Baby, It's Cold Outside

As a teen, I was a major advocate for using the heater. My bestfriend's dad never kept their house above 65 degrees and told me to grab a blanket or sweater whenever I complained. I thought he was being completely irrational, not to mention a bit scroogey with his PG&E bill. I didn't fully understand his thought process until I moved into my own single-family home.

Apartments are great for heating because they are usually small and can warm up quickly. Heating an entire house, on the other hand, is a different beast entirely. It takes at least twice as long and costs much more than that. Even though there are times when I feel like I am freezing, I can't bring myself to turn on the heater.

My stubbornness reached a low point two years ago. It was our first winter in the house and I was worried about how high our bill would be. I convinced our roommates to "play a game" to see how long we could last without turning on the heater. We decided 55 degrees would be the breaking point. Yes, 55 degrees. I don't know what I was thinking convincing others to live like that; the air was so cold in the morning that it was actually painful to change! The final straw came when our roommate, Jenna, woke up extra early and swore she saw her breathe. She went to check the thermostat to confirm it was 55 degrees, and it read 49! Can you believe it?! 49 degrees inside our house; that is absurd.

I have since learned my lesson and we now have the heater set on a timer to come on in the morning. I continue find myself battling irrational thoughts of how "it's really not that cold" or "one more blanket won't hurt", and every time I do, I'm reminded of my bestfriend's dad. This thought makes me laugh because I have turned into him completely.

How low are you willing to keep your thermostat? 
(Photos: one and two)