9 Ways to Lower Home Expenses This Summer

When Summer comes around, many of us are looking for ways to save a little extra money and maybe even reduce our footprint. With energy costs shooting up to keep the house cool, here are some ways you can save a little coin.

Our Summer Saving Tips:

1. Seize the Summer Breeze 🧺
   • Have you tried drying your laundry the old-fashioned way? Let the sun and warm summer breeze do the drying for you?
   • Why we love it:
     • You don’t need to use dryer sheets; air drying eliminates static cling.
     • Energy savings from not using the dryer.
     • Energy savings from not running the air conditioner.
     • Clothes dried outside smell fresh and wonderful.
     • Sunlight can help to bleach and disinfect your laundry.
2. Harness the power of the Sun ☀️
   • Let’s talk about solar lighting.
   • Why we love it:
     • Low Maintenance – waterproof, bulbs last up to 20 years
     • Lower Utility Bills – no electricity required, take advantage of summer sun, great long-term investment
     • Increased Home Value – According to the Department of Energy, the value of your home can increase by $15,000 if you have a solar lighting system on your property.
     • Reduced Pollution – reduces Sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and health-harmful emissions. 
3. Let the real shade stand up 🌳
   • When you don’t need that natural sunlight, try keeping your blinds and curtains closed. This is especially important when sun is shining directly into your home.
   • Why we love it:
     • Prevents AC from working harder to cool house.
     • Blinds closed with slats pointed up directs heat upward and keeps your house cooler.
   • Bonus tip: plant trees for additional shade on your yard and home. A shaded home is a cooler home.
4. Bridge the gap 🍃
   • Gaps in doors, windows, floorboards, and walls could be heating up your home. By insulating properly and sealing gaps, you can keep cold air inside and reduce the strain on your air conditioner.
   • Why we love it:
     • Less strain on your AC & less energy used.
     • Better for the environment.
     • Promotes better home maintenance and prevents other issues like pests.
5. It’s good to vent 💨
   • Keep those vents and filters clean!
   • Why we love it:
     • Swapping a dirty filter for a clean one can reduce your unit’s energy consumption by between 5 percent and 15 percent, according to Energy.gov.
     • Increases the air quality in your home.
     • Reduces strain on your AC unit.
6. Thank your biggest fans 👏
   • Utilize the fans in your home.
   • Why we love it:
     • You can reduce your cooling costs by as much as 90 percent per day by using fans instead of the air conditioner, according to Energy Impact Illinois.
     • You can raise the thermostat on your air conditioning unit by 4 degrees without lessening the cooling effect if you turn on the ceiling fan according to NBC News.
7. Enjoy a cold one 🚿
   • A cold shower might just be what you need.
   • Why we love it:
     • Turning down water temperature setting to saves on water heating.
     • Godwin estimates that turning down the temperature on a 50-gallon tank from 130 degrees to 115 degrees can save more than $50 a year.
8.   Out like a light 💡
   • Here’s one you may have been hearing your entire life – turn off those lights
   • Why we love it:
     • Simply switching them off the lights can save you a bundle in the long run.
     • It’s better for the environment.
     • Summertime has loads of natural light to take advantage of.
   • Bonus tip: Switch to LED lightbulbs for even more energy savings.
9. Grow your own way 🌱
   • Have you grown your own garden? Take advantage of the season and plant a garden. by harvesting your own food, you’ll save money on groceries
   • Why we love it:
     • Select vegetables that are expensive to buy in the grocery store. To save money, grow more expensive items, like tomatoes and melons, or large quantities of vegetables that you purchase regularly.
     • Consider vegetables like beans, beets, onions, spinach, broccoli, peppers, carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, lettuce, peas, and Swiss chard. These vegetables provide the biggest returns on your investment of space and time in the garden.
   • Bonus tip: Eat seasonal foods! When you eat fresh, whole foods that are in season, you can save money (seasonal food is cheaper!), help the environment (it has a lower carbon footprint), add extra nutrition to your diet (season food is picked at the height of its nutrition), and build variety into your diet!