Strategy for Lowering the Thermostat

One challenge in the winter is walking the fine line of keeping the heating bill low while keeping the peace among the natives. One of my sons has a circulation problem and his feet and hands get cold really easily. He's always the first one to voice his objections to the relatively precipitous fall of temperature in the house. So my strategy has been to cook the frog slowly.

You know that story about how to cook a frog? You put him in a big pot of cold water and let him swim around happily in there while you turn the heat on low. Slowly the water temperature rises but the frog is oblivious because the water heats so slowly he doesn't notice. Before long it's time for a frog dinner! In like manner, at the beginning of the cold season I leave the thermostat at about 72. The next week I turn it down a degree. The following week I turn it down another degree. I continue like this until someone in the family comments about how dreadfully cold it is. I tell them to put on more clothing. LOL. If I still get comments and I'm feeling magnanimous I might turn it back up a degree and leave it there for a week. Then I try again and turn it down and see how it goes. If I don't get comments I know they can tolerate it okay. And so it goes until I keep getting comments and cannot placate them. Then I turn it up a degree and that's where it stays until warm weather hits at which time I employ the same strategy in reverse.

Thanks for droppin' by! I gotta run now but come back and visit me again soon!

Momoften