During the summer months, it’s easy to let your spending get out of control.
With the days being warmer and lasting much longer, a lot of us tend to want to go out and do more things. From taking vacations to eating more often, and working on house projects, there are a lot of activities that can put a strain on your wallet.
As your trusty companion, I’m here to show you some simple ways for how to save money over the summer so you have more cash to spend on fun things to do or stash away for a raining day.
There are many ways you can save money this summer without having to sacrifice your way of life.
Be frugal with the AC
One of the easiest ways for how to save money in summer is to turn up (or off) your air conditioner.
On average, half of the energy used in a home goes toward your heating and cooling bills. So, even making a small adjustment to the thermostat temperature can result in huge savings. For example, turning up your AC one degree can save you 3% on your annual utility bill.
Now, instead of having to keep your eye on your thermostat all times, a simple solution is to install a programmable unit. In fact, it’s estimated that this upgrade can save you about $180 per year which more than makes up for the cost of the device.
These days, thermostats can even be controlled by your smartphone or another mobile device. Wi-Fi smart thermostat gives you control over your air conditioner from any location, whether you’re in the basement, outdoors, or halfway across the country.
To find out more about how this cheap device can save you money over the summer, take a look at this cheap smart thermostat guide I put together. It has everything you need to make a wise purchase at the cheapest price.
Cook outside
Every time you turn on your stove or oven, it burns up electricity. And since most of us cook on a daily basis, the amount of energy used for meals really adds up.
This summer, make it a goal to cook outdoors more often. Every night, if possible.
Cooking on a charcoal or gas grill is a lot more economical than using the electricity indoors to prepare meals like your dinner. Plus, it tastes a whole lot better too!
If you don’t have enough free time to cook outside every night, consider carving out a few hours on the weekend to cook all of your meals for the week at one time. Sure, it’s a big commitment but the amount of money you’ll save and the free time you’ll have the rest of the week more than make up for this inconvenience.
If you do commit to cooking outdoors this summer, then something you may want to think about getting is a beverage refrigerator.
A beverage fridge is a personal cooler for your drinks. This includes beer, wine, soda, juice, etc. The major benefit of owning this appliance is that it keeps your beverages much colder than a normal fridge. Plus it frees up a lot of space in your refrigerator to store other things like the week’s worth of food you may be preparing!
If you’re interested in learning more about this, I have an in-depth guide where I show you what the best beverage refrigerator model is and it’s top four competitors. The cheapest and smallest one holds 62 12-ounce cans while the biggest cooler holds up to 150 drinks.
Hang dry your laundry
Do you know how much it costs to dry one load of laundry in an electric dryer?
Depending on the wattage the appliance uses, it can cost anywhere between $.25 and $.70 to run the dryer for one hour. So, if you did laundry three times in one week it would cost you about $.75 to $2.10. Per month the total would be $3 to $8.4 and over the span of a year you’d end up spending $36 to $100.
The least expensive way to dry your clothes is by hang drying them outside. By setting up a clothesline you can air dry your clothes for free. And the fabrics often smell a lot fresher when dried outdoors.
Don’t water the grass
A beautiful lawn is something most homeowners aspire to have each summer. But in order to do that, you must water it regularly.
Watering your lawn every other day or so is an expensive chore. It can easily increase your utility bill by $50 or more each month over the summer just to keep the lawn wet.
This year, try to water your lawn less or not at all. The truth is that most people over water their lawns and waste unnecessary amounts of water and money in the process. I
f you do want to water your lawn to keep it from drying out, do it every five to seven days. That’s often all that’s necessary. And if you do get a drenching downpour of rain, it usually keeps your lawn hydrated for up to two weeks.
Use a push reel mower
If you tallied up how much gas you buy over the summer to operate a lawn mower or tractor you may be shocked by the outcome.
After the initial purchase, a push reel mower costs nothing to operate. And they cut really well compared to gas-powered machines.
The maintenance is also inexpensive. There are no spark plugs to replace or oil to change. Sure, you may have to sharpen the blades but that’s only every few years and you have to do that with a gas-powered mower too.
Another option is to purchase a cordless electric lawn mower. These machines are much cheaper to operate than a gas mower and are a step above a push reel mower.
While it does take a electricity to charge the battery that powers a cordless mower, the cost is barely noticeable on your utility bill. If this sounds much more appealing than a push reel mower, take a look at my guide on the best cordless lawn mower here.
Plant a garden
If you like to eat fresh herbs and vegetables planting a garden this summer can save you a good chunk of cash.
Consider this…
For every $1 you spend on green bean seeds, you can grow about $75 worth of produce. For things like potatoes, its about $5 per crop.
You can easily see how a small investment at the beginning of the summer can yield big earnings through the warmer months. Plus, if you store the excess vegetables in a can, you’ll save even more.
Adjust your hot water heater
Were you aware that you can adjust the temperature of your hot water heater?
It’s true, and in fact, most hot water heater temperatures are turned up hotter than they need to be and are wasting unnecessary money on your electric bill.
If you take a look at the side of the heater tank, you should see a temperature adjustment knob. From the factory, it’s usually set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning it down is an easy way to save money on this expense. Ideally, you want to aim for 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
With this small adjustment, you likely won’t even notice the difference. You will, however, see a chunk of savings in your utility bill.
Invite friends and family over
During the summer, it’s tempting to want to go out and spend money with your friends and family by doing activities and eating out.
This summer, try to spend more time at your own home by inviting friends and family over to enjoy the time there.
You can do things like a game night, watch movies, listen to music, or just chat about your lives. Coordinating a group meal is also a great way to save money. You could arrange to supply the desert and drinks while every other family brings a dish for the meal.
Most people are coffee drinkers, and so a good thing to invest in is an espresso machine. This handy appliance will let you craft delicious cappuccinos and lattes for your guests and make your home the talk of the town.
The best cheap espresso machine I’ve found is by Mr. Coffee. It’s a one-stop shop for espresso drinks. It has an onboard milk frother and automatically blends it with your coffee to make cappuccinos. There are other products that give you more manual control but I’ve found that one is the best for convenience and taste.
I hope these money-saving tips for the summer have helped!
If you’re looking for top home gadgets for cheap prices, I’ve got a lot of recommendations for you. I’ve rated and reviewed many products for the home and you may just find something you’re looking for on this site.
Your pal,
Trusty Joe
