ihearyou2
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Post by ihearyou2 on Feb 1, 2011 17:07:31 GMT -5
I was thinking about this while I watched 80% of the country freeze, thaw, and get snowed on for the past two months. Where I live there is no snow and the heat goes on maybe once or twice during the night. Most winter weather where I live is sweater weather and we don't have the additional household expense that go with cold snowy weather whether its maintenance or clothing. Also our days are longer and more sunny so electricity and power usage is less
The summers can be hot here but I figure that the amount of air conditioning we have isn't much worse then the rest of the country that gets hot humid summers.
Cold climes peeps how much extra do you pay to live in your frigid tundra wastelands?
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Post by Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ on Feb 1, 2011 17:13:51 GMT -5
Year round warm climates like Florida, the south west etc., require air conditioning for a good part of the year. It is difficult to compare due to variances in the cost for electricity in the different regions as well as some areas heat with oil, others gas, etc.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 1, 2011 17:18:09 GMT -5
But you don't have to shovel it or drive in it!!!
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 1, 2011 17:18:53 GMT -5
Bathing suits are friggin' expensive - and I usually need several of them to make it through the swim season. I usually buy one new one each year, and keep the newest one from the previous year. But, I know that people in cold climates seem to have several varieties of jackets - light ones, heavy ones, rain jackets, parkas, etc. Those are expensive too! How long do they last?
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ihearyou2
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Post by ihearyou2 on Feb 1, 2011 17:21:21 GMT -5
I also hear that home maintenance is more expensive due to the freeze and thaw that goes on. I hear roofs are typically replaced or rrepaired much more frequently in cold locales.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 17:23:15 GMT -5
Well yes, in Buffalo, NY my utilities cost about $150-$200/month vs about $50-$75/month in San Jose, Ca however my mortgage in Buffalo is $485 plus repairs for a 3 bedroom/1 bath duplex vs $1200 for a 2 bedroom/bath apartment in San Jose. I think I am still ahead financially.
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Feb 1, 2011 17:28:51 GMT -5
"But, I know that people in cold climates seem to have several varieties of jackets - light ones, heavy ones, rain jackets, parkas, etc. Those are expensive too!" I remember helping my sister move from Chicago to North Carolina in the fall. The temperatures were probably in the 60s during the days, upper 40s at night. I wore my light weight fall jacket. The NC folks had on their parkas! I have the feeling that we have the same variety of coats, we just wear ours at different temperatures than those in the south!
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MN-Investor
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Post by MN-Investor on Feb 1, 2011 17:31:00 GMT -5
There is one nice thing about the cold - it kills off a lot of insects. I don't know that I've ever heard of anyone up here having termites. One less expense for us.
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WannabeWealthy
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Post by WannabeWealthy on Feb 1, 2011 17:40:50 GMT -5
Are you sure about the insects being killed? We have a wasp nest in our chimney. The wasps have been dormant ever since it got cold, but the other day temperatures got up to 65 degrees, and going out to the back yard, guess what we saw? Yep. .. a lot of wasps flying around the chimney. I don't know how they are able to survive in this cold air but they do.
-M
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 17:45:25 GMT -5
I live in the Pacific Northwest - daytime temps are usually in the 40's in the winter although it can get colder. It rains a lot and can get pretty chilly so I have a light raincoat, heavy raincoat, short down coat, and a long down coat. Gas and electric are cheaper than CA so we're coming out even on that front.
I've noticed in colder climates that people tend to have larger homes and build out their basements. In CA we just lived outside all the time. I also pay for some indoor activities for DS because the weather is bad.
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Post by bobbysgirl on Feb 1, 2011 18:49:33 GMT -5
Heating fuel is 3.49 a gallon this year, up from 2.89 last year. I fill up in summer when it's lots cheaper, but still need an additional fill during winter Snow-blower 1000.00 gas 100.00 (long drive) electric for furnace that takes the fuel oil, 200.00 / month
I need a roof rake. Coats and boots. Coats last a few years if you have one for dress, snow, and then plowing. Boots have to be good or you can loose a few toes. No matter how much you bundle up, cold seeps in somewhere. Winter is despicable for humans.
My water is free, but in VA it cost about 120.00 a month, their commodity
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❤ mollymouser ❤
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Post by ❤ mollymouser ❤ on Feb 1, 2011 18:56:43 GMT -5
If I moved to snow country, I'd probably need to buy a coat. And boots. And snow tires. And (as I understand it) I'd also be required to rush to the store to buy milk and bread and eggs everytime it snows.!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2011 19:01:35 GMT -5
The cost is not monetary. It's your mental health.
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Post by greeneyedchicka on Feb 1, 2011 21:35:35 GMT -5
It is not just about paying $2.79 a gallon for oil during the winter, it is about the damage from the weather too.
Downed trees and power lines are common. Power outages go right along with that, which causes a lot of food to spoil.
Last year I had my driveway paved during the summer only to have it ripped to shreds by snow plows during the three blizzards we got.
Then a tree in my back yard toppled over from the weight of snow and ice.
Then ice clogged up my gutters and water poured into my window sill.
Then the constant water dripping off of my roof leaked into the basement from a crack in my front porch.
And the list goes on and on....
Oh, don't forget about the physical strain as well. All of the shoveling, ice scraping, and so forth. Each year several people die of heart attacks from shoveling. The latest one in my area was a 32 year old man. Last year a man in his 30's was snow blowing his driveway when a tree fell on him. Another died when his porch roof caved in on him. Dangerous stuff.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Feb 1, 2011 22:07:29 GMT -5
The cost is not monetary. It's your mental health. This is my biggest issue and now I'm cooped up in the middle of a blizzard.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Feb 2, 2011 10:57:09 GMT -5
It's expensive living in a state with snow! I think our highest utility bill ever for our house was over $200 for one month (we heat with natural gas). Raising kids is expensive too, since you need to replace jackets & boots every year or 2, plus they usually lose a pair or 2 of mittens or gloves. The school districts require snowpants for elementary aged kids so they can go outside for recess. And don't get me started on car expenses. Hitting a pothole or 2 when the thaw begins can lead to expensive problems. And some of us use different tires in the winter & switch over in the summertime. Hawaii, anyone?!?
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 2, 2011 11:06:25 GMT -5
They wear shorts to school in Florida so as long as their legs grow, it's okay.
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upstatemom
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Post by upstatemom on Feb 2, 2011 11:25:51 GMT -5
At least here in NY, we do not have hurricanes, no major earthquakes in recent history, rarely get tornadoes. A major plus is once you move the snow it stays except for some blowing. We heat with wood that we cut ourselves and rarely use our central air in the summer Our monthly utility runs around $130 ( natural gas for hot water and electric)
Four wheeler is used to plow the snow and haul wood, and since my teen boys love being on it, its recreation and a work tool.
I wilt in heat but can always add a layer when I am cold, life is good in cold climate for me.
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Urban Chicago
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Post by Urban Chicago on Feb 2, 2011 11:40:16 GMT -5
Some of it adds up, like heating and coats, etc...
However, it's worth it to me to live without many poisonous snakes, spiders, alligators, crocs, sharks, etc...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2011 11:41:03 GMT -5
I am with upstatemom. You can always put more clothes on.
I live in central MN.
My heat is included in my rent (along with water, hot water, and snow removal). My electric bill ranges from $35 during the winter to about $80 during the summer (if it is hot enough to run the ac).
As for clothes, I do have jackets and sweatshirts in multiple weights. But I don't replace all of them every year, so the annual cost is minimal. So far this year, I have purchased three zip fleeces (about $50 total). My favorite parka is 10 years old ($100 originally) and my favorite light to mid weight jacket is even older ($20 originally). I have other jackets (dress, barn, etc) that I have purchased over the past several years. The most expensive was my heavy Columbia parka that I bought 5 years ago ($65). All of my boots are at least 3 years old.
Yes, if you have kids you are replacing things more often. But that doesn't apply to me.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on Feb 2, 2011 11:54:50 GMT -5
I live in South Central MN. I don't replace DH and my coat every year but we do have to replace DS' because he grows so fast. Winter boats and snow pants. Gloves and hats- probably buy 6 sets of each every year. They get misplaced frequently. Snow shovels, roof rakes, replacement sod for when the plow destroys my lawn by "accident". Time off from work every time the schools close for snow days.
Even in the coldest days of winter my utilities are still cheaper here then they were when I lived in Southern California.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 2, 2011 12:15:34 GMT -5
Well - Hawaii isn't the cheapest place to live. Islands are extremely expensive. Just to get a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk will send you into hock. Not a lot of dairy farms or cattle grazing areas there - so your cheeseburger has to come a mightly long way - and that isn't cheap.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Feb 2, 2011 12:18:49 GMT -5
I cannot deal with the snow and cold. DF is trapped in the house and I'm out and about. Looks like it will rain but I can live with that.
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Post by Savoir Faire-Demogague in NJ on Feb 2, 2011 12:19:16 GMT -5
I also hear that home maintenance is more expensive due to the freeze and thaw that goes on. I hear roofs are typically replaced or rrepaired much more frequently in cold locales.
You heard incorrectly. Roofs last 20 to 30 years, depending on the quality of the shingles. Leaky roofs happen now and then.
In warm and humid climates, such as Florida, one is much more exposed to mold and mildew growth.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Feb 2, 2011 12:22:30 GMT -5
I agree with upstatemom. We don't own a snowblower -- we have teenage boys who help us with the shoveling. But even if we did use a snowblower and the related gas, it's a wash with the continued lawn mowing and trimming in warmer climes! Yes, there is the occasional ice dam, but that pales in comparison to the damage hurricanes bring. Yes, we have to pay for heat, but we are hardy types who keep the thermostat low, put on sweaters, and keep moving. I think the cost to heat during winter is, at the very least, a wash with the cost of air conditioning (and heat, sometimes!) in southern climes. Yes, I have to buy boots and snowpants and winter jackets for my kids. But, those are things that can be bought at the end of the season on sale in the next size up (or two) and then generally be handed down so the expense is minimal. I'd be buying more sneakers, sandals, flip flops, and shorts if I lived in a warmer climate all year round. In my experience, those clothing items take more of a beating and can't usually be handed down to the younger kids so the expense is greater. We also spend less on sunscreen. Personally, I prefer the variety around me inside and out that the 4 distinct seasons bring.
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Kung Fu Panda
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Post by Kung Fu Panda on Feb 2, 2011 12:28:22 GMT -5
From Houston perspective: Electric bill is $90 in the "Winter" - Spring and then up to 300 in the summer. I have Gas heat, which is about $50 in the cold months. I would think that the NE would have Gas bills in Hundreds in the winter, yet nobody is mentioning that? We have Hurricanes in the gulf south, but they only hit where you live 1 in 3 years or so..
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teen persuasion
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Post by teen persuasion on Feb 2, 2011 12:30:04 GMT -5
I also hear that home maintenance is more expensive due to the freeze and thaw that goes on. I hear roofs are typically replaced or rrepaired much more frequently in cold locales. I've never heard this. It seems like those of you in tornado/hurricane prone areas would be replacing roofs more frequently. I think that the areas of the country freaking out about the winter storms this year are areas that do not normally get snow and ice. They are experiencing ice dams and such because their homes weren't built to withstand it.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 2, 2011 12:36:02 GMT -5
I love Phoenix - no snow, no hurricanes, no tornados. The worst weather we get only lasts a couple hours - so we are never stranded inside for days on end. We can party outside 12 months a year. Sledding, skiing and frolicking in the snow is 2 hours away - but you never need to shovel your driveway.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Feb 2, 2011 14:58:02 GMT -5
Thyme--sign me up!! Sounds good! Only thing I wouldn't like is snakes. Do you see them where you live?
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on Feb 2, 2011 15:54:59 GMT -5
I live in downtown - no snakes. Just buildings and houses and sidewalks and cars and shops and paved roads.
Although we went into the mountain preserves and went hiking, and my husband and I slipped off the path and there was one all coiled up and sleeping. We high-tailed it out of there, only to find out it was the least dangerous snake you can possibly run into - or something. We call it the "ha ha stupid city dweller" snake.
But no, in my daily life - no snakes.
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