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'Wildly more expensive': Workers with in-office jobs spend about $31/day that they wouldn't working from home — here's what employers need to do

⁨633⁩ ⁨likes⁩

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨return2ozma@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨workreform@lemmy.world⁩

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wildly-more-expensive-workers-office-104500548.html

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Comments

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  • Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    In order to update these spreadsheets and email some fuckers, society must allow for 200lbs of meat to be moved fifty miles per day. Because someone has to stare at me. The meat.

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    • insomniac_lemon@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      society must allow for 200lbs of meat to be moved fifty miles per day

      And in the US, said transportation will likely make even less sense (in terms of weight, cost, and health/comfort).

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      • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Yes, you put 200 lb of meat into a 2,000 metal box with climate control, a couch, and sound system, then burn 1-3 gallons of gasoline.

        This is required for efficient spreadsheets.

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    • Nougat@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      https://youtu.be/T6JFTmQCFHg

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      • Bahnd@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Great sketch.

        They are right, who wants to meet meat?

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      • mundane@feddit.nu ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        What did I just watch? 😳

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      • Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Life altering

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      • lingh0e@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        “How strangely appropriate, that we be meats’ dream.”

        Goddammit I love that.

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  • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    A higher up at my company recently derisively said one of the major reasons people didn’t want to return to office was because they saved money working from home… as if that’s a ridiculous reason. Some of these executives are so out of touch with their inflated salaries.

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    • agent_flounder@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yet the same douchebag will cut costs in the company at every turn. And is probably cheap as fuck in personal budgeting. These people need to fuck right the hell off.

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    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I think this is what people mean when they say "people don't work as hard from home" are talking about. Having a little extra spending money makes you not worry as much about appeasing your boss.

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      • Welt@lazysoci.al ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        It really means the bosses can’t preside over a culture of fear quite so well if people aren’t cowering outside their offices seeking their attention. They like to be the centre of attention and work being done remotely makes them feel just as meaningless as the rank and file workers.

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    • Powerpoint@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      People are more productive at home. We know this. It works and has worked. These companies that refuse to acknowledge it will continue to destroy themselves.

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      • zik@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Companies that adapt to remote work will have access to better workers who can afford to be choosey about jobs. And since remote workers concentrate better and work longer hours they’re even more productive.

        Companies which force workers to come into the office will languish and become less profitable and they won’t even know why.

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    • Jax@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      What a scumbag

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    • bus_go_fast@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      They all think they are big brained. The live in an echo chamber.

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  • Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Expect a lot of the usual punching-down in response to this. “Carpool. Brown bag your lunch.” and so on.

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    • Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      How to save money when working jn-person:

      1. Instead of buying lunch, just steal it.
      2. Dont go drinking with your coworkers. Day drink so you’re too drunk when you drive home.
      3. Make your own alcohol under your desk.
      4. Save money that you’ll be forced to spend at the tiddy bar by oogling Nancy, the 60 yo HR gal with the nice taa taas.
      5. Bike to work.
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      • Moneo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Bike to work.

        I love how this is framed as being just as silly as making alcohol under your desk. Our cities fucking suck.

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      • Boozilla@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Excellent suggestions! Biking also gives you many opportunities to spot some road kill pizza for those moral-boosting pizza parties!

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      • floofloof@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        If you keep a plastic bottle under your desk you can save money by reusing last night’s alcohol.

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      • rbos@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        I do love my bike commute, though. Saves me five dollars on bus fare and gets some exercise in. ❤️ also guilt free lunch.

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  • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    This doesn't include the opportunity costs of not being at home. Since you're not at home, you can't tidy up for a few minutes during a break. You can't prepare a meal for dinner that takes a long time. You can't run a quick errand in the middle of the day without eating up "sick" time. You need to provide childcare for kids after school.

    If they want me in an office they need a good goddamn reason to do one of the most dangerous things I do all day - driving - and to pay me for all the things I'm missing out on. Not just for the commute, but a cleaning service, child care, and an au pair.

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    • captainlezbian@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Yeah when I’ve been allowed to work from home I’ve either done chores or talked to my wife during breaks. And I’ve been more comfortable doing the things that make me more effective in my work that bosses don’t like like listening to books during repetitive work

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    • Malfeasant@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      You need to provide childcare for kids after school.

      My boss’s boss is the type to say you need to have adequate child care even if you’re working from home so as to be undisturbed the same as if you were in the office. Luckily I had a migraine when he said it or I would have said something that would have gotten me fired.

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      • GrindingGears@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        It depends on circumstances. We have two children, ones four and a half, the other is 9 months old. My wife and I both work from home. We have to have daycare, we’d personally go nuts otherwise. So I never factor in daycare in my analysis, it’s a sunk cost for me, at the moment. But even disregarding that, I worked out what it really cost me in time, wear and tear on my vehicles, additional insurance, fuel, parking, lunch, etc, and I came out to about $40k.

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  • Marin_Rider@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    my first reaction was that’s a rediculous amount, but its actually not that far fetched. my commute cost is $17 per day (AUD) which is pretty much half that. all it takes is a cheap lunch and a coffee to meet that total (obviously something you can avoid most days but you won’t everyday because “TeAm BoNdiNg” requires spending money to eat with people you don’t like

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    • CreateProblems@corndog.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I work in the US but at my company, team lunch is always paid for. Not only the food, but the time we eat is paid time (for hourly employees.) Mandatory “fun” should be on the clock and paid for by the company.

      Definitely not the case for every company here, of course. But personally, I’d refuse to attend if the company weren’t paying for it.

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      • dangblingus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        You guys hiring?

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    • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Holy shit, 17/day? I fill my tank once every two weeks, so like $4/day in gas at most.

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      • Knoxvomica@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Parking, transit, gas, insurance, wear and tear on vehicle, fancy office clothes, etc. It costs more than just gas to get to work for most folks.

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      • Marin_Rider@aussie.zone ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        AUD, but yeah about $10 USD

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    • Asafum@feddit.nl ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      The only argument I really have much sympathy for is the time/gas expenses. Food is totally on “us.” Buying food too expensive every day? Meal prep on the weekends. I never buy food at work and if I were home I’d be eating the same thing as I am at work so it’s not an extra cost.

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      • dangblingus@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Do you have kids? Do you have a live-in maid? Do you spend all day Sunday doing meal prep for the week? People are working longer hours, commuting more, and have less time. I’m all for personal accountability, but man, there’s only so many hours in a day. Imagine you had an emergency on a Sunday night. No lunch for the week?

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      • KeepFlying@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Setting aside that time to meal prep still has a cost though. Mentally and time-wise.

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  • ramble81@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    There’s about 246 working days (assuming you take up to 3 weeks a year off for sick/vacation, I know may be high for some people). At $31/day that’s $7,600. Use an average of 32% on taxes and you’d have to give a person at least an $11,200 raise to offset that savings…. And companies are still wondering why people are hesitant to come back?

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  • paultimate14@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I remember as a kid going over a friend’s house and seeing the quarters lined up on the table. His parents were both nurses and had to pay to park at the hospital. I don’t remember the amount at the time, just being in awe at how much they spent just to park where they worked.

    They usually worked on different schedules too, so that’s separate parking.

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    • Chetzemoka@startrek.website ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      One of the big Boston hospitals tried to recruit me for their transplant team once. They wanted to pay me $15,000/year LESS for the privilege of commuting into Boston five days a week and paying for my own parking. Fuck that noise. I’ll stay at my little community hospital, thanks. Prestige ain’t gonna pay my mortgage.

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      • UnspecificGravity@discuss.tchncs.de ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        The big university hospital that I work at charges $200 a month for employee parking, including for the people working near minimum wage.

        Doctors park free in designated spots that are closer than patient parking.

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      • eran_morad@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Fucken MGH innit.

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  • cyborganism@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Exactly.

    3.25$ X 2 for the metro fare. Approx 5$ for a cup of coffee 25-30$ for lunch. A few bucks more on maybe a drink or a snack.

    This adds up.

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    • PeleSpirit@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      If you have to dress formally, you have to have nice clothes and a cleaning bill.

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      • givesomefucks@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        The people at the top like that, because they have the disposable income to dress better than the office drones.

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      • cyborganism@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        My clothes from before the pandemic still fit at least. But I had to buy new socks because the elastics were all dried up.

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    • Discotheque@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      25-30 for lunch, wtf?? In western eu it’s 5, maybe 7 if you get a drink.

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      • Garbanzo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        In most of the US that’s a crazy amount to spend on lunch, but this hypothetical also included public transit so we’re not talking about most of the US

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      • cyborganism@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        That’s in CAD. Our dollar isn’t as strong as the EUR. Also everything is more expensive in Canada.

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      • GingeyBook@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Also just pack your lunch ffs

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      • e_t_@kbin.pithyphrase.net ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Just a fast food hamburger and fries is $9-something where I live. The yellow curry at my favorite Thai restaurant is $12-something, plus a tip. Add a soda to either one and it's another $2-3.

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      • ellabee@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        I’d say it’s about $15-20 for an average lunch here, in Seattle. transit is fairly cheap, $5.50 to and from work unless you live far enough to go through a couple zones, at which point I think it’s still under $8 round trip.

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      • JJROKCZ@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Yea 25-30 is a sit down meal somewhere, in reality most office drones are picking up something quick from fast food or a convenience store for >$15 a day.

        Still a waste of money though

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      • theneverfox@pawb.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        $7?? The norm must be at least twice that

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    • bhmnscmm@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      To be fair, there’s no reason someone needs to purchase coffee and lunch when working in an office. Both can be easily packed from home.

      Although many workers have to commute by car, which would offset a portion of those savings.

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  • Showroom7561@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    I agree with the premise, but this rub me the wrong way:

    “$16 on lunch, $13 on breakfast and coffee.”

    It sounds like entitlement if you think someone should be paying for something you already do at home (eat), but choose to do it in the most expensive way possible.

    Make food and coffee at home and bring it to work. And if you’re already buying expensive shop meals to eat at home, why complain about spending that outrageous amount of money when you’re outside the home?

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    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I feel this has to be pointed out to young people: it used to be possible to eat out every day, go to the movies, drink in a bar after work, see a live band on the weekend, and still buy a home and save for the future. This was possible in major cities around the country. This was taken from you.

      It is not outrageous for single people living in a city to buy food outside the house. I believe prices have clearly skyrocketed because fewer people know how to make their own food. In the 50s everyone had grown up during the depression, so if something was even a little expensive you made it yourself.

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      • paultimate14@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        This is why so many apartments have kitchens that look like they were recent ideas squeezed into the space, or tiny “kitchenettes”.

        Reading older literature I’ve noticed how in older books the main character’s living arrangements often just doesn’t have any place to prepare or store food. They’ll reference street carts, open markets, pubs, etc as where they get food from. Or maybe a meal included with the rent in a boarding house.

        Medieval peasants in pre-industrial Europe expected their employer to provide at least one, if not two meals during work. Three during long hours, like harvest season.

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      • kibiz0r@midwest.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        What a way to make a livin

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    • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I am happy to make this concession provided I can either start making my lunch on company time, and then commute after I have finished making my lunch, or be allowed to fully go home, make and prepare lunch, dine, and commute back to work.

      Oh, is that unproductive, a waste of time, money and energy, and massively impairs my ability to get work done?

      Someone should draw some kind of conclusion from that, it seems.

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      • xmunk@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

        Embrace the siesta!

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    • MonsiuerPatEBrown@reddthat.com ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      that is the entire point of the commercial real estate excuse: that was your labor and momey that was supporting it not the bosses.

      the bosses don’t care about commercial real estate, either. They care about being able to use their status to bully people.

      it is a garbage barge with lipstick on the front.

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    • Squizzy@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      My work pays for my lunch, it’s how it should be. I’m here for them, if I wasn’t I’d eat at home.

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    • Jessvj93@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I suspect people are not spending as much on nonessentials and businesses are seeing this as their workplaces being empty and not spending. But something tells me it’s a nationwide thing, people are thinking twice due to inflation and I doubt bringing people back is gonna make them want to spend money the way they used to. My claim is based on layoffs and stocking issues.

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    • bhmnscmm@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      I totally agree. There’s no reason anyone needs to consistently purchase breakfast and lunch if they work in an office.

      If you don’t do it at home, why would you do it at the office?

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  • knobbysideup@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    On the clock from the moment I leave the driveway and until my commute home. Pay mileage too. Ok to stipulate a reasonable limit on this, of course. Or, you know, let people work from home.

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  • kSPvhmTOlwvMd7Y7E@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    That’s wildly country specific…

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  • thorbot@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    Here’s what must be done!

    it will never be done

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  • Mongostein@lemmy.ca ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    That’s insane. That’s like $600/month

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    • Gradually_Adjusting@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      That’s about what a monthly train pass to London costs my wife.

      Who is, I cannot stress this enough, a student.

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    • snooggums@kbin.social ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      It doesn't even include the time to prepare and commute, just the monetary cost.

      If they paid overtime to commute it would be even more.

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  • PatFussy@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

    How much was electricity when you were working at home? Air conditioning? Are you buying more alcohol?

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    • chilicheeselies@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      Commuting costs. “Work clothes”. Childcare. Its not just daily expenses, but expenses spread out over time.

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    • Pasta4u@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago

      It’s all personal. But for me I only run the air conditioner for 3 months and normally not every day. I also run the heat for four. But all that plus electricity costs less than gas, tolls , car payment and car maintenance.

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