The great thing about summer is that it is hot. This means less energy spent on heating and cooking, yet more energy spent on cooling. Let’s see how we can save some money (and become more green and frugal!):
1. If you can’t do without fans and air-conditioners, use them wisely: adjust the air conditioning throughout the day to meet your needs. And of course, look for the ENERGY STAR® label.
2. Replace filters in your air conditioner – this will make it work more efficiently and thus spend less energy.
3. Cook outside: getting your whole family together for evening barbecue will be both fun and refreshing experience for your relatives. Make it your new family tradition and you will notice how much closer you become!
Image by oskay
4. Dry your laundry outside: OK, this one works for the suburbs only but if you are happy enough to live outside the city, imagine how good your linen will smell if it dries in the fresh air.
5. Use cold water more often: hot summer is a great time to start taking cold showers, for example. It is both good for your health and saves your energy on heating the water.
6. (Obvious) Keep your lights off during the day: it is sunnier during the summer than during the rest of the year, so don’t forget to take advantage of that!
7. Save on watering your lawn: Summer heat makes you water your lawn much more often, try doing that early in the morning to prevent the water from evaporating so quickly.
Additionally investing in a good quality sprinkler timer will save money by making sure your lawn gets watered just the right amount.
8. Save gas by switching to the bicycle! Really, sometimes it is both refreshing and energizing to take a quick ride to your work instead of idling in traffic jams – and this saves your money too!
9. Make sure to subscribe to sites alerting you of the hottest deals and sales. Summer is the time of greatest sales ever. I don’t mean getting obsessed but keeping an eye on best summer deals can considerably help your budget.
by jenn jenn
On top of all, summer is the best time to take some rest and relax to get ready for the next working season. Who says you can’t have a good rest on a budget?
10. Keep an eye on summer travel deals;
11. Take advantage of fresh-air summer events: free concerts, theater events, movies, art shows;
12. Get more flexible and smart about your summer travel: consider these 5 tips for example;
13.Growing your own vegetables and herbs is a great way to save money!
Photo by superbez
14. Switch to farmers markets: unlike supermarkets pricing, product prices at markets are often negotiable. Also, you can save a fortune by buying from same sellers daily or weekly and thus having great bargains from them.
Use any opportunity to take advantage of opportunities summer can offer! For example:
15. Stop paying for the gym and start jogging: take a leave of absence from your gym membership and enjoy your exercises in the fresh air! Grab your camera to take photos of the morning scenes for more fun!
Any more tips on saving money during the summer? Please share them!
Post image: Pink Sherbet Photography
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Andy – another reason to change your own oil is to save money on all the “extras” they convince you that you need. Of course, tire rotation and other maintenance is essential, but better to check the owners manual and do it only when necessary. Shops make money by telling you you need a lot more than you actually do.
We have western facing windows, so we suffer from glare and heat during the summer. We found that installing window tint on these windows helped with both problems. Take a look at SnapTint window tint kits, we found their pricing affordable and quick to install.