The Ethos, Part 1: It's Your Household, Make It Work For You

This is part 1 of a 5-part series on the fundamentals of being a household hacker.

When we bought our house, the two most common congratulatory wishes we got were “Happy payments” and “Congratulations. Now the house owns you.” While I accept the payments (actually, I make them and the lady at the bank accepts them, but I digress), I refuse to accept being owned by a house.

Regardless of whether they rent or own, household hackers recognize the fundamental truth that a home is meant to serve the comfort and convenience of the residents, and if it doesn't, we should make it. Sometimes that involves some gentle coaxing, and other times, we just have to beat the home into submission. We also recognize the fundamental truth that, when we try to beat the home into submission, sometimes it hits back. For that reason, I prefer the coaxing route whenever possible.

Not to be overlooked, your household should work for you. Because of that, your household may not work for anyone else. A household hacker doesn't worry about such things. Problems faced in a household are often unique, and the solutions will be equally so, particularly given the resources that the household hacker has to work with. Because of that, the hacks offered here are intended as a jumping-off point. But I didn't need to tell you that, because household hackers rarely follow directions exactly, anyway.

Next: Think Function