Although it seemed like this time would never come after a long winter, it finally seems like the nice weather is here to stay! That means you can open up the windows to get some fresh air in, not to mention if your house a long overdue spring cleaning. The warm weather means that summer is around the corner, and while your weekends will likely start to fill up fast, you can start to reduce expenses now so that you can have extra play money during the summer.
Avoid Going Out to Eat
Sure, this one may be tough, especially if cooking is not your passion, but by going to the grocery store and stocking up with ingredients to prep meals for breakfast, packing your lunch for work, and dinner at home, not to mention even snacks and coffee, you can save a considerable amount staying at home. After all, the yardwork is probably getting done now, so why not take advantage and BBQ, eat, and entertain on your newly stained deck and patio furniture that was just put out. After all, cooking outside will help save on utilities instead of heating up the house with the oven or stove.
Help Out Your Air Conditioner
Speaking of utilities, in addition to cooking outside, to really help out your air conditioner is to not run it as much, but without risk of overheating, be reducing the air loss by sealing up gaps around doors and windows with a fresh line of caulk could really save on your electric bill. Not only will it help now, but it will help in the winter as well as less cold air will enter the house. When it comes to setting the temperature, using the programmable thermostat will really maximize keeping the house cool when you’re sleeping and not wasting the air when you’re not at home.
Save on Water with a Rain Barrel
One of the best parts of spring is planting your flowers and garden and once summer and fall comes, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor, but instead of building up the water bill with the extra time using the hose to water, you can put a rain barrel near, or in, your garden so you can collect all of the rain water to use to fill up the watering can. Although there is a little investment with buying the barrel, think of all the water you can use that would otherwise go into the ground and sewer.
Ditch the Gym Membership
With all of the extra time you’re spending outside and getting a little more active, you can cancel the gym membership. After all, since you probably joined around new year’s, how many times have you actually gone in the last few months, so chances are you were just paying for it anyways. To move around a little more, while enjoying the warm weather, take the dog for a walk every day, and then you will both be happy during the summer months.
This post originally appears here: How You Can Save Money by Summer
