Baby It's Cold... Inside

This is the first year that I've lived with roommates since 2004. My roommates have slightly differing points of view when it comes to frugality - most obvious when it comes to such things as heating costs this winter.

Roommate #1 is a graduate student, and sometimes frugal. She'll buy a new dress for a night out, but when it comes to the heating bill she's willing to bundle up in fleece in order to save. I have trouble sleeping when it's cold (and yes, even in California it gets cold. Sometimes colder inside than out in my new apartment) so I tend to turn the heat on a bit at night. She's not frugal to the point of turning it off, but she'd prefer to keep our heating bills down. So would I. But I also want to be able to sleep at night.

Roommate #2 is a teacher, so she makes enough money to live a fairly nice life - especially in our current 3-way apartment share arrangement. The other day, after roommate 1 requested that we use heat sparingly this winter, she told me that she grew up poor and spent most of her childhood with heat-less winters. Now that she's working, she's going to pay for heat.

For the past two winters my heating bill was included with my rent costs, so heat was not an issue. If anything, it was the summers that were painful - no one uses air conditioning in Northern Cali.

I would prefer our heating bill to stay low, but I'm not sure how low is reasonable.

How high do you turn the heat on in the winter? And how much does it cost you?

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Should I Splurge on an Air Conditioner?

The past two summers in my Silicon Valley studio sans air conditioning have been painful. I can't sleep when it's hot in my room, and boy did it get hot in my room. But, being frugal as I am, I sucked it up and dealt with the heat, only to be consoled by two fans that just blew more hot air in my face.

Every summer I put off buying an air conditioner until it's too late -- all the stores have sold out of the ones that I'd want.

Reasons I Should Buy An Air Conditioner

- It gets so hot in my apartment that I have trouble sleeping in the spring/summertime.
- In my current apartment, my electricity bill is included in my rent, and I don't think there is any rule against using an air conditioner (though they can bill you for "excess electricity usage" whatever that means).
- I work from home 2-3 days a week, and it's difficult to focus when it's so hot.
- Every summer by the time August rolls around I am desperate for an air conditioner, but all the good ones are sold out.

Reasons I Shouldn't Buy An Air Conditioner

- Air conditioners are expensive
- In my current apartment I'd have to get a portable air conditioner since I don't have the right kind of windows for a window air conditioner, and those are even more expensive
- Next year I might move out of this apartment, and likely the next place I get will not be "utilities included" so my electricity bill will go up greatly in the summer, if I move.
- So many people live without air conditioners, even in hotter climates. Do I really need an air conditioner?
- I have no idea what air conditioner I should get, as there are many options and they all seem to be imperfect. The window air conditioners would be nice as they're cheaper, but my windows won't hold them. The portable air conditioners are gigantic and ugly, AND expensive. Like $500 for the cheaper ones.

So... tell me my readers, should I buy an air conditioner for this summer?

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Bought a New Verizon Wireless Cell Phone

It's funny how the cell phone companies make it seem like you get some extra special deal on buying a new phone every two years. I guess some people like to get replacements of their gadgets every two years, but I tend to hold on to my electronics for longer than that. My iPod? I don't plan on replacing it for a long time. Heck, if it still works, I'll use it when I'm 50.

But cell phones... dare I keep one longer than two years? Never. Well, the truth is this time around I actually lost my last phone (about a month ago) and despite being confused as to where on earth I put it, I'm splurging on a new, discounted-with-two-year-contract phone.

My tastes in gadgets (and everything else) tend to go by looks first, features second, quality third. That's not always the best way to pick out a big-ticket item. Luckily with phones there aren't that many options... which makes it somewhat easier to shop and decide.

Yesterday I checked out the latest Verizon phones at their Circuit City store and was hoping to fall in love with one that would be free after the rebate and my contract discount. Of course, I fall in love with one that will cost me $129 after the various discounts. Oh bother.

After trying to get my heart set on one of the cheaper phones, I did some research on the different phones and decided I really, really, realllly wanted the $129 one. At least this year I did research, right? Last time I got a Verizon brand phone and despite being black and shiny it was a crappy phone. This time around I'm going for an LG (that supposedly gets good battery life and decent phone quality).

Was I totally stupid to spend $129 on a phone when I could have got one for free (or perhaps even found my old one that's likely hiding somewhere in my room... or at a friend's house?)

I can't wait to get the phone. I ordered it online, so it comes next week.


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AT&T Will Not Stop Billing Me!!!

Perhaps some of you remember the saga of my previous employer and the cell phone bill that kept showing up on my bank account.

In short -- for my full-time reporting gig, I bought a cell phone through AT&T for work -- my boss told me to do this and he would reimburse me. That all went over fine.

A few months and a firing later, the nightmare began. On the last day of work, after a long conversation with AT&T on the phone, it sounded like the account would be transfered to my boss and all would be fine.

But then the auto pay bills started showing up on my bank statement. One in December, then one in January. I finally called AT&T and after 3+ hours on the phone with them (which ended up costing me something like $100 on my Verizon cell phone that I used to call them) you'd think everything would be solved. They talked to my boss again and he re-gave them permission to transfer the account to him.

Oh... but what shows up on my bank statement this month? ANOTHER $106.41 charge from AT&T. WTF?? My boss is supposedly reimbursing me for the last two months ($109 and $106) but I haven't gotten that check yet, and now I have to bother him and the accounts woman again asking for more money to be expensed and...

I am just so frustrated and I don't know what to do. Not only is this costing me lots of money (which will hopefully be reimbursed at some point), it's also costing my boss lots of money. As soon as the account is transfered to him, he was going to change the monthly plan to the lowest cost one, so he wouldn't have to pay $106 a month. Except they just can't seem to figure out how to transfer it to him.

Add in to the mix that this former boss of mine just had a heart attack. It's not exactly the best time to be bugging him with this... but I also can't keep getting charged $106 a month for a phone I no longer have!

What should I do?? Do I have any rights here? I don't want to spend another zillion hours on the phone with AT&T because it seems that gets me nowhere.

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