Na Na pinches her pennies
Shh… don't tell anyone I'm poor. They all think I'm living frugal and green just like everyone these days. This is a blog about a senior citizen living a frugal life, on a fixed income, in a low income food desert, and passing along knowledge from lessons learned. Some she learned from her Grandma Mama many years ago and some learned only a few days ago.
Still no furnace
The weather is a bit warmer in the 50s today so I’m able to work at my computer. Before I get into the saga of not having a furnace yet, I want to say a big THANK YOU for the gifts I’ve received. I was gifted 4 bottles of the special soap needed for my toilet sink. Gosh this has got to be about two year’s worth of hand washing. Probably much longer. I’m going to use it even before I get the sink working. Had I known before now about this environment friendly and affordable soap I would have been using it. It smells fantastic. Thank you!
I was gifted this palm peeler from my Amazon wish list which is supposed to be easier on my hands. I tried it and it works ok. It will take a little practice to get good at using it. I was also gifted a battery operated toothbrush from my wish list. Yes, I do have dentures but I also have some natural teeth that need brushing. I’m a big fan of things that run on batteries instead of electricity. I’m not sure who sent these but thank you so much. I love them.
Now about my furnace. No, not installed yet. I’ve made phone calls and more phone calls. Basically everyone is saying “it takes time” or “we are behind schedule” and so I wait. What I don’t understand is if the contractor has already gotten and signed a contract why isn’t he required to do the work? Shouldn’t the contractor have a work timeline schedule the same as any other type of contractor? I did find out that he is not licensed to install furnaces which is probably the issue.
I’m giving up on getting a furnace for now. Butting my head against those red tape brick walls is getting me no where. I just need to trust and keep my faith that I won’t be given more hardships than I can handle and continue with my life. I’m going back to what I do best which is make do with what I have. I’m changing my strategy and will be coming up with a plan to survive. I can be very resourceful when necessary and that’s the direction I’m taking.
My daughter’s furnace died last week so both of us are without a furnace. She was also told it must be replaced. Her plan is to get a new one with her tax refund. She reminded me that this is not the first time we’ve lived without a furnace. When she was small we spent four whole years without any power at all (summer and winter) and we did just fine. When she was a teenager we again lived without a furnace for a couple of winters. She’s right. We’ve been through this before and we can do it again. We talk to each other regularly about the ways we used to cook, clean, and stay warm. We discuss how we are going to survive again. It’s a new experience for her kids but they are learning.
Stay safe, be frugal, hugs from Kentucky
Anita
Na Na pinches her pennies 
I’m sorry you are without a furnace (Is that what we call a boiler?) As you say we had no central heating years ago and we managed. We all huddled around the open coal fire so it kept everybody together. Sadly I don’t have facilities in my modern flat for an open fire or wood stove. I do have heated blankets, a wheat bag to heat in the microwave and a hot water bottle. Plus my cooker runs on gas so even if the electricity is off I can cook and that heats the home.
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Thank you. Yes, I believe you’d call it a boiler. Same for me, we had a coal fired pot belly stove and a wood cook stove that Grandma Mama burned corn cobs. We had an abundance of corn cobs as they grew corn to feet the animals. Coal was found all over the farm just laying on the ground. It was the kids job to pick up coal rocks all summer to use during the winter.
My stove is also gas so even if the power is out I can cook. Lately I’ve used it to warm up the kitchen but I’m cooking at the same time. I only use it during the day if I’m in the kitchen.
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https://householdair.com/5-space-heaters-that-wont-trip-breaker/
Not sure the last one saves any electricity but that wall hanging one interests me.
I use the oil filled radiators as space heaters but they do pull a lot of power. I have central heat furnace for all of first floor and second floor bathroom and one bedroom. I don’t have heat in my bedroom, and the other two bedrooms use the space heaters. I had outlets added to new box where heaters are plugged in. I like a cool bedroom and bundle up at bedtime. Leave bedroom door open so heat from downstairs wafts up into that room.
In the summer, have window units in three of bedrooms including mine with central air for downstairs. My heat/ac bill averages $300/month which is combined gas/electric bill. Another $75 for water/sewer/garbage. Taxes $300. WiFi $100, Hulu $65 . Phone $120 for son and me. Homeowners ins $150. Yard maintenance $150. Medi gap ins $145. Car money $400. Necessities $100. Emmy nut for each month
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When my furnace did work properly I kept the thermostat at 64 during the day and wore layers of warm clothes. At night I turned it down to the lowest it would go at 55 and used a small energy saver space heater in my bedroom. The space heaters have a thermostat to cut it off and on and a energy saving setting too. I also had a heated mattress cover which had a temperature setting and a timer to cut off after the length of time I set it. When I washed it to get ready for cold weather this year it stopped working. I should start searching for a new one. Umm, what’s Emmy nut?
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Ha , ha. Meant to say “My nut for each month”. Autocorrect still didn’t want me to write that for some reason. Yes. I have electric mattress pads as well as electric blankets but the guys in my house prefer heating their room. So far the mattress pads have withstood annual washes, the blankets even more regular stints in the washer. Whole house has heat is very inexpensive here and I wish I could have had it for the entire second floor. Electric space heaters are very expensive in terms of energy use and costs. I had to get dedicated electric lines for each bedroom for the ac window units in the summer and radiator heaters in the winter. They are a major electric bill item but my cousin pays me rent and for now my son needs a place to stay. Cousin does pay extra $50/month for those units in his room but he cranks them both up. Over all the best solution for me. I use zero heat in my bedroom so I guess it balances it out
I did not replace the core electrical system in this house because it was deemed safe but I can tell what really draws the power because it won’t take anymore. Microwave is the big one and I want a dedicated line for it and the outlet on my porch that has my chest freezer on it. When we use the microwave when tv is on, tv flickers and sometimes turns off.
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Ha – ha, auto correct tricks me a lot too.
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Stay safe. Sending you warm thoughts.
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I appreciate the warm thoughts.
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You’re fortunate (and I use that term loosely) to live south. If you were much farther north, a lack of a furnace would likely be deadly. Unfortunately, you have two totally worthless federal senators. Haven’t check on your state rep/senator but odds are just as worthless. I do think you should get the info out to the media, anonymously of course. I suspect you don’t have the furnace hence we can’t find another installer. And if the installer is not licensed, may karma go into overdrive.
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True, I’m in the mid-west south of the extremely cold north where living without heat would be life threatening. I’m doing ok with the two small energy saving space heaters and my kitchen stove. It just irks me that quite possibly I’m not the only senior person waiting for emergency repairs. What if someone else doesn’t have any way to heat at all.
My own belief is any person not licensed to do a job should not be allowed to bid on it or be awarded the contract. Licenses and liability insurances should be checked and verified before a bid can be given or accepted.
I’ve been composing a letter to submit to the news reporters anonymously. From the information I’ve gathered so far is I haven’t given the contractor enough time to complete the job. That’s something the trouble shooter will need to verify. It was suggested I give it until the end of December which should be ample time before squawking like a mad mother goose. Which I certainly will!
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