A Frosty November Means Lots of Layers in a Heatless Apartment
Forget the Ice Bucket Challenge. Here’s how to survive the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving in a heatless apartment.
Like many Boston-based twenty-somethings, most of my salary goes towards rent, groceries, and social life. In an effort to keep utilities low, my roommates and I decided to refrain from turning on the heat for as long as possible. This led to us sitting in a chilly apartment at the end of October, saying, “I’m fine, but if you want to turn on the heat we can!’’
None of us wanted to be the first to cave, for pride and financial reasons. We then embarked on a challenge: stay heatless until Thanksgiving. In what turned out to be a very cold November, it was sometimes a struggle. I kept a log of some of my thoughts, tips, and tricks to pass along to other daring (read: frugal) souls.
The Daily Log:
11/03, Outdoor High: 53°
Our apartment is 55 degrees. It doesn’t help that this old Cambridge apartment is super drafty, and we haven’t put curtains or shades on all of the windows yet. I’m wearing two pairs of sweatpants, two t-shirts, a sweatshirt, and a hat indoors.
11/04, Outdoor High: 57°
It’s warming up outside which should reduce our likelihood of frostbite.
11/05, Outdoor High: 66°
Positively warm out today. Heat schmeat, Thanksgiving is only two(ish) weeks away.
11/07, Outdoor High: 49°
We’re thinking about getting window insulators. Especially given our lack of curtains, it makes total sense. Today I left the oven open after I finished cooking in the hopes that its leftover heat would warm the kitchen slightly. I don’t think it worked.
11/08, Outdoor High: 48°
Roommate pointed out that our stairwell is significantly warmer than our apartment’s interior. I left the door open while I was home today. Unsure if it made much of a difference. Also unsure if my downstairs neighbors appreciated hearing my music and phone conversations.
11/11, Outdoor High: 63°
Warmth again! Apartment is up to 57.
11/14, Outdoor High: 44°
Woke up this morning and my breath fogged up my phone as I did the standard in-bed scroll through. Then when I was putting on my mascara and leaned into the mirror, I fogged up the glass.
11/15, Outdoor High: 40°
Our apartment is 51 degrees. I wore thermal leggings, two pairs of socks, sweatpants, two sweatshirts, a bathrobe, and a hat tonight. It surprises me how different it feels from an outside temperature of 50; I normally wouldn’t wear a hat or scarf in this weather but inside it’s a necessity.
11/16, Outdoor High: 42°
Layers. Wine. ‘Nuff said.
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11/17, Outdoor High: 48°
I dread washing my hands because the water gushing from the faucet is ICE cold. I could let it run for a minute to heat up, but I’m impatient.
11/18, Outdoor High: 44°
Must seriously look into the window insulation kits. It feels warmer outside than it is in our apartment.
11/19, Outdoor High: 37°
Indoor temperature is still hovering at 50 degrees. I feel bad every time I have friends over but I refuse to break the challenge. I just offer them sweatshirts, socks, and oscillate between apologizing and offering that we can go elsewhere.
11/21, Outdoor High: 36°
I’ve never eaten so much soup in my life.
11/22, Outdoor High: 44°
We debated tonight whether we’ve burned extra calories from being cold or not. A person does burn more calories when cold (which is intuitive, the body works to raise body temp). It’s not enough for the air to be chilly, though: your body has to be cold, too. So in order to actually burn calories from our heatless state, we’d have to do with fewer layers. No thanks.
11/24, Outdoor High: 65°
What a great last night of no heat! 60 degrees in the apartment. I’m heading home for Thanksgiving tomorrow straight from work, so today was my last day, and I’m proud to say my hand never strayed towards the thermostat.
The Roommates Weigh In
Ellen*: “It was a fun challenge. Lots of layers were necessary and my nose was cold at night. We burned so many calories though.’’
*Not the author. Two Ellens live in one apartment, which is confusing for all parties involved.
Katie: “There were times I almost cracked and turned it on, but the need to complete and conquer the challenge was greater than the need for warmth and comfort. Plus it was an excuse to have an extra glass of wine. But most importantly we were able to dress more fashionably than usual.’’
Proof:
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The Takeaways
If you’re looking to reduce utility bills, going heatless until Thanksgiving comes highly recommended. Here are a few tips from a seasoned pro:
-To help curb window drafts, insulation kits are cheap and easily purchased.
-Warm meals like soup not only warm your insides, but you also can hover in front of the stove while cooking, rubbing your hands together as though over a bonfire.
-Drinking from commuter mugs at all times is recommended, because otherwise your coffee will get cold. And fast.
-Dance parties and other forms of movement help greatly. If possible, persuade Taylor Swift to release an album during your heatless stint, too.
-To avoid sprinting through the apartment in a towel, bring clothes into the bathroom with you. Bask in steam-bolstered temperature denial.
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