I definitely don’t take my air conditioning system for granted.
Rarely do I abuse my thermostat though, because I know what it’s like to go without an air conditioning system entirely. I know that I could if I wanted to, and as a result, I am glad I went through the experience of not having an air conditioning system, because it helps me appreciate A/C more and taught me something about saving money. Let me explain. Three summers ago, I was living in a house rental with faulty air conditioning. My rent was cheap, partially because the owners were up front about the air conditioner having serious issues. I am glad that they were honest, and they at least said that they would eventually send someone out to fix the HVAC system or replace it entirely. I must say that throughout the entire time I was a tenant at this rental home, they never sent anyone to do any sort of maintenance on the air conditioning system! As a result, I behaved as if the air conditioner didn’t exist. I never turned it on! I sure am glad that these people had installed ceiling fans in nearly every room. I took advantage of these ceiling fans and ran them almost constantly to at least circulate the air. I also often opened the windows a crack, particularly when it was cool outside and there was a nice breeze blowing. Those are just two ways that I coped without A/C, but they worked pretty well! However, when summer finally came, I had to do something extra. I needed to buy a couple portable air conditioning systems. I kept one in my living room and one in my bedroom. I occasionally moved the one in my living room to my home office when I needed to work on something outside of work. So, I learned that I could live without air conditioning!