View Full Version : Seeking permission to be a bit unfrugal
Wasn't sure where to post this so chose open.
I need your collective input/judgement on a question I am wrestling with.
As I have mentioned before, when my husband is home I try to take the bus to work daily. This saves me about $6.50/trip versus taking a taxi -- subway actually takes longer, and would be more expensive, so it is basically a choice between bus and taxi for me in the morning. It is 17-18 km from home to work, and I am not interested in riding a bike/taking a scooter (too stressful/risky with beijing's crazy drivers).
Since I got back to Beijing after the holiday, it has been around -14 C every morning. The bus I take is unheated and has been sitting out in a sub-freezing bus yard all night. I have a knee length down coat and ok (not great) boots, but I am finding that after sitting on the bus for an hour I am pretty miserable and practically unable to function when I arrive at the office. It doesn't help that they turn the heat off in our buildling at night, and it doesn't kick in until 7:00 am, which is when I arrive. It usually takes 1-2 hours for my office space to warm up to a reasonable temperature. I do have a hot water bottle, but that only provides partial relief.
So, given this situation, is it reasonable/SLF-worthy for me to bag the bus and take a taxi when the temperature is below a certain level? I'd have to go back and look at the weather patterns, but when I was taking the bus before the holiday it wasn't this bad -- I think I am probably ok down to about -4 or -5C. It is just these really low temps that are causing me pain.
I need to discuss this with DH as well, as he gets snippy when I spend too much on taxis (easy for him when his commute consists of the walk from the bedroom to the home office :)), but I value your input as well.
lhamo
One of the things that attracted me to the old SLN forum was a statement that said something to the effect of ( this is very loosely parapharsed as I don't remember the exact wording) " Simple Living is not about deprivation" I do not do cold very well AT ALL so I can very much relate. DH loves the cold ( he is known at work as "Artic Anderson" but since I don't so well with cold, it is in his best interest to work with me on that :moon:
So... my vote is... You have my complete and utter permission to use a taxi
You're talking to a Canadian here, Lhamo. LOL! But in all seriousness, when the human body recoils and contracts, account external elements (it doesn't like), that isn't healthy IMO, so to subject yourself to the same repetitive punishment and torture day after day, doesn't seem right.
You have my blessing for taxi-service when needed. (You can tell your husband, Boss Mare and Mrs-M, said so)! :~)
ApatheticNoMore
2-1-12, 3:27am
Also consider the possibility of a small space heater at the office (under your desk or whatever). It's how cold offices are dealt with (ha, by cold of course I'm not thinking of those temperatures :)).
IshbelRobertson
2-1-12, 5:24am
I'd take the taxi.
When your husband faces your commute, on a daily basis, then he's entitled to input... but not until!
Have you thought about looking on the internet for those handwarmer thingies or real, thermal socks to wear under your boots? I find that when I DO get cold, really cold, it can take hours for me to warm up sufficiently to feel I can function at my best.
Anyone near you that would want to taxi share?
That may be more trouble than it's worth though to coordinate, etc. for certain temp mornings.
Yes, I think it's more than fine to taxi on uber cold mornings.
Maybe you can offset the cost somewhere else in the budget for those few mornings.
Permission granted.
You might want to consider something like a Thermarest seat cushion to insulate your bottom from a cold seat. I find this goes a long way in making me feel less cold. And I would have bought a space heater long ago- I don't do cold well either.
gimmethesimplelife
2-1-12, 7:10am
Ditto. Permission granted. Be good to yourself and treat yourself well, to me simple living is not about tolerating extremes to save every last penny I can but much more about finding some kind of balance that works for me.....Taking the taxi would be part of this balance for me if I were in this situation. Stay warm! Rob
I'm with you on getting to your job in a state of mind that's going to be fresh productive and not already tired from the stress of riding a freezing cold bus. Because I also have the "double life" of trying to be SL while living in a work world that is not, I separate the two sometimes. For instance, when I get to a city, I COULD do the more energy-efficient SuperShuttle (as opposed to a one-passenger taxi) and wait for the next shuttle and then go around to all the different hotels of everyone on the bus, but it's tiring, especially if I get into a city late at night.
I need to keep my "saw sharpened" as Stephen Covey would say, so I do what's best for me in that situation.
Being frugal does not require intense personal discomfort! Indeed, by all means, take the taxi when you need to.
We often have temps at or below what you're experiencing. I stay warm with sock liners under warm synthetic or wool socks (not cotton), silk long johns, heavier pants, and a long-sleeved undershirt and sweater, in addition to the long down coat.
Earning an income is important, being comfortable and alert at work is important to earn that income, arriving at work safely and warm is the logical step to take so take the cab.
When I'm bone chilling cold (which that bus ride sounds like) I get a headache, tense, unhappy and make everyone around me unhappy. It would be a small price to pay to create a better working environment.
Why do they turn the heat off at night in the office building? Doesn't it actually cost more to bring it up to temp every morning than it would to just set it lower and not have to work the heat system so hard?
I'm one of those goofballs that run around in T-shirts all winter, but DW is definitely effected by cold and being cold. When she is at home and bundled up in sweats and tells me she is still cold I simply ask if she turned up the heat. If you are uncomfortable and have the technology available to be comfortable it seems kind of silly to not use it. Is there a more logical place to devote a small part of your financial resources? None come to mind.
As others have said "Permission Granted"........and don't feel guilty about it!!
Bastelmutti
2-1-12, 9:33am
Eek, I would take the cab!! No question under the circumstances!
I try to walk my child to school when the weather is nice, but during the winter months I am much busier with work, and it's cold/snowy/icy. Yup, I drive then. It saves us both time and discomfort, and I am still doing my part (environmentally and moneywise) and walking as much as I can when it's nice out. I say go for it. Hopefully you can work it out with DH.
Taxi, space heater, and down booties for under your desk. I can't imagine trying to think and work while freezing. I don't love cold weather despite my recent move to Canada (Our Neighbor To The North) and do everything that Rosemary mentioned to stay comfortable. I also feel faintly guilty when I read folks' writing about how low they keep the thermostat in winter but then, we are all different and have different tolerances.
It isn't as if your children won't eat if you take a taxi. You'll be happier and that will make everything better.
jennipurrr
2-1-12, 10:31am
Taxi, space heater, and down booties for under your desk. I can't imagine trying to think and work while freezing.
I second this! I am a wimp when it comes to cold so it would be an easy choice for me. I could never make it in a cold climate...I thrive in the heat and humidity so many people complain about here in the summer. My mom says its because she grew up in central FL with little/no AC, so we've always just done the summer thing well.
If you think on it and its worth the life energy, go for it. My office is on a super old heating system where when the heat gets turned on it has to stay on for the rest of the season, so they usually hold off until all the warm spells are gone. I have a space heater AND a heated mousepad cover that plugs into the USB - nothing is worse to me than typing with frigid fingers.
Oooh, a heated mousepad cover! Wow, I never heard of such a thing. Sounds like a pretty great little invention.
I'm with Ishbel; I don't see why your husband gets to vote. Take the taxi.
ApatheticNoMore
2-1-12, 11:57am
For what it's worth I've been given psyche advice on the importance of taking care of physical needs, been advised it's important for psychological health really. That would be things like not being too cold or hot (one can stretch this a little, but the temperatures you are talking about ouch), not going too hungry etc.. At some level this is obvious, so if you are freezing cold can you actually even think about anything else beyond getting warm? Can you think about issues you are working on at work, or your larger goals in life or ...? No you think: I wish I was warm .... I wish I was warm ... I wish I was warm .... But also there was actually a decent amount of pyche research to back the belief in taking care of basic physical stuff for larger psychological health (IMO, and not an expert here, just have read stuff when taking classes).
I know there are some here who are gung ho on the learning to adapt to hot and cold thing. Personally I do have myself endure a bit of hot (use fans first, but if the temps are way up there, on goes the A/C). I hate cold more than hot though. And so I'm not one of those people enduring the weather. Are modern means of heating and cooling etc. etc. ratherwasteful? Oh sure. But all people had some ways of moderating temperatures (by better building techniques for instance - I've been to some of the missions here for instance, they stay cool in summer), and well we did evolve for more equatorial temperatures, right? :)
-14C? I think I would take a taxi to the airport and then fly to Florida! B-r-r-r!
I think you should take a taxi on the really cold days and possibly invest in some really good boots in case you end up spending more time walking than expected. It's not worth frostbite just to save a little money.
Thanks for the feedback and support, everybody!
Can you think about issues you are working on at work, or your larger goals in life or ...? No you think: I wish I was warm .... I wish I was warm ... I wish I was warm ....
This is EXACTLY how I have been feeling the first part of the day for the first part of this week, and is the main reason why I am considering the change. I'm not being effective for my employer and I'm not practicing good "self care" by continuing to be so stoic. When the weather is warmer, I actually kind of enjoy the bus ride -- I get a brisk walk to the bus stop (sometimes choosing one a bit farther away to extend the walk) and then catch up on my NPR podcasts for an hour or so on the ride. In the summer, I don't even mind getting up at 4:30. In the winter though? Not so much...
And I am the kind of person who is VERY sensitive to cold, in particular -- especially my hands and feet. Once my feet get cold, it takes forever for the rest of my body to warm up. I do have a good collection of thick wool socks, but I have also realized that the last pair of boots I got are considerably inferior to my previous ones in that they basically have no insulation. So the footbeds become like blocks of ice while sitting on the bus, and then I'm sitting there in the office with cold feet all morning (yes, I've thought about taking off my shoes and putting my feet on the hot water bottle, but am concerned how others might view that).
Anyway, overall I think my quality of life will improve greatly if I make a "take the bus only when the temps are above freezing" rule. I'll also be able to get more sleep, which is big.
Thanks for helping me weigh this decision. You guys truly "get it"!
lhamo
lhamo, have you considered adding some insulating inserts to your boots? I am exactly the same with cold - I can't get thoroughly chilled or I won't feel warm for an hour or two - and I find that really warm shoes help a LOT. Try the "35 degrees below" brand wool inserts, if you can obtain them!
Yes definetely take the taxi (and maybe take Daisy's suggestion of a flight to Florida :-)!). You are already being super frugal, as well as environmentally conscience, by not owning and driving a second car that the cost of a taxi is very frugal in the long run. Maybe cut back on a few purchases to make up the difference (as well as continueing to reduce your environmental footprint by not buying Chinese...er... I mean... American made crap :-)!). Also look at it as providing a living for someone else in your community - the taxi driver. I always think it's a much better for the local economy to support the local workers by using your money to purchase their "services" rather than buying "stuff" made and shipped over seas. Stuff that will end up in a landfill most likely. It's a great way to help keep others employed, protect the environment, and improve your own life too.
Good grief, take the taxi! I'd be miserable going out in those cold temperatures!
Are there any other alternatives? If not, and the taxi question passes your life energy test, then by all means go for it. As Spartana said, possibly there is some other place in your finances to save that $6.50/day during the winter. But even if there isn't, being warm and comfortable on the job is crucial IMO. As an official "weather wimp" who shares your disdain of the cold, I wouldn't hesitate.
UPdate: Ok, so I took a taxi this morning. Even left early as I had a conference call to prepare for. Got to the office door at 6:30 am only to realize I had left my keys INSIDE the office yesterday (in a cabinet I usually don't unlock -- got distracted and forgot to close the cabinet and put the keys back in my pocket...). So I ended up spending 45 minutes sitting on the floor in the cold hallway outside the office (no chairs, minimal heat) while I waited for a colleague to arrive. It was warmer than the bus, though, and at least I managed to write up my notes for the conference call and take care of some other "mind dump" stuff while I waited. Not a total loss but not the great start to the morning I was expecting!
Yes, the keys are back in my pocket now. And I'm nice and warm after finishing my soup for lunch.
lhamo
Take care of YOU, Lhamo. :)
Thanks, Mrs. M! Today I took a taxi, remembered my keys, and was decidedly warmer as a result. Somehow 12 hours after arriving I'm still at the office -- it has been one of those weeks.... Just having a bit of dinner while I wait for the traffic to die down, and then I'm heading home. Good thing I bring plenty of food to have in the fridge for lunches!
lhamo
LOL! Great news, Lhamo! I have to admit, I had you on my mind this morning. :) Whew, that sounds like an awfully long day. Hope you have a little R&R planned for the weekend.
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