proof landlord thermostat. No matter what it is set to, it maintains the pre-programmed temps.
No Nonsense Landlord recently posted…Best Home Improvements to Increase the Value of Your Home
Great battle, I like the idea of just wearing layers if your cold to solve the issue. Another tip is to waste money upfront, to save money forever with a Nest thermostat. I’ve heard they are smart, and can adjust to suit your needs. You can also buy a desk fan, Mr. 1500 as a happy wife = Happy Life. More electricity being wasted, oh the travesty.
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I think we have a role reversal at our house. We keep the pellet stove at 63 and the (fallback) gas furnace at 60 (she would prefer 59 for both). Due to the floor plan of our house, the master bedroom is the hottest part of the house. I wouldn’t mind warmer and I had to put the frozen foot down at dropping the house to 59. I mumbled something about frozen pipes and frozen dogs. I don’t think she bought it, but gave in to avoid the high pitch whine from my blue lips.
We do own a vast array of fleece clothes, including heavy fleece pants. An yes, they get a LOT of use. My slippers are high top sheepskin with a outside worthy sole.
Mrs. 1500, I know a guy who can change the lock on that doomsday device and force the coming o an early summer in the 1500 household…
That was hilarious! It sounds like me and my hubby. He goes by the thermostat and tries to sneakily turn it down. I go by it and LOUDLY turn it back up. We need to go south! And I’m with Mrs. 1500. I wouldn’t recommend that lockbox either. It truly IS cheaper to keep her, Mr. 1500! 😀
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Ha, nice to hear that others have thermostat wars too. For now, I’m keeping the lockbox in my shopping cart. Hopefully, the Mrs. doesn’t force me to pull the trigger. This is a cold war and she is Putin…
I’m a lucky one. My husband doesn’t complain that I refuse to turn on the heat until absolutely necessary. The children complain sometimes but I tell them until they wear pants, a long sleeve shirt and socks they can’t complain about the cold. They want to wear shorts & a t-shirt in the winter! I have the heat set to 50 degrees in the winter, to keep the pipes from freezing, unless the lease where we are currently living requires a higher temperature. One lease required the heater be set to a minimum of 65 degrees, it was poorly insulated and had original windows from 1970 that we could feel the winter winds through. All utilities were included in our rent price so I didn’t really care.
In the summer I don’t turn on the ac unless the house gets hotter than 87 degrees. We use the ceiling fans, drink cool beverages, go to the library and use socks filled with ice that we store in the freezer to wrap around our necks.
Having a space heater is pretty much my best friend every time cold weather strikes. For me, a space heater’s main advantage is that they produce heat that can absorbed directly by clothing and skin. Its good to have one in your room. Great blog!
Those covers have ventilation slots that wooden popsicle sticks slip through. Easy to change the settings….just don’t tell my boss..
Haha, love it!