Updated: April 10, 2023
Is the summer heat beating hard on you? Don’t worry and try these ten simple and frugal tips to cool down this season.
1. Create airflow at home.
It’s important to have good air circulation inside your home. This means opening windows and if possible, the doors leading outside, to create airflow. Look for the direction of the breeze and see how you can have it pass through your home.
2. Block the sun and heat.
On the other hand, if the sun is shining directly on a specific window, then it’s best to block the rays with a curtain, window shades, or blinds.
3. Optimize the use of your electric fan.
Don’t just turn it on and sit in front of the electric fan. Use it instead to direct and optimize the airflow around the house. For ceiling fans with dual rotation settings, make sure that it’s blowing air downwards (usually counter-clockwise).
4. Turn off the lights and minimize the use of appliances.
Switch off the lights. And minimize the use of appliances that give out heat, such as the television, stove, and oven. Make dishes that are fast and easy to prepare. Or if possible, just cook outside the house, such as in the yard or garage.
5. Wear light and comfortable clothes.
Go for lighter or pastel-colored clothes. Choose lightweight garments in breathable fabrics, preferably those made with cotton or linen. Hold it up to the light, if you can see through it a bit, then that’s probably a good outfit to wear.
6. Be smart about taking showers.
If you’re feeling humid and sweaty already, then cool off with a quick shower. Then, manage the heat by pouring cold water, or applying a cool towel to your temple, ankles, or wrists (pulse points), so you don’t have to shower again or too often.
7. Stay hydrated.
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty. Your body needs water to deal with the heat as it replenishes the fluids lost by excessive sweating. Stay alert and feel good with proper hydration.
8. Do chores that involve water.
Instead of taking a shower, maybe it’s better to just wash your car or bathe your pet dog. It’s more productive, and it can be a family bonding activity as well.
9. Watch a “cold” movie.
This works for me, so it may be worth a try for you. Distract yourself from the summer heat and immerse yourself in a movie set during winter or in a cold place. Watching with your kids? Try “Frozen”, “Ice Age”, or “Happy Feet”.
10. When all else fails, just go outside.
It’s tempting to head for the mall, but that may not be a money-smart choice. Instead, go to a local park, find a tree to sit under, perhaps go to the gym and work out, or just hang out wherever you can stay cool and avoid spending unnecessarily.
What about you? Any frugal tips you can share on how to stay cool and manage the heat this summer? Write them in the comments section below. Thanks.
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Stay at home. Don’t go out. And save money this summer. Hehe. Just kidding.
We have found that entering and exiting an air conditioned room too often tends give us symptoms of a head-cold. I am especially prone to getting a dry throat from the very dry air that is present when the air conditioner removes the majority of the moisturizer. If the heat/humidity is intolerable without the air-con, we pile into the largest bedroom and have a family camp-out night. Mom and Dad work and the troops sleep in air-conditioned comfort. If there is enough radiational cooling at night, we open the door wide with bug screens in place and line the living room floor and a selection of mattress. Again, it is family camp-out night as parents do their work and the troops have a blast falling asleep in the cool breeze that blows through the house from back to front. BTW, it is cooler on the floor, the lower you go the less heat.