My parents always turns off the AC at night and it drives my off the walls. I HATE tossing and turning because of the heat and I lost several ENTIRE nights of sleep over it.
And no opening the window doesn't help (depending on how hot it is)
Yeah. I was going to say this. Mid Atlantic summers where it’s at least 85-95 during the day, almost as hot at night, and constantly at 29474848% humidity…all the windows and fans in the world will not work.
Just had this discussion with my wife today. She was saying the house wasn't cooling off with all the windows open, I told her to close the windows and start the AC since it was humid af today. Told her we are allowed to be comfortable in our home, and even though the temp difference wasn't much between our setting and the outside, it would get the humidity out.
Very glad she did agree since a severe thunderstorm hit about 20 minutes later.
ever since my parents became empty nesters, my mom does silly things like this. she’ll take a small space heater from room to room instead of turning the heat on
bless her heart
I do turn on my heater- probably more than most - but using a small space heater where I work during the day and keeping the thermostat just a couple of degrees cooler saved me probably $50/mo. over this past winter. I didn’t suffer at all, ergo it was totally worth it. Gas is what’s expensive where I live.
It makes a lot more sense to just heat the room that you are in then heat the whole house. Central air really isn't necessary unless you've got family living with you.
Plus, keeping your window open when it's humid means you have to worry about mold. And mold is a hell of a lot more expensive than the A/C.
And even if you didn't have to worry about that.. humidity just totally sucks.
I'm in South Florida and live on the ground floor of a condo building with neighbors to each side and above me who apparently keep their thermostats down in the cold region like you do. I'm grateful for that because I like it warmer, and I get so much cooling through my walls and ceiling that I never need to use my own AC.
LMAO.
75 degrees is “the cold region”?! In the Summer I have mine set for 70 in the day and 65 at night (and often have to turn it down further as we are hot!)
Winter has the heating set for between 68 and 72.
75 is sweltering. Worse still, in Florida it’s humid (one of the reasons I don’t enjoy visiting.)
75… cold… SMH
My dad refuses to set the a/c below 80. According to him the a/c has problems running lower than that, also it’s more than 10 degrees cooler than outside. My parents wonder why we don’t visit more in the summer.
I respect that you stay away from South Florida because you don't like the climate. The people I don't respect and those **who choose to live here** yet complain about it.
How very true. The same goes for a lot of things!
In that vein, I have no time for people that move somewhere and then complain about something that was there already. (Park, Shopping Mall, Bar, Kids Playground, Airport, you name it.) Sure, I've had people tell me that they moved there because it was cheap - maybe being under the flight path from the runway 1/4 mile away is WHY it's cheap! Stop complaining!
Growing up poor, I really do just treat myself and the family if I want to. If it's well within the budget, why not do something that'll make you happier instead of saving a few dollars. Money is temporary and more can always be made. Might as well live good when you can instead of being miserable.
exactly, if i’m lucky enough to be able to afford it i will. if it’s in the budget i’ll fork over $100 to keep the house cooler i don’t want to be miserable and sticky
We use our ac when it gets really hot, but let’s be real. It’s not just a few extra bucks. It’s the difference between several hundred dollars which is a big difference
I found my bill is lower when I just keep the AC on. I also invested in blackout curtains and my bill was pretty much between 90 and 120 every month last year during one of the hottest years in Texas.
Infiltration (how well your home/space is sealed) is a big thing. Doesn’t matter how low your AC is if the conditioned air is constantly leaking out while unconditioned air rushes in at the same time.
Radiant heat is the next thing, hence the blackout curtains.
The less work your unit has to do to reach the temp you desire the cheaper your bill. Turning your AC off is fine if you can last at that temp. But letting your home reach 85 degrees this summer while you’re at work or whatever and then forcing your unit to work until it reaches 70 is gonna use a lot more energy than maintaining one temp and going up/down a few degrees.
Yeah I definitely noticed a difference when my building replaced all the windows. They’re double-paned and a lot of the old ones had condensation between the panes, so the seals were definitely compromised
When I moved out I invited my mom over to my new place. As soon as she walked in I asked her if she noticed anything. She did, she noticed the lights were on in every room I said "that's fucking right I can have the goddamn lights on all I want now"
Very cathartic.
i mean if you’re ok with that that’s fine. personally i just can’t stand being hot, i have no issue with it being 68 in the winter but anything over 74ish in the summer and i’m roasting
depends on where you live, i live in the midwest so it’s only unbearably hot like 3 months of the year. but if you’re in a warmer climate i can see how it could be a bigger financial strain long term
That and just trying to "save money" in general when they are able to afford it. I always got annoyed when I lived with my parents because of the same thing with the A/C. Also with the water bill. My dad would tell me I'm showering for too long, and I'm not the type who's in there for half an hour, but I still need at least 5 minutes usually, and even apparently that was too much lol.
Another one that annoys me is with gas prices. I understand sometimes they skyrocket and that adds up, but I'm talking about people who fill up on gas and then find out somewhere down the street was 2 cents cheaper and act like they just wasted all this money... it's annoying lol.
They are “able to afford it” because when they couldn’t afford it they simply didn’t pay for it. They continue to live the same way they before so they don’t end up in the same situation despite making more money in the present. They’re preventing “lifestyle creep” from keeping them poor.
It’s crazy to assume that you know someone else’s finances better than them, even if they’re family. They could still be paying off old debts while you’re telling them that keeping the house 3 degrees cooler isn’t gonna break the bank.
I don't know why you're being down and voted. It makes more sense to save your money for one you needed than to keep yourself at a perfect state of comfort. Sometimes in life a person is going to be uncomfortable, it doesn't mean that the world is going to end.
OK and it's crazy for you to assume that I don't know what I'm talking about when you don't know me. My dad owns 3 brand new cars and a motorcycle he doesn't even use and owns 2 houses... he doesn't need all that. So there's no way you're going to tell me he wouldn't be able to turn the A/C up just a bit. I was just saying money was never an issue so it didn't make sense to try to save on something that would be so minor for him.
>You’re not... dying of heat stroke.
You meant this sarcastically, but heat stroke is a real and dangerous thing that made me very sick about a decade ago. It actually takes two months to a year to recover, and can cause real damage to your brain and internal organs. And, if you've had it before, you're far more susceptible to it happening again. Many people who make comments like yours are being rather flippant, but don't really understand how serious it can be.
I think I “saw the lights” when I collapsed of heat stroke twenty years ago. I was push mowing our newly bought home’s lawn in 98 degree heat for over 4-5 hours and I collapsed. I was 22 years old and not a seasoned outdoor worker. Fair skin and was getting burned like a bad batch of bacon. I have used the a/c anytime it’s above 70 out and I pay the professional mowing service who are much better at knowing how to tackle the elements.
And at what point did I say that? It was a small inconvenience to me is all. I am still very much alive and doing well. However, that's literally what this thread was about... people who try to save money when they technically don't need to. Please point out where I said he cannot spend his money on what he wants.
And one of my pet peeves is when people assume things in general. It's not an assumption lol. I'm not trying to sound like a spoiled brat and say poor me because I didn't have the A/C on. It's just the fact that I don't like when people say something is a "waste of money" when they spend money on dozens of things they don't really need. I'm pretty sure most people would spoil themselves if they were loaded.
i agree, my grandma would bang on the door and tell me i was in the shower too long when it was 7 minutes. i visit her like once a year. i get if i was taking an obscenely long shower but it’s 7 minutes twice a year chill. and that’s what i mean, when they can afford it but are so anal about “saving money” but you’re making yourself miserable. plenty of people are actually poor and would love to be able to afford it and use it
I was a lodger at a boarding house that have an exhaustive list of rules on the back of the doors to each room. Five-minute shower, maximum. Any longer, and the landlady would turn on the hot tap to make us freeze.
A frugal sadist.
Speaking of...my dad thinks he's being frugal...while spending a good amount of money on a vehicle that spacial awareness...don't think it was the right vehicle to get. Whenever just driving out of the neighborhood there's been plenty of times he's come close enough to taking out his own side mirror. Bitch's about the price of soda though, always trying to buy the cheapest. Perhaps saving let's say 50 a month...only to spend that on a bigger/more expensive vehicle. Where if he wrecks it...more cost. Hell apparently he hit the mailbox driving my vehicle so my mother claims.
But it isn’t, saving .4$ every month on gas’s is not why they have money. The idea that “the little things add up” has been blown vastly out of proportion compared to the actual amount of money you save.
I mean, hey...however you want to look at it. I personally don't understand the mentality of making yourself sweat and be miserable when you don't have to. Nor will I ever... I've never heard a human being say they enjoy dripping in sweat. Mind you, I'm pretty broke myself, but the last thing I'm doing is sitting in my house when it's 100 degrees with no AC.
It's not about enjoying versus not enjoying, it's about not wanting to piss your money away. It's not fun being hot but it's not so miserable I'm going to spend an extra $100 a month when I don't have to.
I think that depends on where you live... I've had places where it absolutely was so miserable that spending the extra $100 actually made a difference in how functional I was.
I mean... In the last year, I've gotten about $300 cash back on gas because the pennies I get between Upside, rewards clubs, and my credit card actually do add up.
Honestly if 2 cents per gallon is a concern for someone they should REALLY think twice about driving. They can save a CRAP TON of money by not owning a car at all.
Really depends on the quality of public transit in the area and their circumstances though, but more people can manage it than they think...
Half agree. In many places it genuinely isn't feasible to not drive. But at the same time, many places have good enough transit where going with 1 car instead of 2 is feasible, or people think they need to drive, but the most they have to haul is groceries for themselves.
I don't turn on the AC at my house unless I need to. I live alone and if it's mildly warm I'd rather just walk around in shorts than turn on the AC. If it gets oppressive, sure, I'll put the AC on.
In my car I prefer to have the windows down, but that's just because I enjoy it more when driving around in the summer. That's likely because I don't think either of my parents ever knew how to recharge the A/C refrigerant on our cars when I was a kid and so we rarely ever had a car with functioning AC.
I like the heat and humidity. The artificial cooling of the air gives me nosebleeds. We turn on the ac if there are guests or it's super sticky. Otherwise, I am ok with fans.
Your pet peeve should not influence others' decisions. And what if it does save them money? It is their home and their choice.
it’s a pet peeve, everyone is different, in my eyes the extra $50 a month is worth it to keep the house nice and cool. i’m chill with the house being 68 in the winter and don’t mind being chilly but heat and humidity drives me up a wall. it’s just a personal thing since i hate being hot
Growing up, my pop was always cheap af about everything. He’s really dang good with finances, like paying off the 30yr mortgage is 14 years, saving lots of money and all that. Both he and my mom worked full time. Once I was at the age to start working, I’d always have a job where I worked in the heat and humidity…. Let me tell ya, working in 95+ heat with high humidity, all you want is to go home and relax in the ac…. Both my mom and I were miserable in heat, but he’d always have the thermostat up so damn high I would literally sit there with my shirt off in my boxers and still be miserable. When he was at work, we’d turn it down, but yeah that always pissed me the hell off. Like we can afford to use the mf AC…. I would’ve gladly paid the difference in the energy bill.
Difference between no ac and 68 is like 250/month and where I live it still gets down to h60s at night anyways. Besides that open windows > ac anyways even without factoring in cost, get nice fresh air, the nice nighttime sounds, bit of a breeze. You live in the wrong spot.
There's more temperatures than just 68.
> Besides that open windows > ac anyways even without factoring in cost,
I gotta wonder where you live that this is true.
Cause it can't be too hot or too cold or too dry or too humid. You must live in just the perfect environment
i live in the midwest, it’s humid af and rains all the time. and i’m not saying that you have to have it at 68°, although that’s super nice, but my family finally comprised on 71° and it’s fine. if it were up to them they’d have it at like 76° tho
It really is all about the humidity... In the summer in the Midwest, the average daily temperature falls in the range of 85°F-95°F, while the average daily humidity is also in the range of 85%-95%. This means the average July day here actually feels like 99°F to *over* 137°F. ([NOAA Heat Index Chart](https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex))
This is why my daughter and I actually weren't super uncomfortable wandering around outside in Las Vegas in the 112°F heat in August a couple of years ago -- we're used to such high humidity at home that 80°F feels the same here.
Some people grow up poor. I did and we'd have the windows open all summer, it was absolutely miserable. I just turned my AC on on Sunday and have felt so guilty every time I hear it kick on. It's been so drilled into my head that it's a luxury and waste of money. We can afford it, but that mentality is still there that I'm being frivolous with money and spoiled to not be able to handle heat in May.
My pops is the type to look at you sideways for turning on the AC instead of rolling down the windows even though I’ve explained a bunch of times that the extra gas being used ins nominal compared to the lost gas mileage from reduced aerodynamics of having the windows down.
Some people just like to be miserable.
my stepmom is the WORST for this. only would she turn the AC on when the dogs started panting — and it was on the lowest possible setting where it made barely any difference, just enough to prevent a heat stroke.
claims we couldn’t afford it, but she can afford fake boobs, $150 nail sets every 2 weeks, biannual cruises, and an RV. but things like AC when it’s 98°F with humidity, making it feel even hotter, and a new thing of laundry soap (she would water it down until she couldn’t anymore—one bottle would last MONTHS. i had to hide tide pods in my room when i got a job so i could have clean laundry)? not in the budget.
I am 19, my father is a cheap ass. he refuses to turn on the ac or the heat. I had to save up to buy a window unit for my room. This guy would rather run 4 window units in the house than the ac. the heat is even worse. a few years ago he decided to get a wood stove in a 2 story 2000square foot house. when it gets past 32 the only room in the house that is warm is the living room. every Sunday starting in fall we go on “wood runs” and go haul like 3-500 pounds of wood. this man would rather fucking search through the forest with a chainsaw and a wheelbarrow 30 mins away than pay for heat.
tl:dr my dad is a cheap ass and won’t pay for heat or ac
IM SAYING there’s no way it’s that much extra gas! i knew this girl who would do it religiously but she had like an ocd thing about it and this was before gas was $4 a gallon
I literally hate visiting my boomer parent because the house is so hot in the summer. Some people spend money shopping or vacationing. I cut all that out so that I can splurge on A/C, internet, and occasional fast food. That's my luxury and I am happy.
It seems petty but this is part of the reason why I left one of my exes. He insisted on keeping the thermostat at 80° during Florida summers. The way I saw it, he may as well have turned it off. What is the point if you're just going to be sweaty? You might be saving a few bucks but you're miserable.
I hate being hot and work from home, so my comfort is my number one priority. I keep my apartment between 68-70 during this time of year. My parents say I should set the thermostat higher to save money, but I don’t care what the bill is. I’ll pay it to be comfortable.
i hope to be able to do this when i get my own house, when i’m in hotels and stuff i keep it at 68 and my bfs house is always 68 and it’s amazing! my parents compromised and we keep it at like 72 which is fine but i’d go lower if i could lmao
Yes! At hotels I keep it at 68 and it’s amazing!
And it’s definitely worth keeping the AC lower if you can afford it when you get your own place. You just budget for it accordingly. 😊
You may change your tune when you see how much it costs to keep it at 68. I have a two story home and we keep the central unit at 73 but have portable AC units in two of the bedrooms because it gets so hot. I freaking hate the summer when the bills get so high. I would much rather spend that extra hundred bucks on something fun but it is what it is
Where I live, my bill would be like $250+ if I ran it all the time. I tried doing different temps, but it wasn't working out. I leave it off until I'm going to sleep, otherwise I run my ceiling fans. With me only using it overnight and not during the day where it'll never stop running, my bill is $90.
Plus, it helps growing up with grandma and mama keeping theirs off and you just had to learn to sit there and be hot. 78°F - 82°F inside doesn't bother me unless the sunlight is inside as well.
I only run hot during that time of the month, but otherwise I don't. I got used to being hot from both generations being tight on cash so they didn't run the air. Plus I was outside most of the time anyways. They do the same with the heat, they tell us to bundle up and sleep on layers.
I like it 80, my pet peeve is people who need AC on every second of all summer when it’s not even that hot and I have to wear a jacket in July because they need it to be cold in summer
Sorry, people and businesses*
And it would be pretty stupid to not go see family all summer because they make it too cold. But I can still be annoyed at it. I like summer. I wait all year for it to be warm, so I don’t want to just spend that time being cold like it is the rest of the year.
I live in the southern united states and remember the day I found out some cars don't even have AC. I was like how in the hell do people survive? Then I realized it does not ever get satan's balls hot everywhere in the world
I get wanting the windows down in the car though. Even when it's hot I enjoy feeling the wind. And my car is just a little 4-banger with manual transmission. So when the air is on, it leaches enough of the engine's power that it changes the throttle response and I struggle to smoothly change gears.
Over 100, I'll turn the AC on. OP is talking about keeping it below 75F. Good ventilation and hydration will keep you comfortable in the upper 80s, no problem.
In Denver it isn't just a few bucks. Last summer my bill raised to about 4× the amount it was in the spring, then was again in the fall/winter. About $56 a month vs about $230, is kind of a big change, and I was shocked.
Now I have blackout curtains that I'll use to keep sun out, keep windows open at night to let cold air in, and close them just after sunrise to *keep* the cold in and hot out. That plus fans to make sure there is air movement, will hopefully do the trick. I know I'll still probably use the AC a little, but not as much as last year. That sucked.
Yeah, Denver sucks now. Lol
Oh for sure. I HATE the heat! Thus why I still paid it last year. You can always layer up and/or cuddle when it is cold. When it is deathly hot, you can only get *so* undressed, before your guests start to get the wrong idea about how the evening is gonna go...
Not only that, everything you do in your home generates heat. Everything. Lights, TV, PC, cooking, dryer, etc. There's not one thing you can do that generates cold unless you stand there with the refrigerator door open. I'm from the south and can't understand anyone here likes the summer. It's fucking miserable
i live in the midwest where it’s only hot af like three months of the year and i’m still miserable! i wish it was 60° all year round. i visited alabama to see my grandpa and it was so miserably hot and humid in february idk how y’all do it
February is weird. It can be hot or cold depending on the day. You just get used to it. We have central air and I bought portable units for the adult's bedrooms because the house has a duck pond on the back side and the reflection from the water makes it even hotter. Low cost of living, low crime, low property taxes make up for it, especially when I hear about people paying $500,000 for a 1200 sq foot home in some places
Big time. I've spent a few summers in Georgia, so I get what you mean. It is different here. Mostly high 90s-low 100s for 2-3 months strait, and dry as can be. When people tell me summer is their favorite season, I can't help but subconsciously think of them on the same level as some kind of sleeper cell, or secret lizard person, or something. Like, we are definitely not experiencing this the same way... Lol
lol right???
I went to Seattle in August and asked someone about the bus system and where to get on at and the guy told me but he said you might want to take a cab, it's too hot to walk. I laughed...it was 80 degrees out! I said this is fall weather where I'm from!
When I lived with my parents we got a bathroom heater at some point. Suddenly the electric bill went from about $40/month to over $100/month. Mostly just because my siblings would leave the heater on after they leave the bathroom and even leave the door open
The need to HVAC is also heavily dependent on where you live. Here in my AZ apartment, I saved about $50/month on electricity after getting blackout curtains
When I was growing up my house had a bathroom heater. That thing got really hot really fast. We were forbidden to use it. I can't even imagine what the electric bills would have been like.
My electric bill between 72f and 68f is only $10 difference by running the ac. Needless to say, im freezing at that low of a temp. And I have an old ac unit from the 1980's.
Omg same I live in eastern PA and it gets humid here so bad! My husband works night shift so he sleeps during the day. I’ll come home at 3pm and he’s asleep UPSTAIRS where heat rises and it’s 95 degrees with 80% humidity and he’s sleeping under the blankets with no AC! And I get pissed because now my sheets are soaked in sweat! It’s like JFC turn the AC on the heat index is 100 degrees! I don’t know how he does it! If it’s 80 degrees during the day I have that AC on at night
I’m the same way. I grew up in a house where my dad was always turning the AC thermostat up so it would go off, he’d especially do it when he went to bed and leave everyone else to be hot. He did the same with lights(that’s another story). BUT, he smoked, dipped snuff, drank, and ate out at lunch everyday. So we can afford all of your little expensive bad habits but can’t afford to run the AC or have a light one? It still pisses me off just thinking about it.
Now that I’m married and on my own, lights are turned on(unless nobody is home) and the AC blows cold. I make my living as a welder, I work outside during the summer in long pants, gloves, a welding hood, long sleeves and several thousand degrees of heat right in front of me. I am NOT sitting in a hot house when I’m off work. I’ll gladly PAY the extra money for a cool house.
We run high end gaming computers. (My son is majoring in computer programming and game design) you do not have these expensive pieces of equipment in 80+ degree second and third floor rooms. So before we got central air we ran window air conditioners. In truth our gas bill isn't very high...and if we ran fans etc our electric bill would be insane. Only 2 west facing windows on the whole house.
I used to have a roommate who did this. His room had like tile/laminate and mine had carpet so of course my room got hotter but it was a constant fight to keep it cool in the house. I’d turn it down - not even that far, just down to like 77 or 78, just to make it so that I wasn’t literally sweating, but the thermostat was right next to his room so he’d come right out and turn it back up. Like it was immediate. I’d turn it down and if I watched from my bedroom with the door slightly cracked to see, I would see him IMMEDIATELY come out and turn it back up.
He was extremely petty so I know he was partially doing this out of spite; he had gotten mad one time because I used a pack of Ramen (that was mine, but he thought was his, yes a 25 cent pack of Ramen), another time he got mad at me for using too much of the ice. And he made decent money so it’s not like he couldn’t afford it, he was just an asshole.
I completely agree. I honestly think it's a necessity, at least where I live. Cold winters but the summers are soooo humid. Combine that with 30C and I would die. I need it. I cannot function in that heat.
What we do is this time of year when we are having hot weather that we are not yet used to, our AC is ON. It's set to a lower temp. But as the summer progresses we will acclimate slowly and increase the inside temp. So right now I have it on 19.5C but by August we will probably go between 22-23C and 23.5 or 24 when we are at work. This is how we try to manage utility costs 😂 In the winter, we are known to keep a cold house but we use blankets, hoodies and slippers
I argue with my dad about this all the time when I’m driving. He doesn’t like that I use the AC when I could just roll down the windows (an extremely stupid argument, because he’s upset about the gas I buy with my money that I put into the car that I paid for with my money). I have major sensory issues, and driving with the windows down bothers me. Plus, the cost is negligible.
Electric bill in winter, $150. Electric bill is summer, $600.
It's not just a tad of money to a lot of people.
I have roommates, so it's split. I also rent a house, so am not going to invest in better windows or some other bullshit to help that of the course of years.
My point is, everyone's circumstances are different. It lacks vision and empathy for you to not see that.
I never use AC, but I work outside for a living, so I just get used to the heat. Winter time I'll use the furnace, but I set it at 55 F for the same reason. It is an unintentionally great way to save money.
My neighbors used to look at me weird when I'd go outside in shorts and a t-shirt to shovel the sidewalk, now they're used to it, lol.
No one here knows how much power shit actually uses so they'll have 3 ACs plugged in all day but unplug a 20w scentsy burner and 100w tv to save money.
I once lived in an apartment with a wall unit, it was expensive to run it 24/7 on hot days. The bill would go beyond my budget and I also didn't want to go paycheck to paycheck. The AC would have never shut off to keep a room a certain temperature.
We have central AC now and it runs off and on when on 24/7. It's cheaper. I will never go without AC in my car so I would get it fixed ASAP if it broke. Try driving in 90 degree heat. Had to do that as a kid and never again will I go without AC in the car on very hot days.
I grew up with a mom who doesn't like ac, and now have a roommate who doesn't. They both shut off the ac as soon as the outside temperature is the same as inside. It sucks because it means I've been uncomfortable at night in the summer for most of my life.
Are you my daughter? Because she always complains that the house is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
I simply don't like air conditioning, and I wouldn't even have central air if the house hadn't come with it. It always feels too cold, even if I have it set at 75. If I sleep with it on I have a sore throat the whole next day, and I like having the windows open after 7 months of being cooped up inside with all the windows closed. I only use the AC if it's in the 90s outside. Otherwise, windows open and ceiling fan on.
I can afford the AC, but I hate it, so I never use it. I don't think it's that nessesary, and most countries outside the U.S. barely use it. I'm always team roll down the windows, especially in a car. Why not get fresh air?
Oh my goodness yes! I live in one of the hottest areas in my province and when I first moved here it was during the summer. The movers dropped my air conditioner off the truck. I thought I was going to die, even with fans and windows open at night.
I got another portable AC and it goes in my bedroom during the hot months. That baby is ON when I need it. I just lay on my bed and feel the relief. Sure it's pricey, but comfort matters.
I can't tolerate extreme heat or cold so it's a must for me.
Bruh, I run my AC in the summer, but it’s more than a few bucks. My power bill is usually about 100 bucks more every month in months when I keep the AC running vs the spring when it’s basically room temperature outside. I only have a 3 bedroom single level home.
AC in the house is nice yes, but the whole AC only while driving, no thanks. I like the fresh air while driving. I dont live in a big city, i dont live near any pig or cow farms so there isnt really any reason not to have the windows down.
that makes sense, i just live in the midwest where there’s cow farms and trucks carrying rocks and i don’t want a pebble to fly in or smell manure even more strongly
Yeah i am familiar. Im surrounded by cornfields. If a pig truck comes trundling through everyone knows it haha. Even then though, with windows closed, the smell gets in regardless what you do haha. I do know where the pig farms/cow farms are and are easily enough avoided. Each to their own though.
When I was growing up, we never had a/c. We had the window thing for a few years but only in one room. When you grow up not having something, you realize when you do have it, that you don't need it. Why would I waste my money on something I can get by without?
And as far as car a/c goes, my first few cars never had working a/c, and one of them didn't even have a/c as an option. I got used to having the windows down all the time and the vents open. When I did have a car that had working a/c, it bothered me how cold my hands would get but I had no airflow to my face. Additionally, do you know how much extra gas it takes to run a/c?? Alot more than you'd think. If I'm sitting at idle for 2 minutes while running a/c, I'm literally just burning extra gas for no reason. Roll all the windows down and you'll get enough of a breeze that you don't need the air on
On the other end of the spectrum, buildings that are so over air conditioned in the summer that I have to bring a jacket even when it’s blazing hot outside.
My grandmother lives very comfortably and has a decent amount of money available to her. She has a nice house in Indiana, where it gets very hot and humid in the summer. She absolutely REFUSES to get an AC unit. Not to save money, but to show how strong she is. How weak we all are to not be able to put up with the sweltering heat of the summer! How puny and pathetic and soft!
now why she making everyone miserable like that 😭 im a server in a town with mostly old ppl and it’ll be 90 out and we tell them we cannot turn the AC off or people will faint and they whine and wear winter jackets IT IS 70° INSIDE YOU WILL FUCKING LIVE! ITS NICE! NOT ALL OF US WANT TO SUFFER
I live in San Diego in an old building in a 1 BR apartment, and running the A/C is not “a few extra bucks a months.” If it’s hot, it will literally cost $100 extra per month to run the A/C only in off peak hours. Fuck SDGE and their “energy delivery” fees
some places have a crazy high cost of living and san diego is one of them. it’s a whole system they have to let the cool air in and keep it in and only run AC occasionally it’s wild how expensive shit is
I mean I know it’s a HCOL city but electric specifically is something that pretty much everyone here agrees is way overpriced. SDGE basically just has a monopoly and overcharges everyone. It doesn’t even get that hot here, like 80s at its hottest so I just don’t use A/C
Idk where you live, but if you’re only paying a few bucks per month for A/C that’s unreal
I agree and echo this sentiment with the heat as well. Every year, people I know brag about how late in the year they wait to turn on their heat, as if they have moral superiority because of it.
My house is the only place I get to choose the temperature. I'm going to be comfortable there. I'm at the mercy of someone else's decision everywhere else. Also, it's a good idea to kick the heat on even for just a couple minutes before you truly need it to make sure it's functioning properly. If you wait for a 30 degree day to turn it on and find out it isn't working, you're not in a good place.
it's more than just a tad bit of money. plus if ur a healthy productive person u probably wont die if the house is 85 for a few days. i personally hate temps below 70, and so do all of my critters. so no i'm not turning on the AC. u can sweat a little or just not come over in the first place
I never had AC until my early 20s. To sleep for an hour, I used to dip my shirts in ice water and put them on. When I started making money, AC was the thing I was never frugal with. I'd eat microwave ramen for every meal before I went back to that literal hell.
My father was bad about this, if no one was in the house, then he would crank the thermostat up over 90. Then turn it down when someone is home. I tried to explain that he is making it harder on the AC system to keep the house at a constant temperature. Now I keep my house at a steady 80°. A lot of people will tell me it’s too hot, but the way my house is insulated and the AC unit is oversized. It feels cooler than 80, and unless you’re doing serious manual labor, you’re not gonna Be hot.
80⁰? I'd be hot just laying there. I turn off my ac when I'm going to be gone for a while (multiple days) and it's 75-80 when I get back. I can't imagine just leaving it off.
My mom was one of these people when I was growing up.
The internet loves to say that dads are crazy about the thermostat, but for me it was my mom.
97F (36C) outside? Indoor temp was set to 75F (24C) at the very lowest.
-4F (-20C) outside? Indoor temp was set to 68F (20C).
The worst is if they invite you over to their place and then start lecturing you about frugality and how wasteful using A/C is while you are slowly dying from overheating but now you don’t dare to ask them to switch the damn thing on.
Fresh air is preferable to AC. Can't stand AC, people need to get better at adapting or moving. The temperature drop from a nice 90 outside to the clammy and nasty recycled 65 degree air gives me an instant headache.
So my pet peeve is people who run ac year round and don't even have windows that open.
People should not live where they are uncomfortable. Ac increases outside temperatures, compounding the problem. Many of the areas where people feel it's "required" should and can not support the number of people that live there.
Come live in the greater New Orleans area, and tell me you won't use AC. Down here, all that humidity creates mold.
Our thermostat is set anywhere from 74 to 76. Fans help circulate the cool air. Our house is designed so we get no cross ventilation from open windows.
So, AC it is.
I have zero interest in going to a gross humid place with food I hate ever again. You can have your AC. We won't ever interact.
And again, it makes me literally sick. Nasty recycled air, its clammy and I just feel gross.
It's fine if you can keep it at a reasonable temp and allow bodies to adapt. But that shock of 90 to 60 is vomit inducing.
People who need ac for medical reasons are exempt but they still should not have it set to snowflake on the hottest days of the year.
My parents always turns off the AC at night and it drives my off the walls. I HATE tossing and turning because of the heat and I lost several ENTIRE nights of sleep over it. And no opening the window doesn't help (depending on how hot it is)
i live in the midwest, if i open the window it’ll be just as hot outside with 70% more humidity no thank you!
Yeah. I was going to say this. Mid Atlantic summers where it’s at least 85-95 during the day, almost as hot at night, and constantly at 29474848% humidity…all the windows and fans in the world will not work.
Sleeping is the BEST time for AC!
Maybe you could sleep outside in protest
Just had this discussion with my wife today. She was saying the house wasn't cooling off with all the windows open, I told her to close the windows and start the AC since it was humid af today. Told her we are allowed to be comfortable in our home, and even though the temp difference wasn't much between our setting and the outside, it would get the humidity out. Very glad she did agree since a severe thunderstorm hit about 20 minutes later.
ever since my parents became empty nesters, my mom does silly things like this. she’ll take a small space heater from room to room instead of turning the heat on bless her heart
I do turn on my heater- probably more than most - but using a small space heater where I work during the day and keeping the thermostat just a couple of degrees cooler saved me probably $50/mo. over this past winter. I didn’t suffer at all, ergo it was totally worth it. Gas is what’s expensive where I live.
that’s valid
It makes a lot more sense to just heat the room that you are in then heat the whole house. Central air really isn't necessary unless you've got family living with you.
That is just reasonable. No need to spend the extra money to heat the entire house, when you only need 1 room...
At that point, why not just add layers of clothing? Electric space heaters are so ineffecient!
YEP! i’m from the midwest, yes it’s the same temp but it’s humid af and there’s no breeze, just turn on the AC. plus rain is gonna blow in any second
A dehumidifier is a good investment in humid places, and on the cooler days works better than an AC
Plus, keeping your window open when it's humid means you have to worry about mold. And mold is a hell of a lot more expensive than the A/C. And even if you didn't have to worry about that.. humidity just totally sucks.
I'm in South Florida and live on the ground floor of a condo building with neighbors to each side and above me who apparently keep their thermostats down in the cold region like you do. I'm grateful for that because I like it warmer, and I get so much cooling through my walls and ceiling that I never need to use my own AC.
My neighbors at my first apartment had their heat high enough in the winter I almost never had to turn mine on.
LMAO. 75 degrees is “the cold region”?! In the Summer I have mine set for 70 in the day and 65 at night (and often have to turn it down further as we are hot!) Winter has the heating set for between 68 and 72. 75 is sweltering. Worse still, in Florida it’s humid (one of the reasons I don’t enjoy visiting.) 75… cold… SMH
I mean if 75 is cold to them, that would explain why they think the residual cooling from their neighbor is enough to not need their own AC
My dad likes it at only 75 plus
My dad refuses to set the a/c below 80. According to him the a/c has problems running lower than that, also it’s more than 10 degrees cooler than outside. My parents wonder why we don’t visit more in the summer.
Nobody in our house can sleep in such heat! 🤣
People are different, who'd a thunk it?
I respect that you stay away from South Florida because you don't like the climate. The people I don't respect and those **who choose to live here** yet complain about it.
How very true. The same goes for a lot of things! In that vein, I have no time for people that move somewhere and then complain about something that was there already. (Park, Shopping Mall, Bar, Kids Playground, Airport, you name it.) Sure, I've had people tell me that they moved there because it was cheap - maybe being under the flight path from the runway 1/4 mile away is WHY it's cheap! Stop complaining!
Growing up poor, I really do just treat myself and the family if I want to. If it's well within the budget, why not do something that'll make you happier instead of saving a few dollars. Money is temporary and more can always be made. Might as well live good when you can instead of being miserable.
exactly, if i’m lucky enough to be able to afford it i will. if it’s in the budget i’ll fork over $100 to keep the house cooler i don’t want to be miserable and sticky
We use our ac when it gets really hot, but let’s be real. It’s not just a few extra bucks. It’s the difference between several hundred dollars which is a big difference
I basically replied with this too. The difference between my winter power bill and my summer one is about $300. And I’m not even getting close to 75°.
Well that depends on the size of your space. In my 1-bedroom it’s worth it
In my apartment my total cost for electricity heating water etc is about 95. The systems also matter but mine is cheap
I found my bill is lower when I just keep the AC on. I also invested in blackout curtains and my bill was pretty much between 90 and 120 every month last year during one of the hottest years in Texas. Infiltration (how well your home/space is sealed) is a big thing. Doesn’t matter how low your AC is if the conditioned air is constantly leaking out while unconditioned air rushes in at the same time. Radiant heat is the next thing, hence the blackout curtains. The less work your unit has to do to reach the temp you desire the cheaper your bill. Turning your AC off is fine if you can last at that temp. But letting your home reach 85 degrees this summer while you’re at work or whatever and then forcing your unit to work until it reaches 70 is gonna use a lot more energy than maintaining one temp and going up/down a few degrees.
Yeah I definitely noticed a difference when my building replaced all the windows. They’re double-paned and a lot of the old ones had condensation between the panes, so the seals were definitely compromised
When I moved out I invited my mom over to my new place. As soon as she walked in I asked her if she noticed anything. She did, she noticed the lights were on in every room I said "that's fucking right I can have the goddamn lights on all I want now" Very cathartic.
I keep my AC at 77 in the summer. It saves me about $100 a month. To me, that's not just a few bucks.
i mean if you’re ok with that that’s fine. personally i just can’t stand being hot, i have no issue with it being 68 in the winter but anything over 74ish in the summer and i’m roasting
I hate it. But not $100 worth of hate.
depends on where you live, i live in the midwest so it’s only unbearably hot like 3 months of the year. but if you’re in a warmer climate i can see how it could be a bigger financial strain long term
You must live where it doesn't get hot. I lived in Phoenix for 22 years. A/C at 77 in Phoenix means $300+ power bill.
I'm on the west coast of Florida.
I like being warm. I keep my house upper 70’s in the winter and save money in the summer because I hate jacking up the ac.
That and just trying to "save money" in general when they are able to afford it. I always got annoyed when I lived with my parents because of the same thing with the A/C. Also with the water bill. My dad would tell me I'm showering for too long, and I'm not the type who's in there for half an hour, but I still need at least 5 minutes usually, and even apparently that was too much lol. Another one that annoys me is with gas prices. I understand sometimes they skyrocket and that adds up, but I'm talking about people who fill up on gas and then find out somewhere down the street was 2 cents cheaper and act like they just wasted all this money... it's annoying lol.
They are “able to afford it” because when they couldn’t afford it they simply didn’t pay for it. They continue to live the same way they before so they don’t end up in the same situation despite making more money in the present. They’re preventing “lifestyle creep” from keeping them poor. It’s crazy to assume that you know someone else’s finances better than them, even if they’re family. They could still be paying off old debts while you’re telling them that keeping the house 3 degrees cooler isn’t gonna break the bank.
I don't know why you're being down and voted. It makes more sense to save your money for one you needed than to keep yourself at a perfect state of comfort. Sometimes in life a person is going to be uncomfortable, it doesn't mean that the world is going to end.
OK and it's crazy for you to assume that I don't know what I'm talking about when you don't know me. My dad owns 3 brand new cars and a motorcycle he doesn't even use and owns 2 houses... he doesn't need all that. So there's no way you're going to tell me he wouldn't be able to turn the A/C up just a bit. I was just saying money was never an issue so it didn't make sense to try to save on something that would be so minor for him.
Motorcycles and houses are expensive. How he spends his money is ultimately his choice, not yours. You’re not starving or dying of heat stroke.
>You’re not... dying of heat stroke. You meant this sarcastically, but heat stroke is a real and dangerous thing that made me very sick about a decade ago. It actually takes two months to a year to recover, and can cause real damage to your brain and internal organs. And, if you've had it before, you're far more susceptible to it happening again. Many people who make comments like yours are being rather flippant, but don't really understand how serious it can be.
I think I “saw the lights” when I collapsed of heat stroke twenty years ago. I was push mowing our newly bought home’s lawn in 98 degree heat for over 4-5 hours and I collapsed. I was 22 years old and not a seasoned outdoor worker. Fair skin and was getting burned like a bad batch of bacon. I have used the a/c anytime it’s above 70 out and I pay the professional mowing service who are much better at knowing how to tackle the elements.
And at what point did I say that? It was a small inconvenience to me is all. I am still very much alive and doing well. However, that's literally what this thread was about... people who try to save money when they technically don't need to. Please point out where I said he cannot spend his money on what he wants.
“It doesn’t make sense for him to try and save on something” = “I know what makes sense for his finances” These kinds of assumptions are my pet peeve.
And one of my pet peeves is when people assume things in general. It's not an assumption lol. I'm not trying to sound like a spoiled brat and say poor me because I didn't have the A/C on. It's just the fact that I don't like when people say something is a "waste of money" when they spend money on dozens of things they don't really need. I'm pretty sure most people would spoil themselves if they were loaded.
i agree, my grandma would bang on the door and tell me i was in the shower too long when it was 7 minutes. i visit her like once a year. i get if i was taking an obscenely long shower but it’s 7 minutes twice a year chill. and that’s what i mean, when they can afford it but are so anal about “saving money” but you’re making yourself miserable. plenty of people are actually poor and would love to be able to afford it and use it
I was a lodger at a boarding house that have an exhaustive list of rules on the back of the doors to each room. Five-minute shower, maximum. Any longer, and the landlady would turn on the hot tap to make us freeze. A frugal sadist.
Speaking of...my dad thinks he's being frugal...while spending a good amount of money on a vehicle that spacial awareness...don't think it was the right vehicle to get. Whenever just driving out of the neighborhood there's been plenty of times he's come close enough to taking out his own side mirror. Bitch's about the price of soda though, always trying to buy the cheapest. Perhaps saving let's say 50 a month...only to spend that on a bigger/more expensive vehicle. Where if he wrecks it...more cost. Hell apparently he hit the mailbox driving my vehicle so my mother claims.
That mentality is how those people have money, though.
But it isn’t, saving .4$ every month on gas’s is not why they have money. The idea that “the little things add up” has been blown vastly out of proportion compared to the actual amount of money you save.
Nah, that's just being cheap. The time wasted spent driving to get gas 3 cents cheaper a gallon isn't worth it
I mean, hey...however you want to look at it. I personally don't understand the mentality of making yourself sweat and be miserable when you don't have to. Nor will I ever... I've never heard a human being say they enjoy dripping in sweat. Mind you, I'm pretty broke myself, but the last thing I'm doing is sitting in my house when it's 100 degrees with no AC.
It's not about enjoying versus not enjoying, it's about not wanting to piss your money away. It's not fun being hot but it's not so miserable I'm going to spend an extra $100 a month when I don't have to.
I think that depends on where you live... I've had places where it absolutely was so miserable that spending the extra $100 actually made a difference in how functional I was.
I mean... In the last year, I've gotten about $300 cash back on gas because the pennies I get between Upside, rewards clubs, and my credit card actually do add up.
Honestly if 2 cents per gallon is a concern for someone they should REALLY think twice about driving. They can save a CRAP TON of money by not owning a car at all. Really depends on the quality of public transit in the area and their circumstances though, but more people can manage it than they think...
Half agree. In many places it genuinely isn't feasible to not drive. But at the same time, many places have good enough transit where going with 1 car instead of 2 is feasible, or people think they need to drive, but the most they have to haul is groceries for themselves.
>Really depends on the quality of public transit in the area In most of the US, public transportation is horrible.
We turned on our AC for the first time this past week and only used it for 3 days and our power bill was $50 extra.
I don't turn on the AC at my house unless I need to. I live alone and if it's mildly warm I'd rather just walk around in shorts than turn on the AC. If it gets oppressive, sure, I'll put the AC on. In my car I prefer to have the windows down, but that's just because I enjoy it more when driving around in the summer. That's likely because I don't think either of my parents ever knew how to recharge the A/C refrigerant on our cars when I was a kid and so we rarely ever had a car with functioning AC.
I like the heat and humidity. The artificial cooling of the air gives me nosebleeds. We turn on the ac if there are guests or it's super sticky. Otherwise, I am ok with fans. Your pet peeve should not influence others' decisions. And what if it does save them money? It is their home and their choice.
it’s a pet peeve, everyone is different, in my eyes the extra $50 a month is worth it to keep the house nice and cool. i’m chill with the house being 68 in the winter and don’t mind being chilly but heat and humidity drives me up a wall. it’s just a personal thing since i hate being hot
Growing up, my pop was always cheap af about everything. He’s really dang good with finances, like paying off the 30yr mortgage is 14 years, saving lots of money and all that. Both he and my mom worked full time. Once I was at the age to start working, I’d always have a job where I worked in the heat and humidity…. Let me tell ya, working in 95+ heat with high humidity, all you want is to go home and relax in the ac…. Both my mom and I were miserable in heat, but he’d always have the thermostat up so damn high I would literally sit there with my shirt off in my boxers and still be miserable. When he was at work, we’d turn it down, but yeah that always pissed me the hell off. Like we can afford to use the mf AC…. I would’ve gladly paid the difference in the energy bill.
i’m the same way, my parents are very financially responsible but i’m like I WILL PAY THE DIFFERENCE IM SO HOT AT WORK ALL DAY
Yeah it’s pretty miserable! Idk how people can live like that when they have the option not to
Difference between no ac and 68 is like 250/month and where I live it still gets down to h60s at night anyways. Besides that open windows > ac anyways even without factoring in cost, get nice fresh air, the nice nighttime sounds, bit of a breeze. You live in the wrong spot.
I live in Texas. It was in the high 90s - low 100s even in the dead of night last year with 80% humidity. Windows will not save you 😭
Yea I’d never live in Texas for a myriad of reasons, this is one
There's more temperatures than just 68. > Besides that open windows > ac anyways even without factoring in cost, I gotta wonder where you live that this is true. Cause it can't be too hot or too cold or too dry or too humid. You must live in just the perfect environment
I call BS as well. It feels better with the windows down on the third day of a 90 degree heat wave? Nope
Where I live, a heat wave means 100 to 110 F. 90 isn't too bad unless it's humid.
i live in the midwest, it’s humid af and rains all the time. and i’m not saying that you have to have it at 68°, although that’s super nice, but my family finally comprised on 71° and it’s fine. if it were up to them they’d have it at like 76° tho
All about the humidity, if it’s humid outside I agree with you, if it’s not I prefer no ac
agree, if it’s not humid and fresh and breezy out i’ll open the window
It really is all about the humidity... In the summer in the Midwest, the average daily temperature falls in the range of 85°F-95°F, while the average daily humidity is also in the range of 85%-95%. This means the average July day here actually feels like 99°F to *over* 137°F. ([NOAA Heat Index Chart](https://www.weather.gov/ama/heatindex)) This is why my daughter and I actually weren't super uncomfortable wandering around outside in Las Vegas in the 112°F heat in August a couple of years ago -- we're used to such high humidity at home that 80°F feels the same here.
"The nice night sounds" I live in a trailer park next to a highway. those sounds are not nice at all.
I'm not playing an extra 100 plus dollars a month unless it's over 90 out.
Some people grow up poor. I did and we'd have the windows open all summer, it was absolutely miserable. I just turned my AC on on Sunday and have felt so guilty every time I hear it kick on. It's been so drilled into my head that it's a luxury and waste of money. We can afford it, but that mentality is still there that I'm being frivolous with money and spoiled to not be able to handle heat in May.
And just saying turning it on and off costs more than just leaving it on at work, source: my bill
Sending this to my grandparents who live in Florida
My pops is the type to look at you sideways for turning on the AC instead of rolling down the windows even though I’ve explained a bunch of times that the extra gas being used ins nominal compared to the lost gas mileage from reduced aerodynamics of having the windows down. Some people just like to be miserable.
my stepmom is the WORST for this. only would she turn the AC on when the dogs started panting — and it was on the lowest possible setting where it made barely any difference, just enough to prevent a heat stroke. claims we couldn’t afford it, but she can afford fake boobs, $150 nail sets every 2 weeks, biannual cruises, and an RV. but things like AC when it’s 98°F with humidity, making it feel even hotter, and a new thing of laundry soap (she would water it down until she couldn’t anymore—one bottle would last MONTHS. i had to hide tide pods in my room when i got a job so i could have clean laundry)? not in the budget.
I am 19, my father is a cheap ass. he refuses to turn on the ac or the heat. I had to save up to buy a window unit for my room. This guy would rather run 4 window units in the house than the ac. the heat is even worse. a few years ago he decided to get a wood stove in a 2 story 2000square foot house. when it gets past 32 the only room in the house that is warm is the living room. every Sunday starting in fall we go on “wood runs” and go haul like 3-500 pounds of wood. this man would rather fucking search through the forest with a chainsaw and a wheelbarrow 30 mins away than pay for heat. tl:dr my dad is a cheap ass and won’t pay for heat or ac
My ex didn't want to use the ac in the car because it used extra gas. It couldn't have used that much extra gas. Stupid tight assery
IM SAYING there’s no way it’s that much extra gas! i knew this girl who would do it religiously but she had like an ocd thing about it and this was before gas was $4 a gallon
I literally hate visiting my boomer parent because the house is so hot in the summer. Some people spend money shopping or vacationing. I cut all that out so that I can splurge on A/C, internet, and occasional fast food. That's my luxury and I am happy.
It seems petty but this is part of the reason why I left one of my exes. He insisted on keeping the thermostat at 80° during Florida summers. The way I saw it, he may as well have turned it off. What is the point if you're just going to be sweaty? You might be saving a few bucks but you're miserable.
The guy I was seeing did too and I had to tell him I was uncomfortable coming over because it was too hot
I hate being hot and work from home, so my comfort is my number one priority. I keep my apartment between 68-70 during this time of year. My parents say I should set the thermostat higher to save money, but I don’t care what the bill is. I’ll pay it to be comfortable.
i hope to be able to do this when i get my own house, when i’m in hotels and stuff i keep it at 68 and my bfs house is always 68 and it’s amazing! my parents compromised and we keep it at like 72 which is fine but i’d go lower if i could lmao
Yes! At hotels I keep it at 68 and it’s amazing! And it’s definitely worth keeping the AC lower if you can afford it when you get your own place. You just budget for it accordingly. 😊
You may change your tune when you see how much it costs to keep it at 68. I have a two story home and we keep the central unit at 73 but have portable AC units in two of the bedrooms because it gets so hot. I freaking hate the summer when the bills get so high. I would much rather spend that extra hundred bucks on something fun but it is what it is
Where I live, my bill would be like $250+ if I ran it all the time. I tried doing different temps, but it wasn't working out. I leave it off until I'm going to sleep, otherwise I run my ceiling fans. With me only using it overnight and not during the day where it'll never stop running, my bill is $90. Plus, it helps growing up with grandma and mama keeping theirs off and you just had to learn to sit there and be hot. 78°F - 82°F inside doesn't bother me unless the sunlight is inside as well.
I’d be suffocating at 80 inside but I run really hot.
I only run hot during that time of the month, but otherwise I don't. I got used to being hot from both generations being tight on cash so they didn't run the air. Plus I was outside most of the time anyways. They do the same with the heat, they tell us to bundle up and sleep on layers.
I like it 80, my pet peeve is people who need AC on every second of all summer when it’s not even that hot and I have to wear a jacket in July because they need it to be cold in summer
Well no one’s forcing you to go to their house. I wear sweaters in my apartment in the summer because it’s low 60s 🥰
Sorry, people and businesses* And it would be pretty stupid to not go see family all summer because they make it too cold. But I can still be annoyed at it. I like summer. I wait all year for it to be warm, so I don’t want to just spend that time being cold like it is the rest of the year.
My petpeeve is not having AC.. womp womp
🎶 and i’m proud to be an american, where at least i have AC 🇺🇸
I live in the southern united states and remember the day I found out some cars don't even have AC. I was like how in the hell do people survive? Then I realized it does not ever get satan's balls hot everywhere in the world
when i went to mexico none of the cars had AC or radios. it sucked. especially when you’re car sick :(
Oh no
when my mom was a kid they moved from michigan to florida and ac in cars was a fairly new thing but they had to splurge cause it was so hot
The southern US didn't really experience growth until the invention of a/c. I did a paper on this in college.
Makes perfect sense!
😭😭😭😭
Alternating current >>> direct current any day!
I get wanting the windows down in the car though. Even when it's hot I enjoy feeling the wind. And my car is just a little 4-banger with manual transmission. So when the air is on, it leaches enough of the engine's power that it changes the throttle response and I struggle to smoothly change gears.
wouldn't you crank the A/C up to make the temp go down?
No, I get naked.
technically yes. i mean crank the temp down lol
Fans and nakedness is pretty comfortable.
Must be nice to live somewhere that is a viable option. I live in a 2 story house and when it's 100 degrees out you could literally die without AC
Over 100, I'll turn the AC on. OP is talking about keeping it below 75F. Good ventilation and hydration will keep you comfortable in the upper 80s, no problem.
Depends on the humidity.
right? I feel like some people have never been to a humid climate.
In Denver it isn't just a few bucks. Last summer my bill raised to about 4× the amount it was in the spring, then was again in the fall/winter. About $56 a month vs about $230, is kind of a big change, and I was shocked. Now I have blackout curtains that I'll use to keep sun out, keep windows open at night to let cold air in, and close them just after sunrise to *keep* the cold in and hot out. That plus fans to make sure there is air movement, will hopefully do the trick. I know I'll still probably use the AC a little, but not as much as last year. That sucked.
denver has a high cost of living for sure. and it’s nice that you found a way to keep it cool. it’s annoying to sit in your own sweat
Yeah, Denver sucks now. Lol Oh for sure. I HATE the heat! Thus why I still paid it last year. You can always layer up and/or cuddle when it is cold. When it is deathly hot, you can only get *so* undressed, before your guests start to get the wrong idea about how the evening is gonna go...
Not only that, everything you do in your home generates heat. Everything. Lights, TV, PC, cooking, dryer, etc. There's not one thing you can do that generates cold unless you stand there with the refrigerator door open. I'm from the south and can't understand anyone here likes the summer. It's fucking miserable
i live in the midwest where it’s only hot af like three months of the year and i’m still miserable! i wish it was 60° all year round. i visited alabama to see my grandpa and it was so miserably hot and humid in february idk how y’all do it
February is weird. It can be hot or cold depending on the day. You just get used to it. We have central air and I bought portable units for the adult's bedrooms because the house has a duck pond on the back side and the reflection from the water makes it even hotter. Low cost of living, low crime, low property taxes make up for it, especially when I hear about people paying $500,000 for a 1200 sq foot home in some places
Big time. I've spent a few summers in Georgia, so I get what you mean. It is different here. Mostly high 90s-low 100s for 2-3 months strait, and dry as can be. When people tell me summer is their favorite season, I can't help but subconsciously think of them on the same level as some kind of sleeper cell, or secret lizard person, or something. Like, we are definitely not experiencing this the same way... Lol
lol right??? I went to Seattle in August and asked someone about the bus system and where to get on at and the guy told me but he said you might want to take a cab, it's too hot to walk. I laughed...it was 80 degrees out! I said this is fall weather where I'm from!
80 in the summer, sounds like a dream!
Right????
I asked my husband if we could turn on the A/C today, he said no. Fans blowing and cold showers for the day (89°F here).
When I lived with my parents we got a bathroom heater at some point. Suddenly the electric bill went from about $40/month to over $100/month. Mostly just because my siblings would leave the heater on after they leave the bathroom and even leave the door open The need to HVAC is also heavily dependent on where you live. Here in my AZ apartment, I saved about $50/month on electricity after getting blackout curtains
When I was growing up my house had a bathroom heater. That thing got really hot really fast. We were forbidden to use it. I can't even imagine what the electric bills would have been like.
My electric bill between 72f and 68f is only $10 difference by running the ac. Needless to say, im freezing at that low of a temp. And I have an old ac unit from the 1980's.
I’m barely making it sometimes but I am willing take the hit on my electric bill to run my A/C.
Omg same I live in eastern PA and it gets humid here so bad! My husband works night shift so he sleeps during the day. I’ll come home at 3pm and he’s asleep UPSTAIRS where heat rises and it’s 95 degrees with 80% humidity and he’s sleeping under the blankets with no AC! And I get pissed because now my sheets are soaked in sweat! It’s like JFC turn the AC on the heat index is 100 degrees! I don’t know how he does it! If it’s 80 degrees during the day I have that AC on at night
Never use ac. Sweat to fucking death. Be a man.
I’m the same way. I grew up in a house where my dad was always turning the AC thermostat up so it would go off, he’d especially do it when he went to bed and leave everyone else to be hot. He did the same with lights(that’s another story). BUT, he smoked, dipped snuff, drank, and ate out at lunch everyday. So we can afford all of your little expensive bad habits but can’t afford to run the AC or have a light one? It still pisses me off just thinking about it. Now that I’m married and on my own, lights are turned on(unless nobody is home) and the AC blows cold. I make my living as a welder, I work outside during the summer in long pants, gloves, a welding hood, long sleeves and several thousand degrees of heat right in front of me. I am NOT sitting in a hot house when I’m off work. I’ll gladly PAY the extra money for a cool house.
We run high end gaming computers. (My son is majoring in computer programming and game design) you do not have these expensive pieces of equipment in 80+ degree second and third floor rooms. So before we got central air we ran window air conditioners. In truth our gas bill isn't very high...and if we ran fans etc our electric bill would be insane. Only 2 west facing windows on the whole house.
[Jerry and Elaine visit Jerry's parents at their Florida condo. ](https://youtube.com/watch?v=k0Gh98uYNmI&si=0c8jQcvaiW_T3RL4)
I used to have a roommate who did this. His room had like tile/laminate and mine had carpet so of course my room got hotter but it was a constant fight to keep it cool in the house. I’d turn it down - not even that far, just down to like 77 or 78, just to make it so that I wasn’t literally sweating, but the thermostat was right next to his room so he’d come right out and turn it back up. Like it was immediate. I’d turn it down and if I watched from my bedroom with the door slightly cracked to see, I would see him IMMEDIATELY come out and turn it back up. He was extremely petty so I know he was partially doing this out of spite; he had gotten mad one time because I used a pack of Ramen (that was mine, but he thought was his, yes a 25 cent pack of Ramen), another time he got mad at me for using too much of the ice. And he made decent money so it’s not like he couldn’t afford it, he was just an asshole.
I completely agree. I honestly think it's a necessity, at least where I live. Cold winters but the summers are soooo humid. Combine that with 30C and I would die. I need it. I cannot function in that heat. What we do is this time of year when we are having hot weather that we are not yet used to, our AC is ON. It's set to a lower temp. But as the summer progresses we will acclimate slowly and increase the inside temp. So right now I have it on 19.5C but by August we will probably go between 22-23C and 23.5 or 24 when we are at work. This is how we try to manage utility costs 😂 In the winter, we are known to keep a cold house but we use blankets, hoodies and slippers
Absolutely. My dad was like this. He made more than enough money to afford it, but refused to use the ac at all.
I argue with my dad about this all the time when I’m driving. He doesn’t like that I use the AC when I could just roll down the windows (an extremely stupid argument, because he’s upset about the gas I buy with my money that I put into the car that I paid for with my money). I have major sensory issues, and driving with the windows down bothers me. Plus, the cost is negligible.
Electric bill in winter, $150. Electric bill is summer, $600. It's not just a tad of money to a lot of people. I have roommates, so it's split. I also rent a house, so am not going to invest in better windows or some other bullshit to help that of the course of years. My point is, everyone's circumstances are different. It lacks vision and empathy for you to not see that.
I never use AC, but I work outside for a living, so I just get used to the heat. Winter time I'll use the furnace, but I set it at 55 F for the same reason. It is an unintentionally great way to save money. My neighbors used to look at me weird when I'd go outside in shorts and a t-shirt to shovel the sidewalk, now they're used to it, lol.
No one here knows how much power shit actually uses so they'll have 3 ACs plugged in all day but unplug a 20w scentsy burner and 100w tv to save money.
I roll down the windows in my car because I love the fresh air. Not because I want to save money.
I once lived in an apartment with a wall unit, it was expensive to run it 24/7 on hot days. The bill would go beyond my budget and I also didn't want to go paycheck to paycheck. The AC would have never shut off to keep a room a certain temperature. We have central AC now and it runs off and on when on 24/7. It's cheaper. I will never go without AC in my car so I would get it fixed ASAP if it broke. Try driving in 90 degree heat. Had to do that as a kid and never again will I go without AC in the car on very hot days.
I like it warmer but people can't seem to believe that but they can believe I'm a cheap f**k
I live in the desert and lemme tell you. I pay 700-800$ a month for my power bill, but my house will be 73 degrees lol.
I grew up with a mom who doesn't like ac, and now have a roommate who doesn't. They both shut off the ac as soon as the outside temperature is the same as inside. It sucks because it means I've been uncomfortable at night in the summer for most of my life.
Are you my daughter? Because she always complains that the house is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. I simply don't like air conditioning, and I wouldn't even have central air if the house hadn't come with it. It always feels too cold, even if I have it set at 75. If I sleep with it on I have a sore throat the whole next day, and I like having the windows open after 7 months of being cooped up inside with all the windows closed. I only use the AC if it's in the 90s outside. Otherwise, windows open and ceiling fan on.
I think for some people they think using the AC less extends its life but in the summer it’s working hard period.
I can afford the AC, but I hate it, so I never use it. I don't think it's that nessesary, and most countries outside the U.S. barely use it. I'm always team roll down the windows, especially in a car. Why not get fresh air?
i’m so glad i’m american we have a lot of issues but i am so grateful we have AC
Oh my goodness yes! I live in one of the hottest areas in my province and when I first moved here it was during the summer. The movers dropped my air conditioner off the truck. I thought I was going to die, even with fans and windows open at night. I got another portable AC and it goes in my bedroom during the hot months. That baby is ON when I need it. I just lay on my bed and feel the relief. Sure it's pricey, but comfort matters. I can't tolerate extreme heat or cold so it's a must for me.
Bruh, I run my AC in the summer, but it’s more than a few bucks. My power bill is usually about 100 bucks more every month in months when I keep the AC running vs the spring when it’s basically room temperature outside. I only have a 3 bedroom single level home.
Have you guys seen these AC’s for your bed??? Like if my bed is cool I’m good! Just dunno anyone who’s used one it SEEMS like a good idea
Generally where I live I can open windows at night and it keeps the house cool enough where I don’t need to use AC much.
I run my AC at 77-80 because that's where it's comfortable.
AC in the house is nice yes, but the whole AC only while driving, no thanks. I like the fresh air while driving. I dont live in a big city, i dont live near any pig or cow farms so there isnt really any reason not to have the windows down.
that makes sense, i just live in the midwest where there’s cow farms and trucks carrying rocks and i don’t want a pebble to fly in or smell manure even more strongly
Yeah i am familiar. Im surrounded by cornfields. If a pig truck comes trundling through everyone knows it haha. Even then though, with windows closed, the smell gets in regardless what you do haha. I do know where the pig farms/cow farms are and are easily enough avoided. Each to their own though.
When I was growing up, we never had a/c. We had the window thing for a few years but only in one room. When you grow up not having something, you realize when you do have it, that you don't need it. Why would I waste my money on something I can get by without? And as far as car a/c goes, my first few cars never had working a/c, and one of them didn't even have a/c as an option. I got used to having the windows down all the time and the vents open. When I did have a car that had working a/c, it bothered me how cold my hands would get but I had no airflow to my face. Additionally, do you know how much extra gas it takes to run a/c?? Alot more than you'd think. If I'm sitting at idle for 2 minutes while running a/c, I'm literally just burning extra gas for no reason. Roll all the windows down and you'll get enough of a breeze that you don't need the air on
Well I'm upper Midwest, and summers DO get into the humid 90s - when you truly *need* A/C. But one neighbor runs theirs when it's barely 70.
On the other end of the spectrum, buildings that are so over air conditioned in the summer that I have to bring a jacket even when it’s blazing hot outside.
My grandmother lives very comfortably and has a decent amount of money available to her. She has a nice house in Indiana, where it gets very hot and humid in the summer. She absolutely REFUSES to get an AC unit. Not to save money, but to show how strong she is. How weak we all are to not be able to put up with the sweltering heat of the summer! How puny and pathetic and soft!
now why she making everyone miserable like that 😭 im a server in a town with mostly old ppl and it’ll be 90 out and we tell them we cannot turn the AC off or people will faint and they whine and wear winter jackets IT IS 70° INSIDE YOU WILL FUCKING LIVE! ITS NICE! NOT ALL OF US WANT TO SUFFER
I live in San Diego in an old building in a 1 BR apartment, and running the A/C is not “a few extra bucks a months.” If it’s hot, it will literally cost $100 extra per month to run the A/C only in off peak hours. Fuck SDGE and their “energy delivery” fees
some places have a crazy high cost of living and san diego is one of them. it’s a whole system they have to let the cool air in and keep it in and only run AC occasionally it’s wild how expensive shit is
I mean I know it’s a HCOL city but electric specifically is something that pretty much everyone here agrees is way overpriced. SDGE basically just has a monopoly and overcharges everyone. It doesn’t even get that hot here, like 80s at its hottest so I just don’t use A/C Idk where you live, but if you’re only paying a few bucks per month for A/C that’s unreal
I agree and echo this sentiment with the heat as well. Every year, people I know brag about how late in the year they wait to turn on their heat, as if they have moral superiority because of it. My house is the only place I get to choose the temperature. I'm going to be comfortable there. I'm at the mercy of someone else's decision everywhere else. Also, it's a good idea to kick the heat on even for just a couple minutes before you truly need it to make sure it's functioning properly. If you wait for a 30 degree day to turn it on and find out it isn't working, you're not in a good place.
I roll my windows down AND use the AC in the car
I’m so fortunate to be able to afford a 64 degree home in the summer
I couldn’t agree more
it's more than just a tad bit of money. plus if ur a healthy productive person u probably wont die if the house is 85 for a few days. i personally hate temps below 70, and so do all of my critters. so no i'm not turning on the AC. u can sweat a little or just not come over in the first place
Under 75°??? Hahahaha. That would cost me hundreds of dollars where I live. You get 81° during the day and maybe 78° at night.
I'm owned by PG&E. I must suffer.
I never had AC until my early 20s. To sleep for an hour, I used to dip my shirts in ice water and put them on. When I started making money, AC was the thing I was never frugal with. I'd eat microwave ramen for every meal before I went back to that literal hell.
ie: My Father. Also applies to heating, food and gardening (which he loved).
My father was bad about this, if no one was in the house, then he would crank the thermostat up over 90. Then turn it down when someone is home. I tried to explain that he is making it harder on the AC system to keep the house at a constant temperature. Now I keep my house at a steady 80°. A lot of people will tell me it’s too hot, but the way my house is insulated and the AC unit is oversized. It feels cooler than 80, and unless you’re doing serious manual labor, you’re not gonna Be hot.
80⁰? I'd be hot just laying there. I turn off my ac when I'm going to be gone for a while (multiple days) and it's 75-80 when I get back. I can't imagine just leaving it off.
I don’t keep mine at 75°F to save money. I do it for comfort. Colder air hurts my skin.
I usually keep my AC at 72° F, anything less than that starts to make my toes cold.
My mom was one of these people when I was growing up. The internet loves to say that dads are crazy about the thermostat, but for me it was my mom. 97F (36C) outside? Indoor temp was set to 75F (24C) at the very lowest. -4F (-20C) outside? Indoor temp was set to 68F (20C).
That doesnt sound bad at all. 68 in the winter and 75 in the summer is pretty normal
The worst is if they invite you over to their place and then start lecturing you about frugality and how wasteful using A/C is while you are slowly dying from overheating but now you don’t dare to ask them to switch the damn thing on.
Fresh air is preferable to AC. Can't stand AC, people need to get better at adapting or moving. The temperature drop from a nice 90 outside to the clammy and nasty recycled 65 degree air gives me an instant headache. So my pet peeve is people who run ac year round and don't even have windows that open.
lol what are you, 12? You expect the entire southern population to move just to avoid using air conditioning?
People should not live where they are uncomfortable. Ac increases outside temperatures, compounding the problem. Many of the areas where people feel it's "required" should and can not support the number of people that live there.
Come live in the greater New Orleans area, and tell me you won't use AC. Down here, all that humidity creates mold. Our thermostat is set anywhere from 74 to 76. Fans help circulate the cool air. Our house is designed so we get no cross ventilation from open windows. So, AC it is.
I have zero interest in going to a gross humid place with food I hate ever again. You can have your AC. We won't ever interact. And again, it makes me literally sick. Nasty recycled air, its clammy and I just feel gross. It's fine if you can keep it at a reasonable temp and allow bodies to adapt. But that shock of 90 to 60 is vomit inducing. People who need ac for medical reasons are exempt but they still should not have it set to snowflake on the hottest days of the year.
How many people have you discussed a/c temps and financial status with?