Today, you are going to learn 12 cheap ways to stay cool this summer that won't break the bank.
Let's begin!
You prayed for summer. You said last winter, “I can’t wait for summer.” The majority of your social media status last winter was about hating cold weather and wishing for hot weather.
Now it’s here, and you realize that with summer comes high temperatures. With high temperatures, comes high electric bills. You still need to keep cool and save. These cheap ways to stay cool this summer will help you stay cool and save you money.
Today's latest homes are built to comfort people and stay home during the summer. I don’t have central air in my home; so window units are constantly running to keep this huge house cool. This means, you guessed it, the electric bill is very high during the summer.
To stay cool during the hot summer days, we simply had to find cheap ways to stay cool that will help us keep our electric bill down. When we did our research, we found that many of the things we were doing were NOT helping us keep cool and save money.
To enjoy our summer since we can’t control the temperatures is to use these 12 cheap ways to stay cool this summer. Not only will they help you enjoy your summer it will help you to reduce the cost of your electric bill and save you money as well.
12 Cheap Ways To Stay Cool This Summer
We made this list to enjoy days we stay indoors and when we decide to venture out.
Use blinds or curtains on your windows
Adding blinds, curtains, or even both, to your windows during the warmer season will help keep your home cool. This also applies to your doors’ windows too!
Consumer Report details how you can beat the heat with blinds, curtains, and shades when you click here.
Ice, ice, baby!
Make ice, lots of ice. Don’t spend money buying ice when you can make it at home. Use the ice you make at home in any way that will help you stay cool. Be creative!
Here are a few “cool” things you can do with ice to help you keep cool at home.
Place two frozen bottles of water in front of a fan. Believe it or not, this will help you keep cool!
You can also place your sheets inside a freezer bag and place the bag in the freezer. When you are ready to head to bed, take the bag out and use it.
Wear light-colored clothing.
I wear my black long-sleeved shirt and jeans during a heat wave. JK. Remember to dress wearing light colors and loose-fitting clothes. If you want to go naked… eh… stay home, don’t want you to get arrested.
All jokes aside, make sure you and your family dress accordingly and stay cool. Light colors are better, and comfortable loose clothes will help you as well.
Drink water.
You will be surprised how many people don’t drink enough water. Some don’t drink water all day! Water will keep you hydrated and cool during the hot temperatures. This is extremely important, and people should really take this seriously!
Dehydration is not good, and drinking water throughout the day will help you keep cool. Remember, water (tap water) is free, and you can even pour the water over your head.
Can you do this with a soda? I don’t think so! LOL. But seriously, you need water to stay alive, keep your organs functioning, prevent heat stroke, etc…
Open your window at night.
Let that cool breeze enter your home and cool it. Do this at night, not during the day!
Slow Cookers or Instant Pots are your friends.
This Puerto Rican loves home meals. I do! I have no AC in my kitchen, and when it gets hot, this mama hates to step into her kitchen.
Using the stove and/or the oven will create an inferno in the kitchen and dining room. That’s when my slow cooker and my Instant Pot comes to save me.
There’s nothing I love more than the simplicity of having a slow cooker and an Instant Pot. It keeps the heat down in my kitchen. I don’t have to spend time in the kitchen. Most importantly, the meals turn out to be a delicious event.
DIY AC
We were so accustomed to using our window units until we saw the bill increase to $700. Since when did we become such babies that we can't handle warm weather?
You have to love the internet and find creative ways to stay cool out there. We saw a YouTube video on making a DIY AC using ice or cool towels and a fan.
Take a cool shower.
Take a cool shower, and don’t dry yourself with a towel. Keep your hair waiting to help you keep cool. Evaporating water creates a cooling effect.
Visit the library.
Why not? Free entertainment, and you get to stay cool! You can also surf the internet and do some work there too!
Avoid going outside in the mid-afternoon.
Listen, noon is not the hottest time of the day, it's midafternoon normally. Make sure you check your local weather forecast and avoid going outside during the hottest time of the day.
Eat cool stuff.
This makes sense, huh? Ice cream, pasta salad…. Mm. Stick with cool food that will help you stay cool this summer.
Turn off electronics.
Leaving your laptop or desktop on is convenient but produces a lot of heat. Almost all electronics produce some heat, some even when they are off but still plugged in. Not only will unplugging all your electronics reduce heat, but it will also save you money on your electric bill.
Conclusion
As you all can see, many cheap ways to stay cool this summer without breaking the bank exist. What’s important is that you must think outside of the box and get creative. Summer will bring hot temperatures, so please be prepared and be safe!
What other cheap ways to stay cool this summer do you use? Please share it with us.
Latina mom of 4 married to wonderful Greek gentleman. Living in southeast PA and trying to juggle family and a household while trying to earn an income from home.
Follow my stay at home journey as I discover how to earn money and save money so we can continue to live debt-free.
My favorite stay cool treat is those kid Popsicles that come in plastic sleeves. So cheap, and not that many calories if consumed in moderation! I’ve also heard that the reason people that live in hot places like Mexico and India eat a lot of spicy food is because it makes you sweat, and sweat evaporating has the same effect as your cool shower idea!
My favorite stay cool treat is those kid Popsicles that come in plastic sleeves. So cheap, and not that many calories if consumed in moderation! I’ve also heard that the reason people that live in hot places like Mexico and India eat a lot of spicy food is because it makes you sweat, and sweat evaporating has the same effect as your cool shower idea!