I'm glad that everyone is allowed an opinion. Thank you, Andrea, for expressing yours. I am a Canadian, and I am glad for the social benefits I've received, and I am glad to have high enough taxes to help others in turn - and yes, I love my Tim Horton's coffee!
It's too bad that so many people have decided to stop reading WiseBread because their opinion conflicts with yours in this one case. Politics is always a difficult topic, and in the days nearing the election topics will by necessity become more spirited.
Good luck - with future posts, with voting, with the election, etc. Our elections were held recently and very little is different, but no matter how your elections go, there will be changes for all of us - even we evil Canadians!
I love socialists! You know, like Teddy Roosevelt (national park system) and Ronny Reagan (saved Social Security from the chopping block). Both Republican heroes, both not above instituting some wonderfully socialist policies!
* note, I think the use of the word "socialist" even as I use it here, is completely ridiculous, as it is in most of the comments posted here
Also, one commenter is right in that the military and police are, in fact, just as socialist an idea as progressive taxation. By the definition some of these people seem to go by, anything that involves government intervention is socialist.
Just another in a long line of words that has lost all meaning from misuse.
Great summary. Don't forget taxes for the year! Whatever you plan, I advise making it part of the separation agreement and later, legally incorporated into the divorce decree. Include deadlines and penalties if the ex is supposedly going to pay you his/her half of tax money owed...
Personally, I wish I had chosen to file as "married filing separately" so we would each pay our own amount. It would cost more, but having to negotiate out one person paying the other back if filing jointly can be troublesome otherwise.
Also, be sure you take copies of all previous joint tax returns with you. You may not be able to get them from your ex later.
Does anybody know if these techniques will work on a metal range hood as well? We just did a kitchen remodel, and we have a small dent on the front face of the hood...
Patrick - that's another interesting point, and it made me think of something my uncle said. My dad's side of the family is Canadian, and they are split between liberals and conservatives (live Thanksgiving dinners, let me tell you). My uncle is the CEO of a mining company, and he does business in Sweden. He complains up and down about how lazy the Swedes are. "It's those damn socialists!", he'll snarl at the table, setting off a healthy (if tipsy) debate about the merits of a capitalist system - the idea that you'll work harder if you have the potential to earn more.
In theory, I can see where socialism would seem to reward people for doing less. And again, I'm not advocating that we become like Sweden. I'm just pointing out that we already participate in socialist practices - there's no point in getting hysterical about the term. It's already here.
Does it stifle creativity in England? In Canada? In India, which is arguably somewhat socialist? Do these systems prevent innovation? I can always say, in theory, what an economic system is going to do, but does it play out in real life?
After winning a small windfall ($300k after taxes and expenses), things change when you have actually won a sizable amount. There are several key things after having won a big amount. You must create and maintain boundaries with everyone. Dynamics can and will change between you and everyone else. That is why rich people tend to associate with rich people. Also important is to pay off everything so no matter what happens, you are debt free (this assumes you don't go buy alot of stuff on credit and make payments so you feel like you aren't spending as much). Stay debt free too. To quickly finish, one of the hardest aspects of a windfall is how easy it is to spend/lose most or all of it and the intense stress that creates. And if you start to go through a lot of it, you try to quickly get it back somehow causing you to lose more of it and it isn't easy to break that downward spiral. After paying off all debt, you have to set aside an amount in cd's, treasuries, ect. things that won't go down in value an amount that you can live with if you go through all you money. Winning a large amount of money seems like the answer to things, but it creates a new world of stresses that can be overwhelming. And not having a rock-solid plan for the money means you could be one of the many ruined emotionally and economically lottery winners.
Question for Scott. Lets say the nine guys worked for the tenth. The tenth guy owns the business assumes all the risks, pays all the bills and pays a much higher percentage of taxes than his employees. Why then should he not be allowed to keep a majority of the profits. There are many companies that share the profits, it's called "profit sharing" and "stock options". Let's say the tenth guys company shares the profits. So shouldn't you as a profit sharing employee help him pay the bills or take a pay cut when the company is in the red and not making a profit? Would never do that, of course not. It's not your company why should you help pay the bills. If the other nine guys are so unhappy with their income or that their company doesn't "share the wealth" they have the option to work somewhere else or take the risk and start your own business. It's not your employers job to make you as wealthy as he is, it's yours. If you start your own business, you will make money off your employees just like the tenth guy and you will do what ever it takes to turn a profit.
I do like the sound of middle/lower class tax cuts, but not on the back of others. Because people work hard and make more money than me does not give the government the right to take a larger the percentage of their income. Tax cuts for all would sound good to me.
"I swear by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."
@Steve
I work for a company that is owned by two men, both of which file any profits with their individual tax returns. Obama's tax cuts WILL hurt small business. He may have laughed about Joe the Plumber not even making $250,000 but I can easily see a sole owner having a big enough business with 20 employee's doing that. Our company's revenue is $65 million! I'm reasonably sure that the CEO and vice president of our little S-corp make enough to be affected by Obama's plan. Guess what? Anything that affects their business affects me. Be careful about what you ask for. It may bite you in the ass in ways you have never dreamed.
To everyone else. I recently saw an article that pointed out that any government (US) that treats it's heroes (our soldiers) will treat it's general population worse. All of our soldiers and vets have medical help through the VA but we all know it's not a good health plan. Do you think national healthcare will be better for the general population (that's me and you)? I've been told by many of my Canadian friends that it can take 6 months to see a doctor. I've read that many Canadians come to the US for more serious problems so they can be seen quickly.
Socialism will stifle the drive of the American people. Have you seen the productivity of unions? They all make the same amount of money so many don't strive to work hard. They strive to work easy to collect the check. Socialism will kill American invention. Nobody will strive to be better? Why would they? It will just be redistributed.
I saw a comic today that made my point. It was a trick or treat setting at a house and the man giving out candy commented to all the candy the children had. He said "you have all that candy. Why don't we redistribute it to all the children to lazy to put a costume on and go trick or treating" The young child said "Oh god. This guys a democrat". Funny for sure and it highlights how I feel. Government has never been good in business. Why would you want them to get deeper into it?
We implement most of the suggestions. I also started making insulated drapes for the big windows in the house. That way you can open the drapes to get the sun heat and close them to trap it in and prevent cold from rolling in.
The big patio door in our downstairs area had a pair of drapes from Target. I had some $1 a yard wool that was too coarse to use for clothing so I lined the drapes with it. It makes a huge difference in keeping the lower level warm at night.
I have a pair of thermal running pants, they are for jogging outside in the winter. I wear those and I found this pair of crazy looking fake fur slippers that look like boots, they are really warm. Really warm clothes make a big difference in how much cold you can tolerate.
We also use the oven more in the winter for the residual heat.
I also collect the coke points. I have gotten a few good things on the coke site, and have won 150 points at the McDonald's on line game. It wasn't the big bucks, but 150 is equal to 15 cases of coke I didn't have to buy. It worked out okay for me. Today my local McD ran out of large fry boxes with the codes on it. I was disappointed because it took me this long to figure out how to get 4 codes with a small amount of money. 3.88 for a double cheese, lg fry and a large iced tea. Sometimes I wonder about myself.
Linsey, you say 'bacon-scented clothing' like that's a BAD thing. Don't you know that bacon is the one scent that drives men wild? And by 'drive men wild', I mean, 'causes them to gnaw on your sleeve'?
Chris, thanks for raising that point - it's one I've considered a great deal recently. In fact, personal freedom and the ability to resist the tyrrany of an government is why I have gone from being ambivalent to completely supportive of second amendment rights. While I don't envision a time in which armed mitilita of resistance fighters have to fend off government forces... well, it's not like it's never happened before in US history. That's why I stand in absolute support of the right to bear arms.
Of course, merely being armed isn't a good enough defense against government overreach, so your point about needing to prevent the government from being all up in our business is a very good one. My initial answer is something along the lines of "Well, that's what laws are for" but we've seen how easily a determined administration and cowed Congress and transmute our Constitutional rights.
It's interesting, especially during an economic crisis that was caused by the greed and deregulation of Wall Street lending practices, that people see government as the greatest threat. Right now, your credit card rates are going to go up so that banks can make additional money off of you because THEY made risky loans that are now being defaulted on. It's times like these where I would assume Americans would push for MORE regulation, rather than complaining about how the government might take over their lives.
I think it's worth looking at countries, like Canada, that are arguably more socialist than we are, and asking "Does the government prevent their citizens from living full, free lives?". British classism apart (utterly unrelated to their system of government, thank you), I think we'll find, as one of the above commenters mentioned, that socialism as part of an economic system is not the same as communist totalitarianism. I used to live in China, and I would never argue for their style of government OR economy.
As to whether or not this discussion belongs on Wise Bread, you'll notice that my admins yanked this post it from the home page pretty quickly - we don't have a category for discussions on economic issues, so this is filed under 'Extra Commentary'. Frankly, I'm not even sure how you people are finding it, other than through an RSS feed?
I need to make a few points here. First of all, Obama is the representative of the Democratic Party, not the Socialist Party. We do have a Socialist Party in the United States, and their representative is Brian Moore. Funny thing is, hes actually kind of upset that republicans are comparing Obama to socialism.
2ndly, many people seem to be forgetting what has made this country great. We have a government based on checks and balances. Even if Obama wanted to turn us into a socialist state, he would have to do a lot of convincing to congress, and then to the judicial system. See how long it took us to figure out a bailout plan for the banks? Nearly everyone that was interviewed claimed that they wanted something to be done, but it still took 2 weeks and some false starts to actually get anything signed.
So basically i say everyone needs to relax. Also, if anyone actually looked at Obamas tax cut plan, hes proposing more cuts to middle class and lower class. I would imagine that the majority of people reading a website about saving and debt reduction would like the sound of that. I know i do.
I'm not a millionaire, but I do have quite a bit of money. I'd like to leave the US, but I've been told US law has changed and leaving would involve taxing my-already taxed assets all over again-effectively confiscation. So I'm stuck. And so is the tenth man in your scenario. This does not apply to those with money AND connections, who can and will break the law with impunity.
Whoa, for a second there I thought my reader had been hijacked to the DailyKos or Huffington Post. There I would expect to find junk like this. Not here.
You all should look into the history of US income tax rates for the highest bracket. Particularly focus on World War I, World War II, and post-WWII/Cold War tax rates. Obama's "socialist" tax plan is almost half the rate that the rich paid while we were fighting communists. It's no higher than during Bill Clinton's years, and capital gains will be lower than it was during Reagan. Meanwhile our national debt is in excess of $33,000 per man, woman, and child in the US.
If you think poor people are lazy, I have many working class friends that would be offended. They are the most dedicated folks I've ever seen; working hard despite no upward financial mobility. Some turn in an application a day trying to find a good job with benefits, but there aren't very many anymore. Others are single parents with multiple jobs (poor kids never get to see their parent). Parents who screw their credit rating in order to put their children through college, since they make a little bit too much to qualify for aid. It turns out the best way to get a good job is to know the right people, just like the best way to become rich is to be born into a rich family. That's not working hard; that's aristocracy.
Consider this. The poorest 4 men can't afford to drive to the bar anymore. The middle class men decide that their children's future is more important than beer and only go to the bar every now and then. The rich man begins refusing to subsidize the drinks of other patrons. Now the bartender doesn't get enough customers because too few people have disposable income. The beer now costs the rich man much more because the bartender has lost the economy of scale.
Do you think Samsung could afford to make big screen TVs if there weren't millions of middle class Americans with disposable income? When the economies of scale begin to disappear, the rich will understand exactly what debt they owe to the middle class.
OK I had an interesting question put to me -- if you have a black and white TV will the convertor box work with it. I have been told no because of something to do with the innards of the TV. Does anyone have a logical answer for me?
Thanks for the link. It's a great site. I do have to take issue with drying outdoors in our area. Impossible during the cold winter months (not enough sunlight, too cold of a climate.) But we have tried line drying indoors. It only works in our basement, where the wood stove is located.... but it leaves all our clothes smelling like bacon. (LOL)
I also find that the heat captured in our home is adequate to justify running the dryer. It prevents us from having to run the humidifiers in every room, the extra space heaters, and it keeps me caught up on laundry (which is absolutely necessary with 4 kids.) The energy savings is about even.
I am totally with you on the rest of the year, though.
Pino, can we take you seriously when you can't even spell or use proper grammar?
Pino, can us takes you for serious when you caint even spell or use proper grammer...?
I'm glad that everyone is allowed an opinion. Thank you, Andrea, for expressing yours. I am a Canadian, and I am glad for the social benefits I've received, and I am glad to have high enough taxes to help others in turn - and yes, I love my Tim Horton's coffee!
It's too bad that so many people have decided to stop reading WiseBread because their opinion conflicts with yours in this one case. Politics is always a difficult topic, and in the days nearing the election topics will by necessity become more spirited.
Good luck - with future posts, with voting, with the election, etc. Our elections were held recently and very little is different, but no matter how your elections go, there will be changes for all of us - even we evil Canadians!
I love socialists! You know, like Teddy Roosevelt (national park system) and Ronny Reagan (saved Social Security from the chopping block). Both Republican heroes, both not above instituting some wonderfully socialist policies!
* note, I think the use of the word "socialist" even as I use it here, is completely ridiculous, as it is in most of the comments posted here
Also, one commenter is right in that the military and police are, in fact, just as socialist an idea as progressive taxation. By the definition some of these people seem to go by, anything that involves government intervention is socialist.
Just another in a long line of words that has lost all meaning from misuse.
You guy always are always a great resource, I visit daily.
I also have some good halloween ideas to add @
Great summary. Don't forget taxes for the year! Whatever you plan, I advise making it part of the separation agreement and later, legally incorporated into the divorce decree. Include deadlines and penalties if the ex is supposedly going to pay you his/her half of tax money owed...
Personally, I wish I had chosen to file as "married filing separately" so we would each pay our own amount. It would cost more, but having to negotiate out one person paying the other back if filing jointly can be troublesome otherwise.
Also, be sure you take copies of all previous joint tax returns with you. You may not be able to get them from your ex later.
Does anybody know if these techniques will work on a metal range hood as well? We just did a kitchen remodel, and we have a small dent on the front face of the hood...
You think your imaginary friend is a programmer for Google? Far out.
right-wing elitist? You must be a left wing LOON.
Patrick - that's another interesting point, and it made me think of something my uncle said. My dad's side of the family is Canadian, and they are split between liberals and conservatives (live Thanksgiving dinners, let me tell you). My uncle is the CEO of a mining company, and he does business in Sweden. He complains up and down about how lazy the Swedes are. "It's those damn socialists!", he'll snarl at the table, setting off a healthy (if tipsy) debate about the merits of a capitalist system - the idea that you'll work harder if you have the potential to earn more.
In theory, I can see where socialism would seem to reward people for doing less. And again, I'm not advocating that we become like Sweden. I'm just pointing out that we already participate in socialist practices - there's no point in getting hysterical about the term. It's already here.
Does it stifle creativity in England? In Canada? In India, which is arguably somewhat socialist? Do these systems prevent innovation? I can always say, in theory, what an economic system is going to do, but does it play out in real life?
After winning a small windfall ($300k after taxes and expenses), things change when you have actually won a sizable amount. There are several key things after having won a big amount. You must create and maintain boundaries with everyone. Dynamics can and will change between you and everyone else. That is why rich people tend to associate with rich people. Also important is to pay off everything so no matter what happens, you are debt free (this assumes you don't go buy alot of stuff on credit and make payments so you feel like you aren't spending as much). Stay debt free too. To quickly finish, one of the hardest aspects of a windfall is how easy it is to spend/lose most or all of it and the intense stress that creates. And if you start to go through a lot of it, you try to quickly get it back somehow causing you to lose more of it and it isn't easy to break that downward spiral. After paying off all debt, you have to set aside an amount in cd's, treasuries, ect. things that won't go down in value an amount that you can live with if you go through all you money. Winning a large amount of money seems like the answer to things, but it creates a new world of stresses that can be overwhelming. And not having a rock-solid plan for the money means you could be one of the many ruined emotionally and economically lottery winners.
Question for Scott. Lets say the nine guys worked for the tenth. The tenth guy owns the business assumes all the risks, pays all the bills and pays a much higher percentage of taxes than his employees. Why then should he not be allowed to keep a majority of the profits. There are many companies that share the profits, it's called "profit sharing" and "stock options". Let's say the tenth guys company shares the profits. So shouldn't you as a profit sharing employee help him pay the bills or take a pay cut when the company is in the red and not making a profit? Would never do that, of course not. It's not your company why should you help pay the bills. If the other nine guys are so unhappy with their income or that their company doesn't "share the wealth" they have the option to work somewhere else or take the risk and start your own business. It's not your employers job to make you as wealthy as he is, it's yours. If you start your own business, you will make money off your employees just like the tenth guy and you will do what ever it takes to turn a profit.
I do like the sound of middle/lower class tax cuts, but not on the back of others. Because people work hard and make more money than me does not give the government the right to take a larger the percentage of their income. Tax cuts for all would sound good to me.
"I swear by my life and my love of it, that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."
@Steve
I work for a company that is owned by two men, both of which file any profits with their individual tax returns. Obama's tax cuts WILL hurt small business. He may have laughed about Joe the Plumber not even making $250,000 but I can easily see a sole owner having a big enough business with 20 employee's doing that. Our company's revenue is $65 million! I'm reasonably sure that the CEO and vice president of our little S-corp make enough to be affected by Obama's plan. Guess what? Anything that affects their business affects me. Be careful about what you ask for. It may bite you in the ass in ways you have never dreamed.
To everyone else. I recently saw an article that pointed out that any government (US) that treats it's heroes (our soldiers) will treat it's general population worse. All of our soldiers and vets have medical help through the VA but we all know it's not a good health plan. Do you think national healthcare will be better for the general population (that's me and you)? I've been told by many of my Canadian friends that it can take 6 months to see a doctor. I've read that many Canadians come to the US for more serious problems so they can be seen quickly.
Socialism will stifle the drive of the American people. Have you seen the productivity of unions? They all make the same amount of money so many don't strive to work hard. They strive to work easy to collect the check. Socialism will kill American invention. Nobody will strive to be better? Why would they? It will just be redistributed.
I saw a comic today that made my point. It was a trick or treat setting at a house and the man giving out candy commented to all the candy the children had. He said "you have all that candy. Why don't we redistribute it to all the children to lazy to put a costume on and go trick or treating" The young child said "Oh god. This guys a democrat". Funny for sure and it highlights how I feel. Government has never been good in business. Why would you want them to get deeper into it?
We implement most of the suggestions. I also started making insulated drapes for the big windows in the house. That way you can open the drapes to get the sun heat and close them to trap it in and prevent cold from rolling in.
The big patio door in our downstairs area had a pair of drapes from Target. I had some $1 a yard wool that was too coarse to use for clothing so I lined the drapes with it. It makes a huge difference in keeping the lower level warm at night.
I have a pair of thermal running pants, they are for jogging outside in the winter. I wear those and I found this pair of crazy looking fake fur slippers that look like boots, they are really warm. Really warm clothes make a big difference in how much cold you can tolerate.
We also use the oven more in the winter for the residual heat.
I also collect the coke points. I have gotten a few good things on the coke site, and have won 150 points at the McDonald's on line game. It wasn't the big bucks, but 150 is equal to 15 cases of coke I didn't have to buy. It worked out okay for me. Today my local McD ran out of large fry boxes with the codes on it. I was disappointed because it took me this long to figure out how to get 4 codes with a small amount of money. 3.88 for a double cheese, lg fry and a large iced tea. Sometimes I wonder about myself.
Try this location for Green Switch products as well. It looks like they will be adding an option to buy products right online in the near future.
www.greenswitchnow.com
Linsey, you say 'bacon-scented clothing' like that's a BAD thing. Don't you know that bacon is the one scent that drives men wild? And by 'drive men wild', I mean, 'causes them to gnaw on your sleeve'?
Chris, thanks for raising that point - it's one I've considered a great deal recently. In fact, personal freedom and the ability to resist the tyrrany of an government is why I have gone from being ambivalent to completely supportive of second amendment rights. While I don't envision a time in which armed mitilita of resistance fighters have to fend off government forces... well, it's not like it's never happened before in US history. That's why I stand in absolute support of the right to bear arms.
Of course, merely being armed isn't a good enough defense against government overreach, so your point about needing to prevent the government from being all up in our business is a very good one. My initial answer is something along the lines of "Well, that's what laws are for" but we've seen how easily a determined administration and cowed Congress and transmute our Constitutional rights.
It's interesting, especially during an economic crisis that was caused by the greed and deregulation of Wall Street lending practices, that people see government as the greatest threat. Right now, your credit card rates are going to go up so that banks can make additional money off of you because THEY made risky loans that are now being defaulted on. It's times like these where I would assume Americans would push for MORE regulation, rather than complaining about how the government might take over their lives.
I think it's worth looking at countries, like Canada, that are arguably more socialist than we are, and asking "Does the government prevent their citizens from living full, free lives?". British classism apart (utterly unrelated to their system of government, thank you), I think we'll find, as one of the above commenters mentioned, that socialism as part of an economic system is not the same as communist totalitarianism. I used to live in China, and I would never argue for their style of government OR economy.
As to whether or not this discussion belongs on Wise Bread, you'll notice that my admins yanked this post it from the home page pretty quickly - we don't have a category for discussions on economic issues, so this is filed under 'Extra Commentary'. Frankly, I'm not even sure how you people are finding it, other than through an RSS feed?
I need to make a few points here. First of all, Obama is the representative of the Democratic Party, not the Socialist Party. We do have a Socialist Party in the United States, and their representative is Brian Moore. Funny thing is, hes actually kind of upset that republicans are comparing Obama to socialism.
2ndly, many people seem to be forgetting what has made this country great. We have a government based on checks and balances. Even if Obama wanted to turn us into a socialist state, he would have to do a lot of convincing to congress, and then to the judicial system. See how long it took us to figure out a bailout plan for the banks? Nearly everyone that was interviewed claimed that they wanted something to be done, but it still took 2 weeks and some false starts to actually get anything signed.
So basically i say everyone needs to relax. Also, if anyone actually looked at Obamas tax cut plan, hes proposing more cuts to middle class and lower class. I would imagine that the majority of people reading a website about saving and debt reduction would like the sound of that. I know i do.
I'm not a millionaire, but I do have quite a bit of money. I'd like to leave the US, but I've been told US law has changed and leaving would involve taxing my-already taxed assets all over again-effectively confiscation. So I'm stuck. And so is the tenth man in your scenario. This does not apply to those with money AND connections, who can and will break the law with impunity.
"What will we do if we wake up one day and find that we have become de facto slaves of the government?"
What will we do if we wake up one day and find that we have become de facto slaves of Business?
Answer to both questions: Revolt. At least government officials have term limits.
Whoa, for a second there I thought my reader had been hijacked to the DailyKos or Huffington Post. There I would expect to find junk like this. Not here.
So long.
You all should look into the history of US income tax rates for the highest bracket. Particularly focus on World War I, World War II, and post-WWII/Cold War tax rates. Obama's "socialist" tax plan is almost half the rate that the rich paid while we were fighting communists. It's no higher than during Bill Clinton's years, and capital gains will be lower than it was during Reagan. Meanwhile our national debt is in excess of $33,000 per man, woman, and child in the US.
If you think poor people are lazy, I have many working class friends that would be offended. They are the most dedicated folks I've ever seen; working hard despite no upward financial mobility. Some turn in an application a day trying to find a good job with benefits, but there aren't very many anymore. Others are single parents with multiple jobs (poor kids never get to see their parent). Parents who screw their credit rating in order to put their children through college, since they make a little bit too much to qualify for aid. It turns out the best way to get a good job is to know the right people, just like the best way to become rich is to be born into a rich family. That's not working hard; that's aristocracy.
Consider this. The poorest 4 men can't afford to drive to the bar anymore. The middle class men decide that their children's future is more important than beer and only go to the bar every now and then. The rich man begins refusing to subsidize the drinks of other patrons. Now the bartender doesn't get enough customers because too few people have disposable income. The beer now costs the rich man much more because the bartender has lost the economy of scale.
Do you think Samsung could afford to make big screen TVs if there weren't millions of middle class Americans with disposable income? When the economies of scale begin to disappear, the rich will understand exactly what debt they owe to the middle class.
OK I had an interesting question put to me -- if you have a black and white TV will the convertor box work with it. I have been told no because of something to do with the innards of the TV. Does anyone have a logical answer for me?
Thanks for the link. It's a great site. I do have to take issue with drying outdoors in our area. Impossible during the cold winter months (not enough sunlight, too cold of a climate.) But we have tried line drying indoors. It only works in our basement, where the wood stove is located.... but it leaves all our clothes smelling like bacon. (LOL)
I also find that the heat captured in our home is adequate to justify running the dryer. It prevents us from having to run the humidifiers in every room, the extra space heaters, and it keeps me caught up on laundry (which is absolutely necessary with 4 kids.) The energy savings is about even.
I am totally with you on the rest of the year, though.
Linsey Knerl