[Need_affordable_home]

As I sit hear sweating, I envy the northerners! They have a nice milder climate! It is 76 outside, 84 inside! I turned the a/c on and the bill is going to add up! Not cheap, I tell ya! We pay 10 cents a square foot times ~3800 and our bill happens to be about $380 a month! It is cool in the midwest mountain states from mid 30s to high 40s. Just keep your windows closed and use a blanket and you wont be cold. No a/c, no heat needed.

The northeast has great temperatures. West virginia, a state high on my list of moving to is at 58 right now. Just perfect! Maybe not for our sweet elfyum, but for most of us it is Summers in places like WV are plesent. warm but not overly hot in the day and slightly cool at night, nothing like opening the window and enjoying a fresh breeze. Here there is nothing but warm air! So we close the window and crank up the a/c and watch our bill soar! Winters in WV arent that bad from what ive read, gets to about 20 degrees(less up in the hills/mountains) so id only need a little heat. My bills in WV would be much lower than Florida!

[Racelady88]

I turned off my A/C just over a week ago. When I lived down there I was afraid to open my electric bill, and I was on FPL's budget plan. It still went up every month. My highest bill this summer was $184 for keeping it 72 in my 1950's house with 1950's windows.

If you get lucky like I did maybe you will find a place with a woodburning stove. We only turned our heat on once all last winter.

[Need_affordable_home]

you mean fireplace? Where am I going to get wood? I would have to hike in the forest, chop trees and carry it back. Buying firewood wont save me anything over using a gas heater.

[cuse]

I know what you mean about it being hot here. I took three showers yesterday here in Orlando...the sweat bowl of Florida. I envy the northeners too. I'm getting out of here because of the soaring electric bills, insurance, health workers, traffic, murders, schools, heat/humidity, ants/bugs and the rest of the Floridiots!! No wonder Orlando made the Most Angriest City in America!

As for a woodstove, yes it will save you money. You don't have to go chop it up yourself. There are companies that sell it by the cord.

[Need_affordable_home]

Is a woodstove another word for fireplace? Many houses up north have fireplaces, can that be used? Are they effecient enough to heat the house to like 50-60 degrees? How much is a "cord" of wood and how long would it last me? Ill be glad to use that instead of gas heater if its significently cheaper.

Looks like alot of people have had it with Florida due to the heat, hurricanes, soaring insurance, unaffordable houses, higher than average national crime, low salaries and a bunch of other problems. Would you say California has it better than Florida for those that live there or insist on moving there?

Where do you want to move to? I am considering West Virginia, Texas, possibly pennsylvania and Tennessee and the Dakotas. Much reserch is needed. Perhaps you can be of help on accrodance of the research youve done too.

[lulu]

I just burnt my a/c from so much use - the fuse box sparked & I just knew I literally blew the a/c unit... well, keeping cool cost me a cool $2400 dollars.
Though, I must say it surely works like a charm... We're cool & happy once again.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by Need_affordable_home

Is a woodstove another word for fireplace? Many houses up north have fireplaces, can that be used? Are they effecient enough to heat the house to like 50-60 degrees? How much is a "cord" of wood and how long would it last me? Ill be glad to use that instead of gas heater if its significently cheaper.

.

a woodstove is a steel box affair which normally fits into a fireplace opening and uses the flue/chimney of the fireplace. The Buck woodstove was once very popular but there are other brands out there. There is nothing warmer during the cold winter months than a good wood burning stove.

if you have a wood burning stove, be prepared for a lot of pot ash to fly around your house. They tend to get dirty.

[Racelady88]

My woodstove is a freestanding thing in the corner of my livingroom. While it is not the most attractive thing, we kept it quite toasty all winter. Around here you can get a load of wood delivered for $50-75. How long it will last will depend on the type of wood, how hot you like your fire, and if you burn all day or just after the sun goes down (like we do).

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by Evey

My woodstove is a freestanding thing in the corner of my livingroom. While it is not the most attractive thing, we kept it quite toasty all winter. Around here you can get a load of wood delivered for $50-75. How long it will last will depend on the type of wood, how hot you like your fire, and if you burn all day or just after the sun goes down (like we do).

Evey
the real hard work is taking one's Stihl chain saw, going out into the woods to cut down good hard wood trees and then splitting up all the firewood. If you can buy good aged hard wood for $50 a load, that's better.

[alexander59]

Its hot and crowded in Tampa.My Electric bill for a 1500 sq foot house is between 325.00 to 375.00the highest its ever been, The electric company got a raise because of hurricanes, the insurance company got a raise because of hurricanes, gas companies got a raise, I didn't get a raise so how in the hell am I supposed to afford to live here. My expenses have gone up 600.00 a month in the last few years. My mom got a 3 percent social security raise, who are they kidding. No wonder people are living two families per house. One good example of how things are done here when the state raised the minimum wage. one of the not for profit thrift stores took away the small bonuses the employess received now they make less. Rents are skyrocketing because the taxes keep rising with the higher assessment rates. I always thought I was middle class, now I know I am poor not destitute yet but close.