A Note to All Women

As a fellow member of the female sex, I do indeed pride myself of all women have accomplished over the centuries.  From advancements in medicine and other sciences, to the wit and wisdom conveyed in their written works, to the simple daily accomplishments and challenges life throws our way, women have conquered it all.  And quite well, I might add.

In today’s modern world, most North American women at least,  have so many more choices in terms of how they want to live their life, decisions of which our earlier predecessors could have only dreamed.  We can choose where and how we want to be educated.  We can choose our careers in whichever field we desire, from doctors to engineers and everything in between.  We can choose who we want to marry, or even choose not to marry.  We can even decide when (if ever) we want to become mothers, and no judgement or discrimination is passed.  In fact, birth control is very much encouraged and praised in this part of the world.

Rosie - an inspiration to all independent women.  I bet she wasn't afraid of breaking a nail!

However, as far as women have propelled themselves in terms of modern advancements, it seems our generation (as well as the one that preceded us to a certain degree) are not as capable as we thought.  So girls, if you are a home owner, or plan to be one in the future, listen up.

I consider myself to be very fortunate to be with my boyfriend, Kris, an HVAC technician, standing for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning.  With the particular hot summer we’ve been having, he’s been spending his days fixing many broken down air conditioners.  As you can imagine, in dealing with so many home owners day in and day out, he’s encountered many people, all with varying degrees of capabilities when it comes to daily home maintenance.  And it’s quite embarrassing what people don’t know about their own home.

Here’s a tip from a recent home owner, to you.  When investing in such an important asset like a house, take the time to learn how it works!  It will save you a lot of time, blood, sweat, tears, and of course, money.  I’m not saying you have to become an HVAC technician yourself, but learn the basics.  Do you know where the power switch is to your furnace?  This may seem like a basic question, but I’ve lost count of the number of times Kris has gone out to a call where a customer is complaining of having no heat because her furnace is no longer working, and it turns out someone simply flicked the switch.  Ladies, this is a stupid and very costly mistake – so know the location of your power switch.  And no, technicians don’t charge by the minute, they charge by the hour.  So, even if all he did was flick a switch, you’re still looking at minimum bill of $100.00. 

Another basic tip – know how to change your furnace filter (yes, your furnace needs a filter) and do so every 3 months.  Again, this is a costly mistake if you don’t do it.  If would astound you how many female customers Kris has dealt with that didn’t even know a filter was needed.  Filters are not expensive and changing them as required will save you a lot of money down the road, especially if you have a pet(s) that sheds.   And this means over the summer months too!

On the left is a dirty filter, on the right a clean one.  Learn the difference!

And just because you have a partner that takes care of these things doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.  Gain some independence!  What if, God forbid, your partner was no longer around?  Would you be able to take care of your house or your car by yourself?  Would you know how to manage your finances and even pay bills? If he’s the primary (or perhaps only) cook in the house, how would you feed yourself if he were no longer around?

It is alarming how hard women had to fight just to obtain the same rights as men, and yet we use the excuse over and over again that these certain areas in our lives are “their” domain.  Although he doesn’t enjoy it, Kris has had to, sadly, charge many widowed or divorced women a lot of money for stupid and costly mistakes.  And time and time again, they always explain that their husband/ partner took care of these tasks.  I can assure you that no HVAC company will waive their fees if you use this excuse, so learn how to do it yourself!

And while it is certainly normal for each member of the household to be responsible for certain tasks, you should BOTH know how to do everything, even if it’s just a general understanding.  And it should be assumed to that these skills get passed down to your children too.

So ladies, there should be no more excuses when it comes to maintenances of big ticket items.  If you’re old enough to have a job in order to be able to afford these things, than you’re old enough to learn how they work.   So, put on your big girl underwear and learn these (very basic) skills.  It will save you thousands in the future.

Maybe so, but you've got to learn the basics!  Take care of yourselves, ladies.