[LuxLiving]

Upon leaving my first husband I moved back into the family home. I was all of about 19 years old - the house was empty because we had another home elsewhere that the family was living in about an hour away....so I moved in there and lived there for an entire summer w/no electricity, which also meant no air conditioning, which in my state meant it was Hotter Than H.E.doublehockeysticks. It was worth it to be away from him. The kitchen stove ran on propane and the tank was full so I had a way to cook.

My family to this day doesn't know I did without electricity - I was working but it took all my money to keep gas in the car and insurance on it and food in my mouth and some back for savings so I could move into a place of my own. I used a cooler for food and because I had a super nice boss and he let me get ice from my waitressing job to keep it stocked. After three months I had saved enough and did move into a fully civilized apartment w/all the essentials.

My folks didn't know because I always went to visit them and because they were living and working in another town they just never knew! Ahhh...the pride of youth that was too stubborn to ask for help!

Man, was it hot there! Some of these types of experiences helped forge that Scarlett O'Hara streak that runs in my viens, "I'll never be w/o electricity (and a well stocked Emergency Fund) again, no, nor any of mine!"

Because of the way that house was built, I was able to crawl out a window and onto the roof and spent many of those nights sleeping out on the roof where it was some cooler!