Wednesday 1 January 2014

Happy New Year . . . Off to an Odd Start

Ever have one of those arguments where no matter what you seem petty and downright cheap? At the end of it you don’t know who is right and who is wrong. I just had one of those with the roommate.

See where I live now is an older townhouse and to put it politely the circulation sucks. I have long since learned that to keep decent heat in the upstairs rooms of the house without cranking the heat, you leave the bedroom doors open at least a crack . . . at least some of the time.

I have always simply set the thermostat at 20 (Celsius) when I am home and yes turn it down when I sleep and go out. If I am cold I put on a sweater, I deal with it. All I care about is: 1) pipes don’t freeze and 2) I don’t see my breath inside.

I do this so the heat bill does not get too bad. After all, I am the one who is responsible for the bills, no matter who else is here I have to make sure that the bills are paid, on time and in full.

The roommate has always wanted things hotter (around 25 Celsius at least) and simply not cared about the bills. He hibernates in his room and keeps the door closed at all times.

That part I can live with, but he refuses to wear anything more than shorts and a shirt around the house and simply cranks the heat when my back is turned.

I came home from a bit of window shopping this afternoon to find the thermostat cranked up to 27 Celsius. This evening I caught him turning it up from 23 Celsius (my compromise) to 25 (as he always does).

I confronted him about it and he simply looked and talked to me like I was nuts and that it was all my problem, that he pays his bills and so forth. Well he is supposed to pay me his share of the rent tomorrow night (two days late and two weeks after I paid the rent).

I haven’t run the numbers but I am certain that he either costs me more than he brings into the house (compared to if he was not here) than he pays into the house . . . either that or it is a wash.

This is yet another reason why I am actually looking forward to sleeping in my truck at the end of the month. I am tired of being the one responsible for all the bills and then hoping that people will pay me . . . when they feel like it.

If I was rich, it wouldn’t mind it as much . . . then again, maybe it would . . . I just don’t know. I would hope to think that I am a generous person.

1 comment:

  1. Sounds to me like he will be in for a rude awakening when he is responsible for the bills.

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