like AnnK, I am turning off the A/C...

[ladykemma2]

turning off the A/C in houston texas. hot hot hot

on my teacher salary, i have sufficient for my needs, but not a few wants. In AA we call these "high class problems". ha ha.

It's either take in a boarder, turn off the AC, or find another way to earn passive income. I absolutely do not want to teach summer school.

I want:
a trip to temple in salt lake city
a trip to colonial williamsburg
a trip to york, UK
a safe
to get the couch recovered
to see the bayeau tapestry (France)

plentiful shelving in my newly empty garage

and... number one want: a dog house with soft blanket/ ensolite pad for the feral cat who seems to be hanging around

In the past, I have lived and camped or worked ren faire for weeks with no ac. it's totally doable, and yes, i did adjust. I must have a cool water rinse off in the evening and sleep with only a linen sheet.

i am worried about mildew growing on things.

Any thoughts?

[Its_Donna]

I admire you so much...I am a whimp..DH and DS are whimps and living in hot, humid Central Florida..well.....we wlll have to cut back on something else cuz that AC won't get cut off any time soon 'round here.

[FrugalMomof3]

I think it's great! While we dont need to turn on the AC yet, I am one to wait till we have buckets of sweat before turning it on, lol

[ladykemma2]

i got surprised how hot it gets in pittsburgh...
If i can't stand the heat, I will take in a roomate.

[Tamerama]

While I do see the need to be frugal. Please be very careful if there are elderly or small children involved. You hear reports in Houston all the time when it gets so hot about protecting those.

[ladykemma2]

While I do see the need to be frugal. Please be very careful if there are elderly or small children involved. You hear reports in Houston all the time when it gets so hot about protecting those.

it's just me and my pets. the windows are wide open.

[many houseapes]

Each year we try to go as far as we can without having to turn on the AC. We can handle the South Texas heat - but not the humidity. I want to turn off our AC so badly, but if we do, the kids will get crabby b/c of being uncomfortable & it will be like having 10 cats in a trashcan.lol.

[fernykins]

I could not do without the AC I'm thinking about turning in on now.Which really makes me sick to do it. I can't deal with the heat it makes me sick.
Fern

[Luv2BeFrugal]

I'm impressed! I don't know if I could handle that kind of heat and humidity with no A/C! :surprise: We don't need A/C up here...though we have to heat for longer periods of time than the lower 48. I can't imagine how quickly the bills rack up from A/C. That "electric use calculator" for A/C was a shocker to me!!!

[larabelle]

I am totally with you. I am also here in Texas and I have a high tolerance for the heat as long as I have my box fans going, windows open and stay hydrated then I am fine. I just refuse to turn on the oven and spend lots of time on the patio. I usually do not turn on the air conditioner until late in the summer (mid August) I think this year I will try going all summer without air conditioning as it will certainly assist in my debt reduction program. Keep me updated on your progress and I will do likewise.

[joyofsix]

Just wanted to give a word of encouragement. Hang in there. I like your list of wants. Could you tutor at all? It would be on your time afterall and not as regimented as summer school. Just a thought. I personallly am sitting in a 58 degree house because I refused to turn the heat back on so I can at least join how you feel in spirit.

[Holly]

Last year is the first time we ever used AC ( it was given to us )
Put it upstairs for my DS's room. It did not raise our electric bill at all.
( go figure )
We are buying another unit for downstairs this year. ( that will go into the living room)

[Lady_V]

I have been giving this great thought...

I am unplugging the wall unit.

We have a small a/c in storage right now, if it looks as if we will have a heatwave summer, I will be putting it in DD's room. I can turn it on at night if needed.

During the summer we tend to be 'outdoorsy', we can play outside, and providing the dang lifeguard decides to come to work, we do have a pool in our complex. We cook outside on a small grill, so I won't have to heat the house up.

I am overweight... I will sweat I have already taken that in to consideration... I have no problem jumping in to the cold shower, clothes and all, and sun drying throughout the day.

If it is THAT hot during the day that I am afraid of spontanious combustion, the ex has a pool, and the a/c flows like water at his house (some people, )

Right now I have a ceiling fan in the kitchen... I could install another one in the livingroom, but, I will most likely just get a boxfan and put it in front of the slider. I also have a small fan I have been known to tote around the house with me...

[Judi Dial]

Last year DH put up an old sheet at the top of our stairs to keep the cold air where we made it.

The only air conditioner we put in was also upstairs. (His office is upstairs too.) That sheet made a HUGE difference! We have 2 air conditioners and had installed one previously in his office on the south wall and the other in our bedroom on the north wall. Last year, we only installed the one on the north wall and with fans and that curtain, it was enough!

One of the best investments I ever made was a used bottom fan. It's shaped like a hassock and pulls cold air up from the floor and pushes it out. We used window fans and the air conditioner upstairs and the bottom fan downstairs.

This year, I plan to have matchstick blinds up in the sun room, so I can block all the glass. I love the extra heat in winter, but in summer...ug! With any luck, we'll make due with fewer fans this year than last.

Judi

[Dancing Lotus]

It's completly off for now but in the dead heat of the summer it will have to come on, but I will set it pretty high. We will see.

Good luck to you! Thank for joining in on the fun with me.