Well, I feel an urgent need to digress from the usual format once more.  Forgive me this time and I will be back next week with more news from Celebrate Recovery.

As I was entering the Electric Power Board office recently I met an elderly lady coming out.  She said to no one in particular, “Lord how mercy it just took over half of my little old check to pay my utilities and I don’t have enough to pay my other little old bills.  I don’t know what people are going to do.”  Right then in my mind I asked the Lord to bless this precious soul and help her.

At the time I was teaching a Frugal Living class at the Senior Center and I could not help but offer her some advice about cutting down on her utility bill (that codependency kicking in!).  I told her to wash her clothes in cold water unless they were unusually dirty and to use the short cycle for linens, etc.  It isn’t the washing machine that burns so much electricity it is the hot water heater so use cold water whenever possible.

I also told her to set her thermostat on at least 80 when she leaves the house and no more than 74 when she is at home.  Fans are the answer.  You can buy a box fan for as little as $16 brand new and probably from $2 to $5 at a thrift store.  Put the fan in the room you use the most.  You will be amazed how high you can then set your thermostat.

People say to leave your thermostat the same all the time but I do save money by keeping it high when I am not at home for long periods.  I have checked it this past month or so since I have been teaching this class.  I have become more and more conscious of the money I am throwing out the window or blowing out the pipes!
I have a little “personal fan” I bought to use on my vanity when applying make-up and now, and I told her this, when I am reading I set my little fan on a table nearby.  When I do this I can just about set my thermostat on 78 or 80 degrees and still be comfortable.

I have ceiling fans in my bedrooms so when I start to bed I set my thermostat on about 80, close my bedroom door, turn my ceiling fan on low and I am always comfortable.

If things really get bad and you have a TV in your bedroom, eat your meal, clean up the kitchen and retire to the bedroom.  Close the door and turn on your fan.  If you don’t have a ceiling fan buy a cheap box fan.  It will pay for itself the first month.

In the winter you can do the reverse.  Buy a small ceramic heater to use in the bedroom.  Keep the door closed and you will be comfortable all night.  I usually set my thermostat on 64 or lower at night and use my little heater with a thermostat of its own.

Also in the winter time wear heavy clothing like sweats and thick socks and keep a throw on the sofa and turn the heat down.  

Now this is just the gospel according to Christine.  Don’t go burn yourself up or freeze yourself to death and sue me.  It was just a thought!

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