Sometimes when the thermometer goes up, your living costs do likewise. A bit of careful planning and creative budgeting can keep costs under control while adding to your enjoyment of the season. Here are twenty ways to cut costs and make summer your favorite season of the year.
- Turn off the air-conditioning when it’s feasible, depending on where you live and how hot it gets. Keep tabs on weather reports and if there is any cooling forecast, make adjustments. Open windows to take advantage of cool air in the early morning and evening and use portable fans or ceiling fans to cool small areas. If you really need an air conditioner, the Department of Energy suggests an Energy Star model with fan and programmable thermostat. Mount air conditioning units in shaded windows and keep electrical appliances, including lamps, as far as possible from the unit.
- Cook outside. Stove tops and ovens create lots of heat that has nowhere to go. Barbeque cooking is particularly appealing to many families any way, and a huge variety of recipes is available online. Try something new!
- If your situation allows, dry laundry outside. Not only will you be spared the price of gas or electricity to do the job, you may find your laundry has a nice fresh air scent. Small drying racks are readily available and may be all you need if your family is small.
- Replace your air conditioning filters. A dirty filter can increase cooling costs by restricting airflow, causing longer run times and higher costs. Filters are not expensive, so change them frequently.
- Take advantage of summer-end sales to prepare for the next gardening and yard work season. Sales generally begin on landscape plants, bulbs and gardening tools just as the height of summer passes.
- Instead of investing in summer clothing that you’ll wear for a short time, hold a clothing exchange with family and/or friends. If you prefer new, the sales on sundresses, shorts, swimsuits and other summer wear usually begin in mid-season, giving you plenty of time to tog out in your new duds before autumn begins. Watch for sales on non-clothing items such as sunglasses and tote bags.
- Don’t think you have to leave town for entertainment. Visit the websites for local pools, hiking sites, sports venues (you might enjoy local youth sports as well as you would the majors.) The tendency is to overlook community theater and local sites such as zoos, aquariums, art galleries and other opportunities for family outings. If there is a university in your area, check to see if they offer special opportunities for children or youth. You can Google “free events,” adding your city, for a list of local entertainment opportunities. Many communities have home-town celebrations in the summer and you could spend weeks hitting fun-filled local events with very little overlap.
- If an out-of-town trip is on the summer agenda, check with the motel or hotel to see if they provide in-room refrigerators and microwaves service so you can cut down on the number of restaurant meals. Stock up on microwave meals, popcorn, etc., to pack for the trip.
- Take short showers to conserve on water and energy. Less than 10 minutes, ideally with a low-flow shower head, can save up to 20,000 gallons of water a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
- If you enjoy expanding your education, summer is the time to do it. Many school districts, colleges and universities offer half-price courses during the summer season when many of their regular students take a break. You’ll likely find yourself with other lifetime students who are there to learn in earnest.
- Instead of laying out big bucks to keep the ice cream coming, consider treats from frozen fruits pureed and re-frozen in ice pop molds, plastic cups or in a bowl to dip out as needed. Throw in a bit of yogurt and increase the nutritional value. The same holds true of the expensive iced tea that you can stockpile at great cost. A simple recipe for “sun tea” calls for four large tea bags emptied into a pitcher or jar full of water. Let is stand outside for three hours. When you want to use it, dilute with water to taste, add a little lemon and sugar and voila! Refrigerate what’s left in clean soft-drink bottles . Ditto iced coffee, which you can make by freezing left-over coffee in trays then blending with liquid creamer and ice cubes.
- Plan a yard or garage sale. Many bargain-hunters take advantage of summer weekends to snarf up items of interest. De-cluttering your house is easier when the weather is warm. You may be able to interest neighbors, friends or family in a joint sale that is likely to attract more potential buyers.
- Head for a farmers’ market if such are available in your area, instead of the grocery store. Farm-fresh produce such as spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, string beans and peppers make a super salad for a warm-day meal at a price much below what you’d pay at the store. And if the farm outlet offers flowers to give your house a summer pick-me-up, so much the better.
- The fireworks season is dead ahead, but you can save money and avoid products that are banned in many communities by celebrating with reusable rocket balloons (often selling for 79 for $20) or glow sticks that may spare little fingers from sparkler burns and cost, in general, just a dollar each. Most communities have fireworks displays that you can enjoy for free without the hazards of firing off your own.
- Have a “vacation” at home. Plan a themed party, such as a trip to Hawaii for instance, and involve all your family in making decorations and choosing music appropriate to the theme. Grill fish or chicken with pineapple and choose island side dishes. End the evening with a hula contest, with the winner walking off with the grass skirt. Make it a family challenge to see who can come up with the most fun theme for the next vacation.
- Make it a season for ordering checks online at Coolchecks.net Save up to 50% on your orders.
- To avoid costly first-run movies, plan on the matinee performances. Swap movies with friends and relatives. Many libraries allow you to reserve new DVDs, If you want to get into movies in a big way,and really enjoy the old-time productions, consider looking into a 16-mm film projector and old movie reels. They’re available on ebay.com
- Instead of heading for expensive swim sites, invest in a slip-n-slide plastic strip and use the garden hose to keep the kiddies entertained. Small pools can be as much fun for tots as more-threatening large pools. But even with small pools, be sure little ones are supervised.
- The refreshing but expensive iced tea and coffee drinks that you spend big bucks for are easy to replicate in your own kitchen. A simple recipe for “sun tea” calls for four large tea bags emptied into a pitcher or jar full of water. Let is stand outside for three hours. When you want to use it, dilute with water to taste, add a little lemon and sugar and voila! Refrigerate what’s left in clean soft-drink bottles. Ditto iced coffee, which you can make by freezing left-over coffee in trays then blending with liquid creamer and ice cubes.
- Walk instead of driving. With the cost of gasoline across the country heading up and down and mostly up, take advantage of warm weather to do as many errands as possible without driving. Whatever you can do in the early morning or evening will provide the most comfortable temperatures when you start off on foot.
