Since my last update, the outdoor temperatures have been warmer for the most part. We only turn on the heat when the indoor temperature drops to 62 degrees or less.
We should be able to get by without heat for a couple of more days but Saturday night the temperature is supposed to drop to 32. Beginning Sunday, the forecast is for our temps to be near or below freezing for six out of seven nights, with daytime highs only in the 40's and 50's.
Sunday night the low is predicted to be 22 degrees. That really worries me.
So far we have $150.00. Getting a repair estimate will cost $190.00 but my husband's cousin, Jerry, who just retired from the HVAC business last year said the repairs would be at least $500.00. If we use the money towards getting an official estimate, then we will have to get the company that gives us the estimate to do the repairs or they keep the money paid for doing the estimate. No free estimates, anymore, at least in this area.
I think the best thing is to keep saving until we have $500.00. Opinions on that decision would be helpful.
On a brighter note, our neighbor and his son-in-law put skirting around the bottom of our house so once we get the HVAC repaired, the cats won't be able to tear the ductwork out again.
Switching gears, does anyone know any good recipes for diabetics that can be repaired cheaply? Like everyone else our SNAP benefits were cut this month. We weren't getting a large amount but it did help. Our food budget is only $43 weekly now which makes fixing nutritious meals which diabetics need difficult. All suggestions welcome.
In closing, please do consider our ink pens when doing your holiday shopping.
Please help if you can. The indoor temperatures we are dealing with can be dangerous. Check the link below for info about the dangers.
http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html
www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com
Thanks in advance for any help!
Blade
First, for those of you who this post angers my advice is for you to stop reading right now.
It is 6:32am as I write this and the temperature outside is 25 degrees. Inside, it is 55 degrees and we are only able to keep it at that with the thermostat set on 72. Our heat pump has been running constantly since 8pm last night which is likely to cause more problems for us on two fronts: Overworking the HVAC system could cause it to stop working completely and our electric bill is probably going to be outrageous.
We really need to raise money to get the heating system fixed. So far we have $50.00 towards getting an official estimate but hubby has a cousin who used to work in the HVAC business. He said the repairs will probably cost around $500.00. He lives in another area so he can’t actually go under our house and look and prices vary by region but he doesn’t think we can get the job done for less than that.
I know it sounds like begging and I apologize for that but I worry about hubby. I am terrified of him having another heart attack and we are approaching the one year anniversary. We both have health issues but I worry about him more. He tends to kick his covers off during the night and I am afraid he is going to get sick.
Please consider buying a pen if you are able. Suggesting our pens to others is also a great way to help.
Hubby said that he would sell all of his pens, including some that haven’t been added to the site yet for $1000.00. The value of the pens on the site plus the ones that haven’t been added yet is over $1400.00. That would be a good deal for someone who owns a gift shop.
I know the pictures on the pen site aren’t that great so if anyone would like to see a larger picture just email me from the link at the bottom of the post or email us from the link at www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com and state which pen you would like to see. I will email pictures or post pictures here; just state your preference.
Selling pens really is our only option to raise the funds we need. I know some people have suggested that I monetize (show ads) on the blog and that I could earn $200.00 monthly but even though I write the content for this blog, the blogger account belongs to someone else and they don’t want to set up the ads.
Please help if you can. The indoor temperatures we are dealing with can be dangerous. Check the link below for info about the dangers.
http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html
www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com
Thanks in advance for any help!
Blade
Hubby and I both suffer from multiple medical conditions and coupled with the coming cold, we are in a dangerous situation. According to this article http://voices.yahoo.com/baby-its-cold-inside-look-indoor-hypothermia-5163457.html, hypothermia is a very real possibility.
We have had a few nights recently with temperatures in the lower 30's. Our indoor temperature dropped into the 50's. One night next week, a low of 28 degrees is predicted.
Most regular readers here, know that we have had issues with our heating and air system for the past couple of years. Our ductwork needs to be replaced because feral cats ripped holes in it. The cats go under our house because we have no skirting around the bottom of it, tear holes in the ducts and crawl inside of them to get warm.
A neighbor has been patching the holes in the ductwork up for us as needed but it's to the point now that patching is not going to work because the holes are too large.
If we are able to get the ducting fixed we won't have to worry about the cats tearing it out again because our neighbor has some tin to skirt the bottom of the house but the repairs to the ducts need to be done first.
I have called all of the agencies in our area to see if we can get some assistance but haven't had any luck. We may be able to get a LIHEAP payment to the electric company to help with our electric bill but nothing is available to help with heating system repairs.
When we first had this problem, our son paid to have it fixed and the cost was $350. His family is having financial problems now and can't help this time. We can't even get a current estimate because the HVAC companies don't offer them for free and we can't pay for it. The cost of an estimate ranges from $150 to $225 which will be deducted from the repair bill.
I am asking anyone who can afford it to please consider making a purchase from http://www.hubbyshandcraftedinkpens.yolasite.com/ and/or suggest our pens to anyone you know who might be interested. Hubby has made some really nice ones that are available now if you haven’t looked lately. He also may be able to customize a pen if you are interested in a particular color scheme or material,
Selling pens is really our only hope of raising the money to get the repairs done.
I am really worried that hubby will get sick due to the cold or have another heart attack.
Any help would be deeply appreciated.
With truly heartfelt gratitude in advance,
Blade
