12 Cheap Ways to Keep Cool This Summer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer is at our doorsteps, and that mean that heat is creeping into our homes and, if we’re not careful, raising our energy bills. It’s possible to keep cool without blasting the AC, even in oppressive heat. Here are some tricks to get you started as summer gets started:

  1. Keep the blinds (or heavy curtains) closed during the day to keep your home a little cooler.
  2. Keep cooking to a minimum in the kitchen on hot days. Try some of these great recipes for freezer/batch cooking.
  3. Cook on the grill instead of heating up the kitchen by cooking inside.
  4. Make a refreshing beverage likestrawberry lemonade or watermelon smoothie. But mostly, make sure you’re drinking enough water.
  5. Use Tip Hero Ginger Helper’s idea:

    In trying not to run the air conditioner so often, I have found a way to increase the capacity of water my dehumidifier takes out of my home each day. I leave a small fan on the floor a couple of feet away from the ‘draw’ side of the dehumidifier. This really helps to increase the air flow going into the unit, as the small fan inside of the unit does not have much power to pull the air in.

  6. Invest in a programmable thermostat to save money not just during the summer months, but year round.
  7. Change the filters in your cooling system at least once a month so it continues running efficiently. Dirty filters work a lot harder to cool you down, so you’re wasting energy and money if you don’t replace the filters.
  8. Operate appliances, like the stove, dishwasher and dryer, in the early morning or evening when it’s cooler outside. You don’t want to add extra heat to your home when it’s super hot already.
  9. Install your air conditioner in the shade. It’ll use more energy if it’s hit with direct sunlight.
  10. If you must use the AC, try out these tips for using it in the most energy-efficient way.
  11. Get out of the house! Head to your local library or a coffee shop to cool off.
  12. Don’t forget about your car! Your car needs to stay as cool as possible to continue running well. Check out 8 car cooling tips.