Frugaling

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Addicted To Air Conditioning?

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Air conditioning is one of the most expensive utilities to run. Oftentimes, air conditioning is run throughout the day. Rarely does the buzz cease.

The Heat Is On

Outside my apartment, I hear air conditioning buzzing along, dripping condensation on the concrete walkway. Neighbors are pumping the cool air at high volume. These popular window units line my housing complex, and some never cease to hum.

It’ll reach about 88 degrees today in the Midwest. The heat is paired with a jarring humidity. For some, the moisture in the air can feel heavy and burdensome; others, like me, prefer it to the dry climate of places like Colorado. My skin feels healthier and more vibrant in the humidity. But the reality is that it can lead to hefty beads of sweat traveling circuitously down foreheads, backs, and weighing down clothing.

Climate Control

Because of this inconvenience, many people blast their air conditioning. Office spaces, hotels, and movie theaters can be notorious for their abundant air. The climate control aims to keep people in work clothes, comfortable.

Strangely enough, this refusal and resistance to acclimatize with seasonal changes hampers your body’s ability to adjust to the heat. Our body needs time to get used to the winter and summer, but when we blast the heat or air conditioning, we actually prevent our body from self-regulating properly.

Staying Frugal

Amidst the biological considerations of this hearty air conditioning consumption are the consequences to your frugal goals. Air conditioning is one of the most expensive utilities to run. Oftentimes, air conditioning is run throughout the day. Rarely does the buzz cease.

The coolest points in the day are at night and early morning; yet, people that run air conditioning keep the windows closed – keeping the world out. It’s hard to even realize that you may not need the climate control when the windows are shut.

Critical consumption starts at home with basic utilities. Sweat is natural; albeit, sometimes uncomfortable. But turning off/down your air conditioning can make powerful financial implications over time, and benefit the environment, too!

How often do you use air conditioning? Do you wait to turn it on until a certain point in the summer? How much could you save by turning it off?

The 7-Day Buy Nothing Challenge: Day 2

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THE 7-DAY BUY NOTHING CHALLENGE: DAY 2

I participated in a medical study that paid me $36. To get there, I took a free campus/city bus. Breakfast wasn’t an issue or option today, as the research required that I fast. Starving and eager to eat, I finished the study and ran back home to avoid eating out. This is my second day of the Buy Nothing Challenge – that wasn’t an option.

Checking My Reactions

Today was a series of checks to make sure I stayed on course. There’s a gut reaction that brews when you “need” something. I’m low on yogurt and the cereal is gone. These simple planning errors can’t be remedied by a short visit to the store. As long as I’m challenging my initial impulses, I’m not going to the supermarket.

Unfortunately, I didn’t wash my laundry before the experiment. The local laundromat would be yet another expenditure. For the next five days, I’ll definitely be craving some fresh clothes. Cravings always seem to be strongest for the things you can’t have. Maybe there’s a secret in those words to changing this reaction. Maybe not.

My girlfriend is coming back this evening, and I’d like to be able to take her out and have a fun time in the city. But, I’m on this strange adventure that precludes me from such choices. It feels abnormal to hold back like this. While it may be a good thing, it makes me think about what partners must go through when one becomes super frugal.

Checking My Expectations

There’s a strange incompleteness to not purchasing something. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s a comical expectation. Why would I feel compelled or expected to consume and purchase goods? It almost feels engrained in our society that we aren’t a worthwhile component of the masses if we don’t spend. 

I’m hardly an anti-consumer; heck, I’m not sure that’s possible as a human. But I don’t like the idea that I feel compelled to shop and spend – especially with the massive student loan debt I owe. The balance I aim to strike throughout this week is a realization and movement towards critical consumption. I do believe it’s my responsibility to develop and maintain a discerning eye towards products, marketers, and advertisements that try to suck me in.

I don’t want to fall for their tricks anymore.

Filling The Time

What should I do outside of work? How should I fill the extra time? In a good way, not spending money has left me more time to write and concentrate on what’s important in my life.

Today I took the time to fix a pair of shorts. A button had popped off and I needed to sew it back. The only problem was that I’d never done it before. By spending the time to learn and sew the button back, filling my time had saved me even more than expected – how frugal of me!

With the rest of my time, which is ample in these summer months, I worked, read, watched Netflix, cooked, and walked outside. With the birds chirping peacefully and the Midwestern sun gracing luscious, green grass, I felt perfect. I had everything and bought nothing.

Day 2: $0 Spent.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s report and follow along!

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The 7-Day Buy Nothing Challenge: Day 1

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Today is the first day of my Buy Nothing Challenge.

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I woke up craving an everything bagel with cream cheese. For a fleeting moment I thought about walking over, on this lazy Sunday, to the local Bruegger’s. Then I smirked knowingly, “Ah yes, it begins.” Today is the first day of my Buy Nothing Challenge.

Critical Response

When I checked my site statistics, I saw that my adventure had been submitted to Reddit. The traffic was streaming in, as were the comments. The vast majority of which, were written on Reddit.

Here’s what some of the critics had to say about the challenge (grammar and spelling are theirs):

Buying nothing for a week as a money saving strategy is about as effective as all those chain-email protests encouraging people not to buy gas for a week to put the big oil companies out of business.

You need food to live, you need gas (or transit) to get to work. Whether you buy it last week or next week is neither here nor there when it comes to being frugal.

Maybe leaving your wallet at home will keep you from making a few impulse purchases, and if that’s what you gotta do to give yourself some self discipline…go for it.

Buying twice as much stuff last week so you don’t have to buy it this week is a 0 sum game.

A “no buy week” should exclude things you need to live, that portion of the rent that is due, etc.

The only exception might be being more food than usual to prove to yourself that you can eat from home more than you think you can.

After reading some of these harsh comments, I questioned my own decision to pursue this: Was it too small a time? Was it fruitless? Was I just delaying inevitable purchases until next week?

Purpose of the Challenge

The focus of the more vitriolic, opposed persons seemed to surround the buying of food. The argument was that I needed food either way; not buying it for a week would amount to little more than delaying the inevitable. Rather than purely counter this argument, I’ll say this: It’s possible that’s correct. But there is another point to this challenge.

I decided to take a week away – a holiday – from spending to write about my realizations, experiences, and possible struggles. It’s bigger than just purchasing groceries. My challenge and yours, is about everyday opportunities to buy. Whether it’s a car wash, gas, laundry, food, floss, or whatever you pay for on a regular basis, I wanted to see if I could even get to zero.

Secondarily, what some of these commenters failed to grasp was that the more exposure we have to touch, hold, or look at products, the more we buy. Remove the stimulus – remove the urge. By not going to a supermarket (or any store for that matter), I was reducing the chances for advertising and marketing opportunities. I wouldn’t feel the urge to buy a tangential – unnecessary – product.

My Emotions

Over the course of the day, I had these fleeting moments to buy or do something that cost money. The response has been quite interesting. I feel guilty and ashamed at the possibility that I might not make it.

Day 1: $0 Spent.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s report and follow along!

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The 7-Day Buy Nothing Challenge: Day 0

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Part reflection and part education, I will write a journal-style entry to you every day. THE 7-DAY BUY NOTHING CHALLENGE: DAY 0

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Tonight marks an interesting turn in my dream to reduce my debts and save more. This just may be another ordinary, summer Saturday night to you, but to me, it’s the beginning of a little adventure. For the next 7 days I won’t purchase anything. I’m calling it, “The 7-Day Buy Nothing Challenge.”

The experiment came to me as I was driving – yet again – to the supermarket. It was the second trip of the day. I had planned poorly and hadn’t followed my own shopping advice. Unfortunately, I got home and realized I forget bread. A few hours later I was back at the store and primed to spend.

Then, I pondered if I could actually make it a week without spending money on anything. It couldn’t be simpler, right? Just stop buying stuff! And yet, look at your receipts, how many days have you gone without a purchase?

We are primed for consumption, and sometimes we don’t know how to turn it off. It’s often easier said then done, and I struggle with it sometimes.

For the next 7 days, I aim stop shopping and see my Mint.com account show zero, nada, nothing, zilch, squat, zip. Part reflection and part education, I will write a journal-style entry to you every day.

The Buy Nothing Challenge rules are simple:

  1. No household goods (discretionary or non-discretionary), food, or gas purchased.
  2. Nothing necessary, desired, or wanted purchased/ordered.
  3. To aid in this process, leave credit, debit, and cash at home. 
  4. If an emergency occurs, ignore the first three rules.

When I started telling people about this experiment, some scoffed, others laughed, and a few were excited. To me, it’s a win-win. I get to write to you and I learn what it’s like in the process. I wonder if I’ll be able to go a week. Likewise, I’m nervous if I properly prepared for the adventure. I’d love to know what you think in the comments below!

Here goes nothing! Wish me luck. Be sure to follow along!

Read the Entire Series: Day 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

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