Reason 139

Low electric bills. My mom has always been frugal, clipping coupons every Sunday, never ever paying full price for clothes, and refusing to toss out cans of food from 1997 in case one day she inexplicably craves baked beans. It's like she grew up during the Depression. As kids, if my brother and I ever complained about the house being cold she simply told us to put more clothes on; there was no way that thermostat was inching past 65 degrees, even if the house was surrounded by a wall of snow and we had lost all feeling in our toes. Looking back on my childhood I am actually grateful for my mother's insistence on keeping the temperature low. As a homeowner I finally understand how outrageous electric bills can be, so I try to turn on the one heat source in my condo as rarely as possible. Sure, I have to ensconce myself in a ginormous throw when sitting on the couch and there are four blankets on my bed so I won't be struck with hypothermia on cold winter nights, but those are small sacrifices I am willing to make if it means I pay less than thirty bucks a month to Puget Sound Energy. Sometimes in the summer I open my electric bill to find I owe less than twenty dollars and I am on a high the rest of the day (some people may argue the euphoria could be credited to a rapid drop in body temperature). Rest assured, Jason, I will never ask you to crank up the heat when we're hanging out at your place. I wouldn't dream of wasting your hard-earned money on something unnecessary like heat. Just don't be surprised if I show up with a blanket and extra pair of socks in tow. My mama taught me well.