cooling

Whew!  It looks like August finally caught up to Central Illinois this week. The forecast for the next 6 days calls for highs in the 90s (mid 30s for the rest of the world). So how is one to stay frugally comfortable? Here are some of my suggestions.

Turn the thermostat up or turn the AC off completely

(un)Fortunately our home’s AC is not working.  So the temptation to even turn it on is not an option.  If you are in a more tempting position consider this.  Not only will a higher setting save you money, the outside won’t feel quite as startling hot when you have to step outside.  Air conditioners also act as dehumidifiers.  Lower humidity levels decrease the apparent temperature.  We discovered last month that our ~13 year old central AC unit not only did not function properly, it also bumped up our electric bill by $20 for only 4 days of use.  If we had run it for the entire month that would have cost us an extra $150!

use someone else’s air conditioning

Chances are pretty good that your place of employment has AC. If you are in my boat and work from home, then you can probably take advantage of the local library or Starbucks.

Open windows, especially at night, for a breeze (if you aren’t using the AC)

A good breeze can do wonders to cool you down.  As human beings, we are covered in fine hair that traps heat against our bodies.  Air flow helps to remove that heat.

Close curtains, blinds, drapes to block out the sun

We are still working on making curtains for our house, a topic for a future post, but the ones that we have up so far make a HUGE difference.  There are over 20 windows in our house so the sunlight has a lot of different paths it can take to dump some radiate heat into our living space.

Go swimming!

Not only is it fun for all ages, it is also a fantastic way to lower your core body temperature.  Keep in mind that swimming during the middle of the day poses some extra challenges (namely sunburn).  I like to go swimming an hour or so after dinner.  Not only is the pool nearly empty that time of day, I also don’t have to worry about getting burned and it cools me off before going to bed.

Put a pitcher of water in the fridge

We have a no thrills top freezer refrigerator without a water or ice dispenser.  A gallon pitcher of cold water though helps to keep us cool and keep the refrigerator running more efficiently.

Last but certainly not least, one of my favorites…

take a siesta

Spanish culture has perfected beating mid day heat by resting during that time.  It is understandable that some jobs won’t permit this, but if you are in a position that allows for some rest in the middle of the day I highly encourage it!

Write a comment with your favorite ways to beat the heat without breaking the wallet.