Last year we spend a bundle on keeping this house warm. The house leaks like a sieve and has aluminum-framed windows. Last year, for a lot of reason, it was just easier to turn up the heat. This year is different, however (as in, I'm a freelance writer now and not a corporate employee with a bi-weekly paycheck and a 401K plan.) This year we have to be thrifty and frugal. Yikes!
That's means keep the programmable thermostat set lower, wear sweaters inside (a heavy flannel shirt in my case) and live like the pioneers. Or in this case, relay on the fireplace and wood stove for more heat.
Meet my wood stove. A 1930ish Sears cook stove that was left here by the previous owners.
In fact, this wood stove was the only heat for this part of the downstairs for many, many years. The previous owners truly were of pioneer stock. While they had electric baseboard heating and the big fireplace for the original part of the house, they didn't add any type of heating for this part of the house, other than a couple of woods stoves -- this one down stairs and another small one in the bedroom upstairs.
We thought it was cute and romantic... until that first winter. Pioneer stock we are not made of and so by the second winter we had central heating. Unfortunately, adding heating after the fact is problematic and this side of the house is always cold unless you turn up the heat, which is expensive and not going to happen this year!
Luckily, this old wood stove does a pretty good job. As I write this, it's a nice toasty 71-degrees. But having to rely on the stove for more heat does cause a few problem. The biggest of which is I can't work in my upstairs office -- waaaay to cold -- and we removed the wood stove upstairs so I had room for an office. Ugg! So, guess where I've moved my new office?
And this requires I do a lot of this...
Of course, it could be worse, because I could still be making that 112 mile round trip to my corporate cube each day, being totally stressed and unhappy. It's a small price to pay... and as I think about it, sitting by the wood stove is the middle of the day is kind of romantic.
Linking to a couple of parties today:
Last year we spend a bundle on keeping this house warm. The house leaks like a sieve and has aluminum-framed windows. Last year, for a lot of reason, it was just easier to turn up the heat. This year is different, however (as in, I'm a freelance writer now and not a corporate employee with a bi-weekly paycheck and a 401K plan.) This year we have to be thrifty and frugal. Yikes!
That's means keep the programmable thermostat set lower, wear sweaters inside (a heavy flannel shirt in my case) and live like the pioneers. Or in this case, relay on the fireplace and wood stove for more heat.
Meet my wood stove. A 1930ish Sears cook stove that was left here by the previous owners.
In fact, this wood stove was the only heat for this part of the downstairs for many, many years. The previous owners truly were of pioneer stock. While they had electric baseboard heating and the big fireplace for the original part of the house, they didn't add any type of heating for this part of the house, other than a couple of woods stoves -- this one down stairs and another small one in the bedroom upstairs.
We thought it was cute and romantic... until that first winter. Pioneer stock we are not made of and so by the second winter we had central heating. Unfortunately, adding heating after the fact is problematic and this side of the house is always cold unless you turn up the heat, which is expensive and not going to happen this year!
Luckily, this old wood stove does a pretty good job. As I write this, it's a nice toasty 71-degrees. But having to rely on the stove for more heat does cause a few problem. The biggest of which is I can't work in my upstairs office -- waaaay to cold -- and we removed the wood stove upstairs so I had room for an office. Ugg! So, guess where I've moved my new office?
And this requires I do a lot of this...
Of course, it could be worse, because I could still be making that 112 mile round trip to my corporate cube each day, being totally stressed and unhappy. It's a small price to pay... and as I think about it, sitting by the wood stove is the middle of the day is kind of romantic.
Linking to a couple of parties today:
I love that wood stove - what a great look it has! We are also turning down our heat and unfortunately, we don't have a wood stove. I often wish we did.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for joining in!
Claudia
Love the wood stove. I am guessing it is in the kitchen? I've always liked working at the kitchen table, so I would think it the perfect spot. Love the post! Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteLucky the stove stayed in your home. Good to find your blog from Reality Thursday with Claudia.
ReplyDelete- Joy
We too use a wood stove and fireplace to help lessen the heating bill. I love your vintage stove and would love to keep warm by that beauty every evening! Thanks for sharing, stay warm!
ReplyDelete~Dee
Hey! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I totally admire you for going freelance and being frugal. That stove is lovely, I wish my fiancee and I had that when we moved into our first place. We had very little money (not much has changed though, lol), and we couldn't afford to get the gas turned on at the new place. I did an AWFUL LOT of crocheting that year to keep warm, mittens and around the house shawls and stuff for my honey. We're cutting back this year as well, since we just got a place, so we've purchased a $19.99 programmable thermostat, and I've made Bender a "nest" area in the bedroom for when I'm at work (His dog bed and personal blankets). Take care this winter!
ReplyDelete