Lotsa Things are cheaper in Maine compared to PA (Bangor: lease, how much)

[Alaskapat528]

Originally Posted by Zarathu

That kinda depends on what you heat with, and how big your house is , and how well insulated, doesn't it?

When I was in PA I was in a ndewer house with R-18 in the walls and r-30 in the roof. I know I don't have that insulation now, but the cost for a cord of wood in south central PA was about $240, which is about what I might pay here unless I have logs delivered in the spring or summer. But then you can get partially kiln dried firewood here all winter, and once the wood was gone in PA, about early October, it was simply GONE.

In PA I was heating a full 1600 sq feet with a stove that was no better than about 50% efficient but well insulated. Here I will be heating about 1200 sq ft, with questionable insulation, with a stove which is about 83% efficient. About 1000 sq ft of the house I won't be heating most of the winter.

Well it's already in the single digits; yesterday was -7. Time for us to insulate some.

[Zarathu]

Re: Walmart and their meat:

Because Wal-Mart didn't want its meatcutters to unionize, it has farmed its meatcutting out to its suppliers. This not only means the meat is less fresh and that they can't fill special orders, it means Wal-Mart wouldn't have the faintest idea of what's under the cellophane wrap they cover their meat with unless they opened it up and re-wrapped it (and they won't do that because that would cost money).

So what's under the cellophane? Something but is way way older, and its sprayed red to make it look fresh.

I rarely eat red meat anyhow. But is good to know that Walmart's meats are not something to be going for.

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

Well it's already in the single digits; yesterday was -7. Time for us to insulate some.

Windows are something needs serious levels of insulation. Home depot sells a kind of bubble wrap with a silver mylar on both sides. R-5 if there is an air space in front of it--- like a room. Attach them to a regular window blind and roll them up and down.

[beltrams]

Hiring out the plowing last winter for my nearly 400 ft driveway in southern Aroostook cost $200 by the end of the winter.

Paying somebody in MA to keep a similarly sized driveway cleared would have been $150 *per storm* anyhow.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

Originally Posted by Alaskapat528

Is there any natural gas there? I note that Mainers seem to use oil or wood. Our gas bills aren't bad, usually run around $180 / month in the dead of winter. My family in Ohio complain of 3-400 a month.

I'm pretty new here so I don't know. I do know that oil for heat seems odd to me. In Seattle there was ONE place I lived that had an oil heater. That contraption cost us so much money that we shut it off and used electric instead. Ended up saving us a boat load of money.

In Miami, the very few times it would get cold enough to warrant turning on the heat, I had propane at the time. For awhile, propane was pretty inexpensive and lasted awhile. Then they started upping the prices right before I left to the point of ridiculous.

Natural gas seems like it would be a great idea but I have no idea if it's available and if not, why not.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

I'm pretty new here so I don't know. I do know that oil for heat seems odd to me. In Seattle there was ONE place I lived that had an oil heater. That contraption cost us so much money that we shut it off and used electric instead. Ended up saving us a boat load of money.

In Miami, the very few times it would get cold enough to warrant turning on the heat, I had propane at the time. For awhile, propane was pretty inexpensive and lasted awhile. Then they started upping the prices right before I left to the point of ridiculous.

Natural gas seems like it would be a great idea but I have no idea if it's available and if not, why not.

There is probably no natural gas in your area. There isn't much access to the one pipeline that runs through Maine. Larger communities along the route would have the access.

[Zarathu]

Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow

For awhile, propane was pretty inexpensive and lasted awhile. Then they started upping the prices right before I left to the point of ridiculous.
.

Propane is about $2.89 now in Ellsworth.

[cebdark]

$12 to register a car? One of our cars is a 14 year old oldsmobile and the bottom of the barrel is $75 for excise tax in my area.

Guess I live in the wrong area. My FIL's 1968 Pontiac GTO is $10 to register, but my beater car will never be below $75.

[AustinB]

Originally Posted by reloop

$12 to register a car? One of our cars is a 14 year old oldsmobile and the bottom of the barrel is $75 for excise tax in my area.

Guess I live in the wrong area. My FIL's 1968 Pontiac GTO is $10 to register, but my beater car will never be below $75.

My '67 mustang is something like $10.- to register. Must be an 'old' car...

[Submariner]

They are currently installing Natural gas through-out Bangor, Orono and Old Town. To get hooked-up as they are on your street waives the hook-up fee.