Every Friday I post about my finances for the week in an effort to monitor my income and expenses. I used to post all of the actual figures but I have recently decided to stop doing this.

I will now post SOME of my actual expenses and leave the rest to your imagination. All income and expenses are recorded in Mint and any amounts are rolled over into the next month.

This week my expenses were:

$49.19 on a space heater, including taxes. I had a few reasons for wanting to get a space heater rather than relying on the central heating.

-I do not have a room mate right now so I think it is wasteful to run the central heating for just one person.

-I spend most of my time in my bedroom when I am at home. I am on campus most of the day and then stay in my room since my computer is there. I watch television on my computer so I really don’t stay in the living room.

-My bathroom vent is awkwardly positioned and the bathroom stays cold…not good when you are taking a shower.

-I think it would use less electricity since it only needs to heat up my bedroom.LaskoHeater

I also had a few reasons why I don’t want this space heater.

-It can get a little loud, even though it is not unbearable.

-It is an additional expense when you factor in the purchase cost.

-It has a remote control so I can manage the air without having to walk into the living room like I do with the central heating.

-My room has some built in furniture which makes it difficult to really rearrange things. It has been a chore trying to find a spot to place the heater where I will have access to an outlet, but not have the cord in the way. I also need a spot to set it up where the optimal flow of warm air hits my bed.

I am wondering if I should return the heater and just use the central heating system. I know many people shut off the vents in unused rooms to save on heating costs but I have also heard that messes up the system. In any case, I am unable to shut off the vents in the unused bedroom and bathroom because I do not have a key to that space.

I have only had it for one night so I think I will try it out for a few more days before making a decision.