I’m not sure if there is an “I’m no longer too poor for temperature control” holiday, but I’ll invent one. Once this window air conditioner is installed, no more five cold showers a day and going around my room in a wet swimsuit, no more fitful, sweaty sleep on top of the blankets, and my friends will actually set foot in here before October.
I wonder if it will feel weird to be comfortable? I adjusted pretty quickly after the four winters with almost no heat, so maybe this will be the same. In my mind, it almost seems normal to be either freezing or sweltering eight months out of the year. Same thing with food and clothing- It still feels decadent to buy anything other than cheap healthy staples and I have a hard time buying any clothes that weren’t owned by someone else first.
Has anyone else here gone through long periods of lack of comforts like this? What was it like recalibrating to what’s normal for everyone else?
I never properly recalibrated when I started earning more. One part of my brain wants to save money and one part wants to spend it, and the net result is I buy middle of the road junk that isn’t cheap enough to be saving any real money, but not nice enough to deliver the benefit of high quality items.
I had a financial shock this year and put myself on a strict budget and now I angst a lot less about what I spend.
Having said that - I put in A/C last year and I have zero regrets!
I had poor climate control at my old apartment. I didn’t have central air, just a bedroom window unit, so all activities were confined to my bedroom during the summer. I’d watch TV in the living room, but I’d get dehydrated sitting on the couch dripping sweat everywhere. It was disgusting. And the place was always a mess because it was too hot to clean it up.
Winter was the same way. I had gas heat, but my apartment was so big and drafty that it seemed wasteful to use it. So I would turn on a heating fan and lock myself in my tiny bedroom, wearing as many layers as I could stand. I was fine as long as I stayed in that one little spot. But you eventually have to go to the bathroom and get undressed. I’d shiver so much that I’m sure the people downstairs could hear my clacking teeth.
When I moved to the house where I’m currently living, my attitude changed. My income hadn’t changed that much, but I guess I just care more? I am very conscientious with the thermastat, but at least I use the heating and cooling.
It is wise to acclimate yourself to living below your means.
That way you always have a fail-safe plan when failure occurs.
I can well afford an automobile, meat/vegetable foods, and a/c. But I choose to run/bike commute, eat cheap grain foods, and acclimate my body to heat by excessive exercising in hot weather.
I never have to worry about transportation because I can always get to where ever I need by running or biking (if the bike fails I can run instead) , and I never have to be concerned about meat or vegetables prices at the grocery store because I am content with eating grains, and I am comfortable in temperatures over 100 degrees both in and out my apartment.
I can buy a car if I choose to, or eat a burger everyday, or turn on the a/c but I consider those options a luxury and not a necessity.
I was divorced at 40, I had to close my business and went bankrupt. My child support and alimony were more than I made on my full time job so I had to take two full time jobs for almost 15 years just to stay afloat and get my kids through college. I wore used levis, shirts and coats, I did buy new t shirts, underwear and sox but basicaly had almost no spending money for all those years.
Once the kids graduated college and went to work my bank accounst started growing but I just couldn’t bring myself to buy new things. I eventually got a bit better and will now shop once or twice a year for clothes, bought an almost new car and spend what i want to spend on my hobbies but otherwise live a pretty spartan life.
That sounds like a recipe for heatstroke or other heat-related problems.
I know that there’s a huge difference in how I perceive the same temp (80 F) depending on whether it’s summer or winter.
In summer, 80 feels pretty pleasant at 7 am when I’m leaving for work. In winter, 80 feels downright sweltering when it’s say… 35 degrees outside.
Beyond that, if you spend actual time in the elements, you’ll acclimate even further- when I used to be a part-time surveyor during the summers in college, even 90 didn’t feel too uncomfortable, and after 3 weeks in Central Europe in early January, freezing temps didn’t bother me nearly as much as they had before.