Showing posts with label Saving Money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saving Money. Show all posts
15 Ways to Stay Cool During the Summer
Kate


We've been having a bit of a heat wave here this week, with temperatures in the nineties and way too much humidity.  Our thermostat is currently set to 78; this feels really nice when coming in from outside, but too warm when we're trying to sleep.  Here are some ways to stay cool without fiddling with the thermostat:

Be Prepared:

  1. Close the curtains to keep sunlight (and heat) out.
  2. Keep a bottle of lotion in the refrigerator.  Apply liberally.
  3. Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator.  Give your face a spritz every so often.
  4. Wear loose-fitting clothing in breathable fabrics (like cotton).
  5. Stick your pillow in the freezer for half an hour before bed.  (I haven't tried this; my pillow would probably end up smelling like chicken and ground beef.)

Cool The House (Or Leave It!):

  1. Turn on some fans.
  2. Try not to use the oven, stove, or clothes dryer.
  3. Keep the lights off as much as possible.
  4. Have a water fight (outside, of course!).  Forget little water pistols; grab the garden hose!
  5. Hang out somewhere that uses air conditioning liberally, like the mall or library.  Or the frozen section of the grocery store.

Cool Yourself:

  1. Take a COLD shower.
  2. Drink a glass of ice water.
  3. Eat a popsicle, or some ice cream.
  4. Soak a bandana in cold water and tie it around your neck.
  5. Try using a lotion or body wash containing mint, which has a cooling effect.
How do you stay cool in the summer?

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Photo Credits:
Photo of ice cubes from Darren Hester's Flickr photostream.

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Reducing Expenses: The Flip Side of Making Money
Kate
It's only been a couple of days since I started brainstorming ways to make some money from home, but it's already starting to change the way I think about things.

DangerBear and I have always loved going out to eat, and I've never really enjoyed cooking.  Even now, with finances being tight from DangerBear's startup business, we're still going out to eat.  So when I sit down to write an article that will pay me $5, part of me thinks it's a lot of money and part of me compares it with the cost of eating out.  $5 would basically pay for the family's drinks (soda and iced tea).  Yikes.

I haven't tracked our finances in a long time; I don't know why, because it's such an obvious thing to do.  But I'm going to start up again.  Then we can get a true picture of exactly how much we're spending, and how we can save the most money.

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