How much is comfort worth to you? How about your health? How much are you willing to suffer to save $50?
Over the last two days, I’ve had an exchange of e-mails with a couple who wrote to ask me for tips on staying comfortable in an RV in Arizona’s hot weather. They told me they are staying in a small RV Park in the Phoenix area and will be here for at least another month while dealing with a family issue. They said last weekend when the temperature climbed into the triple digits the thermometer inside their motorhome read 117°. They said both of them were sick and their dog was throwing up over the weekend and on Monday.
With most RVs I have been in, you can lower the inside temperature by 20° or 30° by running your rooftop air conditioner, if you keep all of your windows and blinds closed, and window awnings go a long way toward helping. But these things are not made to be all weather rigs, no matter what the salesman told you.
But in my exchange with this couple, I learned that they are not running their air-conditioning because the RV park they are in told them it would cost an extra $50 per month and they told me they just cannot justify that extra expense. They are on a flat rate electric plan and the RV park owner told them he would be losing money at the $50, but was willing to accept that.
I would think they were pulling my leg if I hadn’t had several other e-mail exchanges with this couple in the past, and I know they’re for real. We had another reader a few years ago that had a similar issue and refused to run his air-conditioning because he knew it would cost more money. I’m sorry, but I just don’t understand that kind of thinking.
How much is comfort worth to you? I’m not rich by any means, but I’d damn sure pay $50 if it was the difference between being miserable and making life bearable. We’re only talking $1.66 a day! If I couldn’t afford that I think I’d have to rethink my priorities. I hate extremes of cold or heat, but if I’m stuck someplace, I’m willing to spend a few dollars to make it tolerable.
Yesterday we dropped off the first load of papers at the commercial mail service in Scottsdale, and then drove to the Social Security office so Terry could apply for her new card with our married name on it. We took our Kindles along because we thought it would take a while, but we were in an and out of the place in less than 15 minutes. Who can complain about that kind of service?
We’re back to the same old grind today, Terry stuffing envelopes and me writing. We only have a few days left here and a lot to do before we hit the road. Where do the hours and days and weeks go?
Thought For The Day – Choose your battles wisely because if you fight them all you’ll be too tired to win the really important ones.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Like trying to warm a home with a barbecue grill. Your life of your loved ones and pets are not worth saving $50.00! Hell, that’s a meal for two at Outback Steakhouse! No wonder so many die every year just trying to save a buck, and for what? Your life? Really? Sad.
117 degrees is not a comfort issue, it is a health safety concern. Dehydration and heat stroke/exhaustion can rapidly occur with dangerous/deadly results.
HOPEFULLY, no children are involved.
Butch
Stupid cheapskates.
Comfort? These people could kill their dog, have a stroke or even DIE!!! Hard to
believe someone could be that ignorant.
One thing to be frugal – entirely different to put your life at risk for $50. If they are dealing family issues – chances are they are spending more than that on running around in gas.
I would say they are making some very poor choices here. I wonder how much the funeral will cost?
At least give the dog to someone responsible!!!! Good thing stupidity is not a felony.
A pretty simple choice of A/C and $$$ or very uncomfortable to the point of risking health and well being. A water mister system outside under the awning would help a little. A childrens very small water pool with a fan outside in the shade would sure help the dog. I assume these people know how to use the search engine features on their computer to do some of their own research.
You are all quick to condemn but Nick didn’t tell the whole story. We are already paying $385 a month to be here so it’s not just $50 we are talking about. Someone suggested a mister system but that cost $$ too. Don’t be so fast to condemn. I don’t tell you all how to live your lives. We are on a fixed income.
The key is to get outdoors in the shade and on a grassy surface, if possible. The temps lately in Phoenix have been around 100. If you find a soccer field with trees around it, that’ll work. Believe me, you’ll fee the cool come right out of the ground.
A better plan is your neighborhood mall or library. They’re giving the cool air away. Not sure what the answer is for pets.
Fixed income or not, it’s still a health and safety issue. And if everyone’s getting sick now, it can only get worse. Unbelievable.
Jerry, Nick DID tell the whole story. He said you were at an RV park and that the use of A/C was $50.00 extra. No one thought you were staying in the RV park for free. The price you quoted is actually less than I thought an RV park near Phoenix would be charging for a month.
Nick, I suspect your emailer didn’t want tips on staying cooler but instead wanted you to rant against the park owner for not waiving the fee. I’m glad you recognized where the responsibility lies in this situation and didn’t use your blog to disparage the owner of the park.
Jerry … your house has wheels. Move. To Tucson or Benson or someplace with a higher elevation and cooler temperatures. You can make up the money next month. OR … do as the others suggest and go to the Mall, a library, a park or find a stream for the dog. The RV park must have a Community room that has AC. Other pet owners must have some solutions. Don’t lose sight of the forest because you are stuck behind a tree.