Is the heat busting your budget?

**Ima saver** · 07-31-2006, 01:14 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

It was 95 degrees when I went to town today, it is definately costing more in air conditioning costs. My husband has to work outside in this heat. Yesterday, he did not feel too well. I don't have any desire to go outside in this heat!

**JoyJoy** · 07-31-2006, 01:21 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Wow 34saving I empathize with you being in Minnesota!!! We have been hearing for days now about the sweltering heat there. I don't even want to imagine what havoc this heatwave will cause to your budget. We have high temperatures here in NY as well but not like Minnesota. I know you have cold winters, but I didn't think your summers were hot like this.

I'm the one who pays the electric bill (lucky me huh?). I don't even want to see next month's bill. I have already prepared myself for a shocker! August's bill is $170...something. Just have to grin and bear it along with the high gas prices, food, etc.

Stay cool and continue to take your 2 year old to McDonalds and tire him/her out so you can get a book, a glass of lemonade and a smile!

**Diolla** · 07-31-2006, 01:23 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Except for the AC which we only use to cool the main room it really doesn't impact me that much.

My laundry room is in the uncooled portion of the house and I only use the washer at night when it is cooler then hang the clothes to dry.

My kitchen is also in the uncooled area but adding to the heat is not my idea of a fun time so mostly I use the grill or microwave. When we get a break from the heat (which we did a couple of weekends ago) I do a big cooking marathon and then have stuff ready to 'nuke' for dinners. I hate eating out when I have perfectly good food at home. Lots of times we eat salad/sandwich type stuff, who wants hot food on a hot day?

Since we just turned on our AC July 1st I haven't even gotten the bill yet for the AC so I really don't know how much that is going to come in at, I budgeted higher in the summer but this is the first time we have had to use it.

I do hope it ends soon though, it is getting old.

**lrjohnson** · 07-31-2006, 02:00 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Yesterday was 69. Today it's 59. I am so loving the Nothern Coastal living right now. I don't bake and I don't freeze. Others sometimes complain about the quantity of rain, but I love love love the rain. So I'm set.

**Ima saver** · 07-31-2006, 02:00 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

I never wanted a basement, now my next house will have one. It is so much cooler in the basement. My husband is going to have to insulate a big house this week. You have to wear long pants and a sweat shirt so the stuff does not get on your skin. Can you imagine how hot he is going to be??

**Bookie** · 07-31-2006, 02:05 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Temperatures here are running in the mid-to-upper 90s. My top-floor apartment gets a lot of sun in the afternoon. I run the A/C at 85, use fans, and close the blinds. My July electric bill was $52.74.

The heat probably has a positive impact on my other spending. I try to get my errands run early while it's still (relatively) cool. I go with lists, group my stops around a circular route, and hunker down at home the rest of the day. It's too hot and humid to spend money.

**Kirbycruiser** · 07-31-2006, 03:27 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

My air conditioning broke in my truck and it will cost $800 + to fix it (ouch).

**Dido** · 07-31-2006, 05:21 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

I'm with Bookie--it's too hot and humid to go out and spend. I'm hunkered down in my main room in front of the A/C. No desire to go outside!! So my electric expenses will be up but other things are down.

**Kris10Leigh** · 07-31-2006, 06:26 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

It's not affecting me, but it is affecting my kids. They've been inside with the A/C instead of outside riding their bikes. Normally I encourage them to go outside, but not in this heat! In fact I DVR'd a movie for them to watch tomorrow to keep them occupied and that is always a last resort for me.

It's affecting the dog too. He goes out, does his thing, and comes right back in.

I'm curious to see how my energy bill compares to last year at this time.

**getforfree** · 07-31-2006, 07:06 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Those months when I don't have to use neither heater and AC, my bill is about $25. Last month (the end of it) was hot. We had really hot weather here in CA, about 114 degrees. So my Ac was working extra hard,day and night. The last 3 days we didn't use AC, not sure what the temperature was, but I think about 85-90. I expect my bill to be about $200, last month it was $85.

Yea, the heat is definatelly costing me money.

**tgavin71** · 07-31-2006, 08:44 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

We have been getting reports about the heatwave conditions that a lot of you are enduring and I empathise with you. Summer temps where I am usually hover around the 100 to 104 mark. Every couple of weeks we will get up to 110 for a few days and we all walk around saying stupid things like "How about this heat?" and " Wow, isn't it hot today?"
To keep cool without blowing the budget we use ceiling fans. They are a lot cheaper to run than AC. Plus it is easier to aclimatise when going from inside to outside. My parents have their house so cold in summer that we have to take jumpers when go to visit. Then they wonder why they can't handle the heat when they come to visit us.
Block out as much sun as possible. It will reduce heat.
Use rooms on the other side of the house to where the sun in shining. At my house the backyard gets the sun in the morning and the front of the house in the afternoon. So during summer we use the backyard in the afternoon and the front loungeroom in the mornings.

**tgavin71** · 07-31-2006, 08:45 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

Don't forget to drink lots and lots and lots of water.

**PrincessPerky** · 08-01-2006, 05:16 AM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

for free AC try the library..or spend some extra and go to a museam (childrens preferably) the malls around here often have indoor playgrounds, and tables at the food court, pack a lunch and enjoy the free AC. (make sure you leave your house with the AC set a bit higher than you have it when home so you really are saving though)

**shelbylovesmelby** · 08-03-2006, 03:19 PM

Re: Is the heat busting your budget?

no it's not busting our budget as I'm keeping the a/c on energy saver & when dh isn't looking turning it way down llllooooowwww.

Our elec/gas bill is about $25 more this past month. But that's cause of the a/c & having to water my garden 2x a day since we have had little rain & I don't want my veggies to die

so watering my garden costs me whatever electricity costs me to run the well pump.

Is the heat busting your budget?