The Heat Is On
Outside my apartment, I hear air conditioning buzzing along, dripping condensation on the concrete walkway. Neighbors are pumping the cool air at high volume. These popular window units line my housing complex, and some never cease to hum.
It’ll reach about 88 degrees today in the Midwest. The heat is paired with a jarring humidity. For some, the moisture in the air can feel heavy and burdensome; others, like me, prefer it to the dry climate of places like Colorado. My skin feels healthier and more vibrant in the humidity. But the reality is that it can lead to hefty beads of sweat traveling circuitously down foreheads, backs, and weighing down clothing.
Climate Control
Because of this inconvenience, many people blast their air conditioning. Office spaces, hotels, and movie theaters can be notorious for their abundant air. The climate control aims to keep people in work clothes, comfortable.
Strangely enough, this refusal and resistance to acclimatize with seasonal changes hampers your body’s ability to adjust to the heat. Our body needs time to get used to the winter and summer, but when we blast the heat or air conditioning, we actually prevent our body from self-regulating properly.
Staying Frugal
Amidst the biological considerations of this hearty air conditioning consumption are the consequences to your frugal goals. Air conditioning is one of the most expensive utilities to run. Oftentimes, air conditioning is run throughout the day. Rarely does the buzz cease.
The coolest points in the day are at night and early morning; yet, people that run air conditioning keep the windows closed – keeping the world out. It’s hard to even realize that you may not need the climate control when the windows are shut.
Critical consumption starts at home with basic utilities. Sweat is natural; albeit, sometimes uncomfortable. But turning off/down your air conditioning can make powerful financial implications over time, and benefit the environment, too!
How often do you use air conditioning? Do you wait to turn it on until a certain point in the summer? How much could you save by turning it off?
When I was a kid, we thought people with A/C were wealthy, and I grew up in sultry southern Illinois! Fans and cold drinks got us through the summer.
Hey Kurt,
Thanks for the comment.
That’s definitely frugal! Way to go. 🙂
-S.
Agree one must minimize the usage of A/C as it is maximum bill contributor. Way to go Frugal is optimize the usage
Thanks for your comment, Rita!
You’re absolutely right. The key is maximizing usage at the right points in the day.
Stay frugal,
-S.
My wife and I are pretty frugal, so we don’t like to turn it on unless it’s necessary. That being said, we’re not afraid to use it if our house gets unbearably hot. We like to keep the inside around 80 degrees in the summer and high 60’s in the winter. I know we could go higher in the summer and lower in the winter, but it’s not worth the cost savings to us.
Jake,
Thanks for your comment. I definitely appreciate this position. To me, with the debt I have, saving the extra little bit helps a lot. Yes, it does lead to some discomfort at times, but I see it as a long-term savings, happiness for short-term discomfort.
-S.
I generally try to cool my house in the morning and leave the A/C off during the day. It usually stays relatively cool, then in the evening I cool it again.
Nick,
This sounds like a really smart way to do it! Keep it up.
-S.
When I was growing up, we never turned on the AC unless it was at night to go to sleep. And we would all sleep in the master bedroom as there was only one AC. Nowadays, we don’t really turn the AC on unless we’re sleeping…it’s just hard to fall asleep when it’s so hot. We do use it in the living room too when it gets really hot…like it is now in the Northeast.
Andrew,
I don’t blame you! When it’s sweltering, sleeping can be difficult.
My biggest point in the article would be towards balanced use of AC. Maybe we can do without 24-hour usage?
All the best,
-S.