The Great A/C Debate

To cool or not to cool, that has been the question at our house for the past couple of months. In previous years, the A/C was turned on as soon as Spring arrived. Not a thrifty choice, but one that pleased the family. This year, I delayed 'flipping the switch' because electricity is so expensive. I have a budget for electricity, and I don't want to blow it when we can survive without it.

My husband (a.k.a., Mr) is a firm believer that the house should stay around 72 degrees throughout the summer, especially at night. Since I work from home (and therefore am not exposed to an air conditioned office all day), I can deal with temperature variations between low 60s and mid 80s. After much heated discussion, though, we reached a frugal compromise.

We turned on the air conditioner, but set the thermostat to 80 degrees. With the use of a couple of fans, Mr is comfortable. I am the only one home during the day, so I shut off the A/C if it isn't needed. And I am happy to report that we stayed under our electricity budget for the month. In fact, we reduced our usage by 20% as compared to the same time last year.

I am feeling great about our frugality today. A little sacrifice goes a long way, and I am celebrating this small success.