The summer can be expensive. Not only with increased utility bills from running the air conditioner to watering your lawn, but also the time for travel and entertainment. It may seem like you just paid off the holiday shopping and the beginning of the year flew by, but now it is time to open up that wallet again for another summer of fun, so why not save in a few areas when you can.
Plant a Garden
Growing your own food can actually cut down your grocery bill. A packet of seeds can only cost a couple of dollars, so for example for the price of one tomato at the grocery store you can actually get pounds from one plant. So while it may take a while to grow, you will have vegetables coming out of your ears by the end of summer and will not be able to eat them fast enough. If you do not have a “green thumb” then check out your local farmer’s market on the weekends, as produce will be considerably cheaper than the grocery store, especially if you arrive later in the day when vendors will be more inclined to give you a deal to take off their hands.
Keep it Cool at Night
If you are not home during the day there is no reason to keep the house at 68 degrees all day. I am not saying you need to sweat out the pets in your house, but setting the temperature to 74 during the day will still provide it to be cool enough without having to run the A/C all day. If you are like me and need it cool when you sleep, you can adjust the temperature into the evening so that it will be your desired temperature when you are ready for bed. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set different temperatures throughout the day, in case you forget to increase the temperature as you leave for work.
Avoid Watering the Lawn at Peak Temperatures
Whether you have a sprinkler system or need to need to manually adjust where you water your lawn, avoid watering when the sun and temperatures are at the highest of the day. Instead water in the early morning or evening hours when the sun has gone down. The water evaporates more quickly in the sun, so your watering will go a long way if it gets a chance to soak in.