We flipped the heat on for the first time this week, only for a few hours the other day. My sister turns her on and as hot as she wants it and doesn't even THINK about how much that will cost. As soon as I hear it kick on, I feel like we are burning money.

I asked her about it once (because to me her house was hot) and she said that our parents always froze us out when we were kids and she hated it so much she refuses to do that to her family. We did freeze as kids, there are certain times I acutally remember being SO cold I couldn't stand it. I don't think I would turn it up as much as she does even if oil was free, but is it wrong to just put as extra sweatshirt on and leave it off? My kids aren't complaining!?

Do you turn yours on as high as you want? Or did you when it was cheaper?

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

No, we keep it on 68 and it's usually chilly. We dress warmer or wrap up in a blanket if we're cold. One of our old neighbors did what your sister did and for the same reason. The husband was always cold as a kid and didn't want to be anymore. We live in Kansas where it gets COLD and they would be in their house in tshirts & shorts. I'm too frugal and feel wasteful doing that.

We also leave the a/c on 78 during the summer and use the ceiling fans. Our house is comfortable, but not cold.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

You made me giggle, this is exactly how I feel too!

We keep it on 64 in the winter, 78 in summer. But, I'm thinking about getting a few more space heaters and turning the thermostat down to around 60. I'm in Oklahoma and we had our first cold snap just last night! So far, I haven't turned on the heat.....yet. But I sure dread paying our gas bill

We keep the temperature cool since we don't like to waste resources (be they environmental, energy, or cash)

cj/

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I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code. -Emo Phillips

We keep ours at 60! Brrr. I just started babysitting a 2 month old this week so I kicked it up to a balmy 65 so the baby wouldn't freeze. We have a programmable thermostat so I'm going to program it to be a little warmer during the day and drop back down in the late afternoon. I usually have on three layers of clothing on top in the winter and when I sit at the computer, I have to wrap a blanket around my shoulders in addition to the three layers because I get so cold. The kids have never complained about the house being cold so I don't think they mind. I keep a big basket filled with throws in the living room and cover up with one when I'm reading or watching TV.

When oil was cheaper, we kept the house warmer but never higher than 72 or so. Any higher than that and it gets uncomfortably warm.

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Being thrifty by nature we have always set the thermostat at 68 during the winter and 80 during the summer. I feel like the animals are all wearing fur coats and my sweetie and I own sweats and pull them on when needed. I close off rooms that we don't use regulary and open/close thermal drapes to warm during the day and hold in the heat at night.
However this year with my sweetie laid off we made the decision that we will not be heating the house this winter. Fortunately we don't ususally have severe winters here but in does get down to the 20's. We will just dress a little warmer, moderate use of space heaters and throw another cat on the bed.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Please be careful that you don't let it get so cold in your house that your pipes freeze! The cost to repair burst pipes and clean up the resulting mess is not something you want to risk with your SO being laid off.
When it gets really cold here (below zero), we open the cabinet doors under the kitchen sink so the warm air from the house circulates around the pipes and they don't freeze up. And those cats can keep your tootsies incredibly warm!

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Cecilia

"We must love them both--those whose opinions we share and those whose opinions we reject. For both have labored in the search for truth, and both have helped us in the finding of it."
Saint Thomas Aquinas

Even before the high price of oil, I usually kept our furnace at about 68. I rarely turned it above that. Now, we have a pellet stove, so that has helped me to be able to lower it down to 60. I will be curious to see how much money the Pellet Stove saves us this winter. We have 3/4 of a tank of oil right now, and I am hoping the next time they bring oil (I have $200 delivered every two weeks) it will be full. Last winter I was paying at least $400 a month to heat the house. We bought two tons of Pellets that cost us $400. I am hoping they get us thru the winter. There are many people that are scared about making it through the winter. Maine winters can be brutal...

I do not like to think about how much $$ it is going to cost but I have to be warm. In our old house I would turn the heat down when I left the house because it did not take long to warm it back up. I cannot stand to be cold.

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NO way i mean if I have company and they say that they fell chilly of course I will raise it. However as far as us in the family , my kids still like it to be kinda warm so between 68-72 during the nite, however me personally with hot flashes I would not I like the cold and still sleep with a window open... Btw we have gas not oil heat and 3 fireplaces as place... Peace . Catherine

We don't have air conditioning (and don't usually need it...).
Our utility company offers AMP (Average Monthly Payment), so our payment is the same every month.

When we have high temperatures in the single digits or negatives--you dang skippy I turn the heat up. The coldest I have seen it was actual temperature of -20, wind chill of -40.

So, yeah, I turn the heat on and don't care what it costs. It's not that we waste the resources, but it gets darned cold up here! Having heat is not an option.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

I don't really think of the cost but I am thrifty so I try to keep our heat around 68 during the day and than it goes down to 62 at night (all our bedrooms are upstairs)
I try not to use the A/C at all, because the kids will sit in the house playing video games instead of playing outside, so I only turn the A/C on when its over 90 for more than 3 days LOL

Renee

I always think of costs. We keep our house at 68 during the day and lower it at night (forgot how low right now). It gets chilly (especially if it's snowing out but we manage. We will turn on our fireplace which seems to be cheaper than the heater (gas vs. electric). We might turn it down a bit more this year...haven't decided yet.

I hate when you go into someone's house in the winter and you start sweating because you are wearing actual winter clothes. I don't "freeze my family" by any means. In fact, I probably get the coldest

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

It's been below freezing here at night the past week (northern Wisconsin) and I still haven't turned the heat on. (oil heat). My son has complained, but then I found out he had his bedroom window open! Closed that... and gave him another blanket.

I never have the heat above 60 during the winter. I turn it off completely when we leave in the morning for school/work and turn it on when we get home. The house temp only drops about 5 degrees during the day, and it feels warm when we get home. I still have about 1/2 tank, and I am hoping that will last til late January.

My parents, in their late 70s, keep their house at 70 degrees and I am so HOT in there! My mother always says she doesn't care how much it costs - she is going to be warm in winter and cool in summer.

I have always been a 74 girl. I like to walk around in bare feet, feeling very comfortable. Things will definitely have to change this year. I have resisted turning on the heat so far. Of course, it leads to very slow mornings-no one wants to get out of their warm beds. DH and the boys are a lot more hardy than I am, so I think I am going to be wearing a lot of thermal underwear around the house, and we will turn the thermostat down. And hopefully, still be able to pay that bill.

boy it was so hot here today!! 94* here in So Cal.
it never gets really cold here, but my hubby still likes to turn on the heat. i prefer to use blankets and warm clothing. the heat messes up my sinuses

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-Kristi

BF and I are exact opposites....he works construction all day and comes home cold.....cranks the heat! I am frugal by nature and usually leave it set at 68......although here in MN the wind chill does factor in, but we have a fireplace that helps. We buy lots of flannel pants, sheets and fuzzy socks to get us thru!!!

Besides, when it is a little chilly in the house he likes to snuggle!

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"It's not about how much baggage you have, it's about whether or not you can carry your own baggage with grace and dignity."

I refuse to be cold in my own home. It used to be a bone of contention with my DH until I told him it would cost a lot more to pay for me to stay in a warm hotel room than it would be to keep our house at a comfortable setting. I wasn't kidding and he knew it.

It's usually about 72-74 or so in our house. Of course with the hot flashes, we may be able to lower it.

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bite me and get a brain!

I have already told my family that we are going to try and not use the heat at all this year. We live in south Alabama, we get excited when it goes down in the 30's, so I think for those few days we can bundle up! I love cold weather, wish we had more. It is actually getting cooler here now, lows in the 50's, and I am loving it! Haven't ran the air all week, even when I wanted to. There's nothing better than having the windows open. Our bills are already so crazy, the heating is one thing we can control.

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*** Find A Need , Fill A Need ***

Just wanted to add, I am soooo jealous of all of you that are already having cold weather!! And I've always wanted to see Maine, Tammyleeb!!!

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*** Find A Need , Fill A Need ***

Hey I love the cold weather as well, your welcome anytime come Visit New York or Connecticut, We have a summer home there ,its sooooooo pretty right now with all the folliage...I could never ever ever live in a warm or hot climate all year around no way....Peace...Catherine

Maine is a beautiful state. With the very low crime rate, and great sense of community it is a great place to raise a family. Not to mention the wonderful scenery. Bar Harbor and the Moosehead Lake region just to name a few scenic places. The summers can be wonderful, but after living through many, many Maine winters, there are times when I wish we lived in a more comfortable climate. Being a Maine native makes it very difficult to leave the state...

we keep our heat on around 72. I hate to be cold so my house will not be cold. But now we dont burn up in our house, its nice. We have gas heat and our air is electric. In the summer our air is on around 78.

steph

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we have a wood stove and free wood so we stay just as warm as we want . just add another log to the fire.

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Not the heat but we DO the AC. It is just to hot here in AZ in the summer to care what it cost. I guess it all balances because we don't really need the heater much in winter.

I, too, am one would rather bundle up a little. I won't be "cold" but I don't it to be like a summer day in here.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

We have decided, after much thought and consideration, to go on budget. Our gas bills in the winter were between 700-900 a month. Now we pay a flat 120.00 all year round so I use the heat!!

We have our heat on 67 right now. I hate to be bundled up but guess I willl have to get used to it this year. My problem is having cold hands and ya can't really cook and clean, etc. with gloves on! Since DH and I both have health issues, I'd like to turn up the heat but I am afraid of a huge gas bill.

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

During the day when no one is home, we keep the heat off except on those cold cold days which isn't that many here. I have a window that lets the sun shine full in our living room and keeps the house nice during the winter and miserable during the summer. At night I turn the heat on 65 and we all wrap up with blankets and warm pjs with slippers. I use gas but just don't know where I'm going to get it this year. I was able to fill my tank in August when my ex actually paid child support but haven't seen any of that since so I'm on my own again this winter with the bills I haven't used any of the gas except for cooking and even then didn't use it that much, so I should have some to use during those cold spells. We have electric heaters too so that will help at night.

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Proud Single Mother to 18 year old Twins Ashley/Davey, 14 year old Shawna, 5 year old Emma, and my Boo Bear, "Angel Hope" (1996-1997) RIP Boo.

I care about air conditioning more than heat! I don't care what it will cost for cooling me down!!!

We keep it t 61. It has turned on only a few times. I am so cheap!

I am in Minnesota, and we have had our heat on for 2 months now?! Maybe a month and a half. I like it at 74, but at night I like it at 65-68. We have a drafty old house and 74 keeps it okay. Any lower and my feet are icicles! It doesnt help that I have thisa thing against socks! I hate them!

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Longtime Mycoupons lurker since 2000.

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I'm in NW Ohio. I just turned my heat on this week. But, I only turn it to 62 all winter long. I refuse to pay the ridiculous gas bills. We also have no air conditioning in the summer. We have a pool and use it daily to keep cool.

Jen

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Mom to Jake, Zach & Meghan
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We keep ours at 68 most times. On those really cold below zero days or nights we crank it up a bit more and pile on more blankets as well for us. I hate the heat bills as well but I refuse to be cold so will turn it up if need be. The cold air alone gets me sick since I have chronic bronchitus. I wish we had a wood stove or pellet stove but we rent so thats not an option.

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~*~Live life to the fullest*~*

I keep the heat between 68 & 72 during the day, and cooler at night because we sleep better when it's cold. I amd home during the day and if I'm cold, I turn the temp up. I refuse to be freezing in my own house, but I do put on a sweater first before turning up the heat.

Sarah..........mom to Jason & Devin

I won't skimp on heat. I HATE being cold. Living in Montana isn't the greatest in the winter either. LOL!

I'll leave my thermostat set on 70-72 and 68 at night. I don't care what it costs, it is one thing I never mind paying.

We use our monitor heater and I really don't mind paying for the heat. We live in Maine and I'm constantly in and out for the cold so I need to be warm when I get home. DH is on medication and it makes him cold a lot faster. We usually turn it up more when we want to get in the shower then turn it down. I've got like 5 blankets on the bed so we're pretty toasty!

We are in New England, and keep it about 62-64 day and night. We always have socks,sweatshirts on in these cooler months. There is definitely a chill in here. We do turn it up occasionally if it is raw outside and feels extra cold in here, and always when we have company. My kids don't really complain about it, I don't think it is hurting them. I also went on the budget plan for this first time this year, am paying $220 monthly for gas which covers heat, stove, and dryer.

Winter is the low cost season for us. It's the AC that kills us. But I do keep the thermostat on 68, which is cooler than I'd like.

But I love winter when I get my hot flashes, just go outside for a few minutes and all is good

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Mary

This is exactly what we do too - the furnace is set on 68 degrees in winter and put on a sweatshirt if you are cold. Now granted we don't have any kids. In fact, we haven't turned our heat on yet this year. Yesterday the outdoors high was 68 - this morning the low outside was 41 degrees - but it was 75 degrees in our house this morning. So we don't turn on the heat til it really gets COLD!

We had been having the heat at 73-74, which was too hot for me, but my houseguest gets very, very cold and I feel bad for her.

But, I just recently turned it down to 71 and it is getting colder outside. My dh said that we need to really watch it this winter because of the gas prices, and I agreed.

So, we will just have to bundle up a bit more if we get cold. I don't mind, as Mary said, I have hot flashes!

It got down to 27 degrees here last night, so I broke down and turned the heat on to 60. Oh did I hate to hear that come on - I saw dollar signs every time it kicked in. Shut it off as soon as I got up this morning!

That is exactly what I did last week. We had a night like yours and I had to get the chill out of the air...but I also figured 60 was high enough and then turned it off. Once the sun came out and shone through the skylights, the house warmed up naturally LOL..Yea solar heat!!

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count me in as one that don't care either, I'm not going to be cold in my own home. I have a blood iron problem and I get really really cold if the temp drops below 70 so the heat will and does get cranked up. When I get cold I can't get warm again till I take a VERY hot bath... In the summer I keep the ac on or around
75-78...

That it exactly how I feel! For some strange reason I will pay the $350 electric bill and not care as long as we were comfortable, but when I have to fill that oil tank it's a different story!

It actually snowed here today for the first time and I didn't really have the heat on since I was the only one home and I was cleaning all day. I did turn it up to 64 when the kids were home from school and I had a chance to relax and get cold.

Can you believe snow in Jersey, they even closed a couple schools right here in PA too!

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I would much rather put on a sweatshirt in winter than be hot in summer, I don't mind paying for the AC, but I do mind paying for the heat. So far we have NOT turned on the heat yet, the coldest it has gotten was last night and it was 30 outside. We have the electric ceiling heaters in the bathroom for when we take showers so it's not cold then and the rest of the time it doesn't seem too bad, a sweatshirt around the house and when you are watching tv just put on a soft furry throw and I don't mind it, no one is complaining too much. I keep teasing everyone we are not turning the heat on until December 1, but I think we will have to break down before then. I don't know, we might get away with it, tomorrow it's going to be back up in the 80's. We did break down and heat the pool (gas heat) this past weekend though.

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