Electricity is getting outrageously expensive these days. I think ours went up by like a zillion percent in the last year alone. Okay, maybe not quite a zillion, but my average bill in the winter last year was about $200 a month, and this year it’s up to about $450 a month. Both years, we relied heavily on our wood burner, and I don’t have any fancy new electronic devices sucking down energy, so I’m the only explanation is that they raised the rates on our watts or something (can you tell I know oodles about such matters?). I can only imagine how much higher my bill would be this year if I didn’t rely on the wood burner.

Okay, to be honest, I know about as much about starting a fire in the fireplace as I do about cooking and crafting (basically, zilch), but I’ve always loved the look and overall atmosphere a roaring fire provides. Luckily, there are plenty of options for the kindling-impaired like me. For example, cozy gas fires are one way to go that don’t require chopping wood and messing with starters. They even have fireplaces that mount right into your wall! How cool is that? It’s like a piece of art that constantly changes. If you already have an regular fireplace, look into a gas version that can fit right into the existing set-up.

While a gas fireplace is definitely easier to deal with than a traditional fireplace, gas isn’t exactly cheap these days either. It seems like every time the wind lightly blows across the refineries, prices increase by ten cents. Going with romantic woodburning stoves may be a better option.. This is what I have in my house, minus the romantic part (mine is kind of plain). Yes, I still have to mess with wood, kindling, and matches, but it’s still a lot easier than a traditional fireplace, and uses less wood in my opinion. One log seems to burn for quite a while. We started with a cord of wood last year (I think it was a cord, it was a whole bunch of wood in a pile), and we’re just getting to the end of it now. I, of course, think this would be a great time for me to learn how to play with chainsaws and go cut up some of those dried-up trees in the back yard, but for some inexplicable reason everyone around me shouts “no!” when I mention it. Could have something do do with the fact that I can get hurt in a room full of cotton balls.