Earlier today I was reading Andrew Feinberg's article in May's Kiplinger's Personal Finance. He was mentioning the problems he has with John Bogle's index investing advice. Near the end of the article, Feinberg relays a story by John Bogle Jr. (a great mutual fund manager by the way) about how they kept it cold inside the house. Cold enough that Bogle Jr. insists you could see your breath. I can relate.
My mom and dad kept it very cold in the house and my sister and I were constantly complaining. During the Wisconsin winter it was 62 during the day and 60 at night. I hated it then but I can see the benefits of it now as an adult. It was death if we touched the thermostat. The savings can be significant. You can expect to save 3 percent on your heating bill for each degree you lower the thermostat. I also tend to think it contributed to an increased immune system. I did not miss a day of school from seventh through 11 grade. I missed a few days my senior year not because of sickness but I was working a 8 hour shift right after school ended. I was tired.
Today, we keep the house moderate. We also don't pay for heating or AC as we live in on base housing. It is a little warmer than I would like and probably a little cooler than my wife would like. My body got used to freezing.
My advice, turn down those thermostats in the winter, save money, and feel better.
Yeah, when I was a kid I was like “why is Dad so freaked out about the thermostat?” Now that I am a Dad I constantly set the thermostat to 65 during the day and night in the winter.
Heck we hang out downstairs in the cool basement to watch TV during the summer!
Like the blog, keep it up
Tom, thanks for the comments. I added your site to my blogroll. I enjoyed your recent post on postcard marketing.
I am a thermostat “turner-downer” and my husband is a thermostat “turner-upper.” I think I take after my father with my tendencies, but I also have seen the value in turning your thermostat down.
This past winter, I tried to keep the thermostat at 60 degrees during the day. Some days that were expecially windy and drafty (old house) I would turn it up to 64. At night, we piled on the blankets and turn the heat down to 55.
For us, the savings were astronomical. Even though we live in an area known for cold winters and lots of snow (UP of Michigan) our highest monthly natural gas bill this winter was $157. This was even with the increased natural gas costs compared to the previous winter.
It takes getting used to bundling up in the house during the day, but it was well worth it.
[...] Frugality: Don’t Touch that Thermostat! – Keeping your thermostat lower in the winter will save you money and boost your immune system. [...]
I remember cold winter mornings when I was a child getting up with my clothes and going to the back room to dress next to the furnace, the only warm place in the whole house. Now I sweat in the winter if a room is above 70. It is helpful I can keep the temps down in the winter and enjoy it, but people need to learn to insulate and weatherproof their homes.
I had 3 months of $100+ natural gas bills this winter, but nothing above $160. Most accquantences have bills near $300/mo. most winter months and wonder how to keep the bills down. It just takes determination.
One of my sisters is the ultimate thermostat turner-upper — in a moderately-heated home (65-70 degrees) she would regularly wake up “chilled” in the night and crank the thermostat to 80 or even 85 degrees! I would wake up drenched with sweat, and sometimes even with a bloody nose… not to mention REALLY angry! I agree that there is something to be said for sleeping (under warm covers) in a cool room and staying healthy.
Of course, that same sister ended up attending college in Hawaii and law school in San Diego (where she now lives), so she doesn’t have to suffer through that unbearable chilliness any more. Geez, I just recommend wearing a doggone sweater if you feel that the room is too cool, you know?
Jerry
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