That Costs Money, You Know

I despise spending money on adult-ish things.

Like toilet paper.  And tires for my car.  But most especially for electricity.

I guess it's because I can't really see it, so it's like it's not there, so why should I have to pay for it?

Unfortunately, I also live in a place where we literally run the air conditioner daily for nine to ten months out of the year.  You know what costs $900 million?  Running the air conditioning for nine to ten months out of the year.

When we moved into our house, Husband made me start keeping the controller on 74 where we'd been keeping our apartment at 70.  The awesomest thing is that we moved right at the beginning of the summer, so I literally felt like I was melting.  Because on top of living in a hot, humid climate, I also sweat like a man.  I might have mentioned it before.  Seventy-three times.  I am always hot.

However, even at 74 degrees, electricity costs $900 million.

On top of that, we also have children.

And do you know what having children means?

Doors left open.  Lovely, cold air escaping.  Hot, choke-you-to-death air entering.

Lights left on.  In every room.  All the time.

Do you know how much time I spend walking around my house turning off lights?  At least half my waking moments.

I talk myself silly daily reminding everyone (Husband included) that if we are not in a room, the light does not need to be on.  And the reply is always the same, "Ok, I'll be more careful."

But are they more careful?  Nope.

I came home from a rare evening spent at the church last night to find every light in the house on.  Every. Single. One.

No one was downstairs.  They were all upstairs.

That was about two hours after I'd informed Husband of how much our electric bill was last month and he said, "Oh, we gotta find a way to get that down!"

I almost lost it.  Like hysteria.

TURN OFF THE FREAKING LIGHTS.

And don't even get me started on them leaving flashlights that are left on on the floor and walking away.

I just...can't.