Paying off my system

I recently had to come to grips with the fact that my living expenses are higher than they should be.  I have been told for years to never rent a house or apartment if the monthly cost of rent is more than a third of your income—advise that I have since disregarded.  I was stubborn about wanting a house despite it seeming like more space than what was practical for my needs. After a few cutbacks at work pushed my hours down, I just couldn’t afford to rent that house anymore.  It felt daunting downsizing to an apartment, especially during the initial internet search. I found a nice one bedroom apartment with a master’s suite and separate kitchen and dining room closed off from the living room.  So although I no longer have a spacious house to lounge around in, I didn’t have to scale back so much that I had to cram myself into a tiny studio apartment. But potentially best of all, my utility bills are amazingly affordable in my new place.  I was told that the adjacent units, particularly the ones in the floors above and below me, act as natural insulation from heat or cold air loss. I don’t have an attic for my ductwork to leak into either since my ventilation system runs along a single wall that each room shares simply out of convenience and simplicity.  All of the adjacent units complete this effect by acting as thermal barriers from the elements. When I received my first electric bill, I couldn’t believe the difference from my old house. To think of the sheer quantities of money and income I wasted over the years just to have a detached house to go home to every night is a miserable thought

HVAC duct system