Programmable Thermostat

Benefits

Environmental Benefit: ★★★★☆
A 10 degree difference in thermostat setting could save half the energy used by your heating/cooling system or more - depending on the insulation of your house and the outside temperatures.

Money Saved: ★★★★☆
Given today's high energy costs, the small cost of a programmable thermostat and a few fans for the summer is very low compared to the money you'll save month-to-month on utility bills.

Lifestyle Benefit: ★★☆☆☆
I tend to feel warmer than Shannon, so sometimes even with the fans on I get too hot in the summer. When that happens, if there isn't something I can do about it (like a glass of icewater, or sitting under a ceiling fan, or taking off some clothes) then I go ahead and temporarily adjust the thermostat a bit. Feeling a bit warm in the summer and a bit cool in the winter is probably normal for our bodies anyway! I guess one benefit could be that there is less shock to your system when you go in and out of the house - making it more likely you'll spend time outside!

What We’re Doing
Our kids run around in their underwear half the time in the summer, except when we have visitors. Our usual thermostat setting is 81 for summer, and 67 or so for winter. What is within the comfort range for different people varies, but by pushing your limits a little you may find that you become accustomed to the change. Our girls are "real Texans". They get cold when it's 65 and seem fine with the summer heat (which saves us a lot on A/C costs). Also, be sure to program your thermostat differently for times of day you are gone, night time, etc. It is not true that heating the house back up after you were gone takes more energy than it would have to keep it warm to begin with. The amount of energy lost has to do with the temperature difference between inside and outside - with less of a difference you spend less energy. At night, when you're bundled under the covers (you've got thick blankets, right?) you should be able to turn the thermostat down a fair ways. Shannon and I once had our apartment down to about 36 degrees one night in Utah (well, OK - that wasn't on purpose, the pilot light in the furnace blew out and we thought the neighbor who controlled the house thermostat was persecuting us again).
A Little Humor
You always hear that in relationships, opposites attract. They just don't tell you that what they mean is that opposite body temperature's attract.