My paycheck is becoming much more like play dough.
- I have to just stretch and wrench that thing just to get it to cover our expenses.
Like many other people, my income has stayed relatively flat while the costs around me continue to rise. This is something that I am certain most of us are experiencing. I remember being told by my company that our raises and cost of living adjustments would come back once the recession passed. Well, I have yet to see that happen and the explanations why are just the dumbest ever. However, worrying about that stuff doesn’t provide for my family. Thus came the serious cost tightening and side gigs for my wife and I. I was under the impression that our HVAC expenditure was simply a fixed cost. It was a check that I just had to scratch every single month no matter the cost. While myself and my family definitely want to have a home that is cooled and heated to a comfort level we desire, there are savings to be had. It didn’t take much time online to find a variety of cost saving measures. There are simple things like just moving the temperature setting to be more commensurate with the outside temperature. This was especially true for us as we live in an area that see extremely high temperatures for about 4 months of the year. I started by actually programming the thermostat to raise the temperature of the house during the peak heating hours. But, then there are many other avenues one can explore to find even deeper HVAC cost savings.