Lights are unnecessary. Breeders keep theirs in racks with no lights and they grow up to be AWESOME! Belly heat is recommended. Helps with digestion. Don't switch to it if you don't have a thermostat, though. I wasn't thinking about the light as a heat source. Don't count on him not making his way down to the UTH. They excel at defying expectations. If he likes the hides he has, great, but it's probably a good idea to offer something more secure. If he never uses them after a few weeks, then I guess he just won't. They're all different, and some are just plain weird. It's a good thing that he's not trying to escape. That's supposed to be a sign of stress. That and daytime roaming. But if they eat, poop, and shed, they're probably doing alright. Oh, and the light is probably drying out the air in the enclosure. That's another reason not to use it. Stick with things as they are until you can afford the thermostat and I think you'll be good. It's around $30-$40 shipped. The AccuRite is probably a good first step, though.

You sound like you're willing to listen to advice to make changes for the better of your snake. Nothing wrong with that.

You also sound like you're in high school. That's not wrong either, but a concern is if your snake gets a respiratory infection or something, you've got to get him to a vet. They don't just fix themselves. I hope you've got a parent or something willing to pay for a visit to a herp specialist.

Read the stickies. There's one on almost every subject of concern. "The Shedding Process" at the top of this forum addresses your first question directly.

Disagree with me if you do. Ask other people. I'm just a novice, but I'm relaying the information I've gained from more experienced keepers around here to anyone with a question I've seen answered or a concern I've seen addressed. I hope I get corrected whenever I flub something up. And I hope they back me up if I've got it right.