I have to admit, I’m a bit stingy when it comes to money, and I don’t love that quality about myself.
You see, I grew up in a poor household, well below the national poverty line.
As an adolescent I worked and paid for everything myself, and finances were a struggle all the way through college. Because of these hard times, I’m very financially cautious, and I worry often about my bank account and the future. That’s why I’m trying very hard to find ways to cut down on my utilities and save more money on the basic necessities that we use. I’ve been installing light timers throughout the house, more efficient showerheads, and replacing every appliance with the most energy efficient model on the market. I also want to replace our old thermostat with a programmable model, in order to minimize our energy expenditure on heating and cooling. Although we try to be conscientious of the thermostat settings, and adjust them before we leave the house for the day, it’s difficult to remember to make all of these temperature changes on a daily basis. I know that there are cheap thermostats which allow for automated alterations in line with your schedule, so that the heat or air conditioning is not running during your typical work day or throughout the night. I think that a simple modification such as replacing our temperature control unit could really cut back on our central heating and cooling usage, and we would save a ton of cash each month without even trying. I can’t wait to make the switch!