Counting Pennies

Summer slowly melting you away but can’t afford to run the AC all day long? There are many things you can do to cool down, especially on days when the temperature stays under 90F. While you may not be able to avoid turning the AC, you can at least delay it or make the cooling effect last longer.

Stay away from the kitchen as much as possible. This means NO cooking. Instead, eat cold foods, use leftovers or order-in (ok, this last one is probably not a thrifty option, but worth mentioning anyway). If you absolutely must cook, at least don’t bake. It will raise the temperature of a room by at least a few degrees.

Block the sun. Use dark curtains or shades to completely darken the windows. Draw them open again when the sun goes down so the breeze can blow in.

Keep your AC clean. Dust will reduce efficiency and use up more electricity to produce the exact same amount of cool air. Once a room is cool enough, consider turning off the AC and using a fan to keep the air moving.

Take a cool shower. It will lower the temperature of your body and delay the melting process for at least a few minutes (joking here, but not about the cool shower). Have access to a pool? Make it an official day out, kids and all.