My daughter is currently renting a horrible little apartment because of the cheap rent.
- I’ve offered to help her out financially, but she wants to be independent.
I’ve even tried to give her a loan, just so she could afford a nicer place, but she insists she’s happy with her arrangement. Her apartment is extremely small, with peeling linoleum on the floor, water stains on the ceilings, and cracks in the walls. Every faucet drips water and the toilet constantly runs. The refrigerator doesn’t stay cold enough to keep milk from spoiling, and the electrical wiring is so ancient that she can’t run the toaster and the television at the same time. The heating and cooling system is so outdated and inefficient that my daughter tries never to operate them. In the summer, she opens windows and uses box fans. Her apartment is always overheated and sticky. In the winter, she uses space heaters. I worry about her safety. Space heaters are not designed to provide the sole source of heating. I’ve warned her not to leave the space heater running if she leaves the room or the apartment. She shouldn’t leave it plugged in and operating during the night. I’ve bought her warm pajamas and an electric heated blanket, and invited her to stay with me whenever the outside temperature drops below freezing. If a curtain, furniture, books, paper or anything else that might start on fire are left too close to the space heater, she could have a serious problem. I’ve read about space heaters, and they are responsible for a lot of house fires. A space heater should be kept a minimum of three feet away from combustible items and located on a flat, stable surface. I am thankful that her space heaters is equipped with decent safety features. If it gets tipped over, the heater will automatically shut off.