I am your typical housewife living in high maintenance suburbia. I have a handsome husband, 2 kids and a flock of pet chickens. I try and feed my family with $100 a month. With the help of coupons, gardening and bartering I am able to squeeze the most out of our grocery budget and still manage to have a little fun along the way.
The End.
This post may contain affiliate links. These affiliate links help support this site. For more information, please see my disclosure policy. Thank you for supporting One Hundred Dollars a Month.
Hang out with Mavis & Lucy right in your Inbox!
Rebecca in MD says
My husband and I lived in a top floor, one bedroom apartment in hot and humid Baltimore when we first got married. We had one fan. When I got pregnant (baby born at the end of July), I would be so hot I would just cry.
After two years we finally broke down and bought a window air conditioner that managed to cool the bedroom and living room. It was soooooooo worth the cost. At least we had that refuge although the kitchen and bathroom were sweltering hot. At least do something like that for yourself – – – and if not for you, for Lucy!
Diane says
Seriously, get two window units and put one in your bedroom and one for downstairs during the summer. Or portable ones that sit on the floor. You wouldn’t go without heat in the winter, so why go without cool air in the summer?
Mavis Butterfield says
I just don’t think I can do it…. A window unit. There’s got to be a better way than having a big clunky thing hanging out your window {so not aesthetically pleasing}. LOL. There is something wrong with me…. I know.
Diane says
We bought a portable A/C (sits on floor) this summer while waiting for our central air to be replaced. Worked well in the bedroom and no ugly unit hanging out of the window. Not sure if it would work well on the bigger downstairs area. A de-humidifier and several oscillating fans would at least help.
Mrs. C. says
Yup, these are $300-$400 at Home Depot. They just sit on the floor.
Lauralli says
That’s exactly why I don’t have a window unit. They look horrible! But, I do have a portable unit that stands on the floor and you just have to raise your window about 5 inches for the exhaust hose. It’s not unsightly and works beautifully! I bought mine at Sam’s several years ago. If something happens to this one I’ll not waste one minute going to get another one!
Donna says
What about the portable ones that look like a dehumdifier?
Shari Cooper says
Hello from southeast Georgia! Our bedrooms are on the back of the house and YES they absolutely have window units!! We even have a brand new central unit, but i refuse to cool the whole house all night. Pull the window units out and winterize in the fall. I don’t, because….south Georgia you know. The window units run at least a few nights per month year round. Maybe you can have a summer bedroom on the back of the house? You will acclimate eventually. Get used to iced tea, I pack a gallon in my cooler when we travel! Sam’s has giant bags that make a gallon 😉
Katherine says
Greetings from metro Atlanta! It’s 84 but feels like 91 with 62% humidity. It’s too hot for man or beast. My orchids are loving this weather on my north facing front porch.
kcb says
Get one of the portable ACs ( if you can find one now that it’s hot). They do not hang out the window, you can roll it from room to room if you want to, and they are not real expensive. There’s no point in being miserable if you don’t have to!
Mel says
My bedroom was in the attic of my parents’ farmhouse. They had AC, but the air never made it up there in the summer, so, in a fit of equal parts brilliance and teenage rebellion, I hung a hammock from the ceiling to sleep. Having air on all sides really helps while sleeping. I went to school with two sisters who shared an attic bedroom with similar ventilation issues. They also had hammocks.
Might be an option for your basement if you don’t want to be on the floor.
Stacey says
Welcome to the East Coast! 🙂
Em says
When I lived without air conditioning, I ate a lot of chilled fruit. Good luck to all of you!
Rosaleen says
Yeah, window AC units, which we have, or air mattress on basement floor, OR hammocks. We have cooled zones to which we are pretty much restricted. An air mattress with no insulation can pull some of your body heat out to the concrete floor. Think big heat sink. A hammock can allow heat to escape from all sides, while a traditional mattress is like a thick blanket between you and air.
Sarah says
I’ve only had central in one house here. Growing up we had fans and once I was out on my own I made it a priority to have some sort of ac. We used window units mostly. And no one cares how they look because we are all way too hot. Right now we have a ranch house with an ac at each end. My only plus is i live within 20 mins of the beaches. So some days the family goes there to cool down.
And I laughed about the heat and snow making us grumpy. We don’t get enough just normal weather to keep us happy… it goes from one extreme to another
Marie says
Amazon and the big box stores carry free standing portable air conditioners. Happy July 4th.
Lissa says
the rat traps have totally creeped me out…
Mavis Butterfield says
Lucy has only caught one in the basement…. But c’mon, you know there has got to be MORE.
Lissa says
We had them at our old house. Neighbor had her compost pile up against the house where they hung out in the winter plus some of the 100 old houses nearby were torn down which disrupted their hang out spots. And yes, they always have friends.
Lissa says
Also, it’s important to figure out where they are entering and to have the spots seals. Our house was 115 years old with a stone foundation. We sealed up some spots with steel wool. Once we caught one upstairs we had professionals come and set BIG traps (the sticky things aren’t strong enough) and sealed up the entry spots. End of that problem thank goodness.
Marie says
In the meantime, keep a cool damp towel draped around the back of your neck. I make my husband do this when he’s working outside on days like this.
Deborah says
I make neck coolers. A strip of cloth sewn iron a casing. Fill with beads the are used for flower vases (they absorbe water. Soak in water and hang around your neck. Keeps you cool a good long time. Can be refrigerated, but not frozen.
Julie says
Yes! Something cold around your neck really helps! I used to keep frozen bandannas in the freezer to tie around my dog’s neck. Two for rotating through. I would also freeze some broth in a bowl for my dog to lick. He also liked chewing on ice cubes. I have no idea if these things actually helped him, but he seemed more comfortable after.
Traci says
When I first read saw this I read it as frozen bananas that you tied around your dog’s neck and I thought that is bizarre! BanDanas makes much more sense!
Diane says
The neck coolers with the gel beads work well and also cooling towels. Inexpensive, can buy at Walmart or Amazon, and they work. Will also help you when you’re working outside or walking Lucy. In fact, you could attach a cooling towel to Lucy’s collar and a strap underneath to keep her cool outside, too!
Betty Richardson says
My daughter lives in Illinois and has central ac but it still wouldn’t cool their large upstairs bedroom. She had a a ductless ac unit added for their bedroom and it cools beautifully. Installation was completed in a day or less and an added benefit is it is so quiet as the compressor unit sits outside.
She had to carefully shop around as prices vary wildly.
Deborah says
I’m sorry, but I have to laugh at the 90-degree weather. We’ve been having 100-degree plus temperatures. Our lows have been in the upper 70s to 80. At least we do have an AC. God is good! Plus, the humidity makes it so much hotter!
Mona says
My thoughts exactly. We are supposed to hit 114 tomorrow in Cali. Not looking forward to that.
Ellen says
Yup, going up to 110 soon here in Tucson. Definitely have central AC. 😉
Heather says
Get a portable AC (looks like a dehumidifier) and if you really want to catch a rat, sticky pads are the best!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/LG-Electronics-10-000-BTU-6-500-BTU-DOE-115-Volt-Portable-AC-w-Dehumidifier-Function-and-LCD-Remote-in-White-LP1018WNR/303653575
And
https://www.homedepot.com/p/LG-Electronics-10-000-BTU-6-500-BTU-DOE-115-Volt-Portable-AC-w-Dehumidifier-Function-and-LCD-Remote-in-White-LP1018WNR/303653575
Heather says
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Real-Kill-Rat-Glue-Traps-2-Pack-Hg-10096-4/100208417
Mary Ann says
Sticky traps are SO inhumane. I hate killing any animals, but if you’re going to kill rats, at least use snap traps so they die quickly.
We live in So Cal in a house built in 1957 that doesn’t have A/C. We have FOUR window units (I couldn’t give a rats … about the appearance) — one in my office, one in hubby’s office (we work from home), one in our bedroom, and one in the garage (hubby’s band insisted since they practice out there). We bought one of those portable ones, but found it didn’t do a great job for us — gave it away.
Karen says
Close your shutters and/or thermal curtains to Keep the sun out.
Plant deciduous trees/tall bushes in front of Windows to block the sun.
Insulate the walls and attic, if possible.
Do you have a Basement? Put a folding bed down there for emergencies.
Stay indoors, move slowly, drink lots of water, eat simple meals.
Em says
Okay this is where a sense of humor comes in:
Fill a waterbed with ice ha:)
Jennifer Jo says
Come to Puerto Rico! I’ll give you a big, sticky-sweety hug and then we can sit on the front porch and drink ice water. OR you could go work in the blazing sun for ten hours with my husband and kids…..!!!!
Jennifer Jo says
*SWEATY (geesh).
Mavis Butterfield says
I like how you conveniently left out the part about ALL THE MOSQUITOES! Tricky.
Jennifer Jo says
We don’t HAVE mosquitos!
(Hardly.)
(Usually.)
Also…can you imagine living in the heat with a corset, bonnet, and woolen undergarments? No wonder women fainted at the drop of a hat!
Mavis Butterfield says
We were just talking about women and clothing last night!!! It would have been awful.
Helen in Meridian says
JJ’s right… you need a waterbed fainting couch.
Libby says
I suffered in our old house with no ac, our new house has two huge ones that came with the house. My husband, who is a tech geek, put in solar to charge his electric car, and I protested a bit at the time, but now I realized I can run my ac practically for free! Our bill to charge his car and blast the ac is about $10 a month. If this is your forever house then make it right and don’t suffer through every summer for the rest of your life.
Christy says
We are in southeastern Pennsylvania and our AC is not working and the whole system needs to be replaced, so we are suffering through this heat wave just like you. I’ve always lived in this part of the country and never had AC until I got married 9 years ago so I know a few tricks. Keep fans running in the house- the circulating air makes it feel cooler even though it is not. In the morning and evening when it is cooler outside than in, open the windows and draw in the cooler air with fans. But when the temperature starts equalizing during the day, close the windows to keep the coolness in. For really hot nights I would freeze a large bottle of water and place it in front of the fan blowing at me and have a little bit of cooler air… my version of a swamp cooler 😀 Hang in there I think it is supposed to break here in a day or so (we hope).
Sue R. says
The PNW is looking good right now, huh? (Minus the HOA!!) Forecast in Willamette Valley is 80 degrees…
Sue R. says
The Pacific Northwest is looking good right now, huh? (Minus the HOA!!) Forecast for the Willamette Valley is 80 degrees…
Sandy says
Sue, I wasn’t going to say it! It’s 71 degrees and overcast right now. I actually just put my heating pad on my feet as they were chilly. I grew up in Illinois and NEVER AGAIN will I live in that kind of weather if I can help it — 110 degree summers and 35 below winters. Just nope. Give me the rain of the PNW. It isn’t for everybody and I don’t mean to imply that it is, but for me just nope the hell out of that extreme weather.
Deb says
I lived in New England as a child and you couldn’t pay me enough to go back. I spent my adult life in the Pacific Northwest and got sick of the gray and the rain. I now live in Texas. I have sunshine all the time and central air. Whenever I fell like it I move from my blissful screen porch to my in ground pool. Life is good.
Lissa says
It’s actually good to open the windows in the late evening and keep everything closed up and drapes drawn during the day. Grandma’s wisdom.
Nancy says
This is exactly what we do, in the evening we watch the temperature outside, when it is cooler outside than inside we open up all the windows and turn on the fans, in the morning we do the opposite. When it starts to be warmer outside than inside we close up all the windows and pull the insulated curtains. Right now it is 96 outside and 76 inside which feels very comfortable! Welcome to New England. If you don’t like the weather just wait a minute,
SusieQ says
Put your swim suit on and go play in the sprinkler with Lucy. Then towel dry off but leave the damp suit on. As it dries, it naturally cools your body. Repeat as needed. Lovely weather we are having here in Puget Sound!!
Melanie says
I’ve heard that putting a big bucket of ice in front of a fan on the floor works wonders. I’ve never tried it before, but I thought I’d throw that out there. Good luck on your cooling endeavors!
Happy 4th of July!
Karen says
What did our ancestors do? They certainly didn’t have AC!
Laura says
I haven’t seen anyone mention an attic fan (sometimes called a “whole house” fan) that basically helps suck out the hot air and allow in the cool air. Grew up in St. Louis (land of the hazy, hot, and humid summers) without AC and that really helped.
I also would take a shower in cool water and not dry off. Sit in front of a fan until you get goose bumps. It is the very best! Hopefully this will break in a short while, but don’t be fooled, you won’t escape forever so have some strategies ready for the next wave.
Good luck!
Libby says
I second Laura’s suggestion of an attic fan.
I grew up in CT and we didn’t have A/C but did have an attic fan. It worked wonders, isn’t “ugly” from the outside, and uses much less electricity than A/C. My mother would close all the windows, blinds, and curtains during the day and then, once the sun was going down, would open up one window in the kitchen and turn on the attic fan. It drew all of the hot air out of the house through the attic and replaced with cooler night air coming through that one window.
July through the first week of August are prone to heat waves and then we are usually done.
I also think about how did women survive with all the layers of clothing and cooking over fires? They were wearing natural fibers but still….
One other suggestion: lake house or “camp”!!!
I have a digital weather station with the outside transmitter in the sun. It was 113 in Shoreline CT on Sunday. That’s like living in India!
Gigi says
I third the attic fan suggestion. Another idea, but not as effective, is with a box fan in the window but have it blowing the hot air out. Same concept but cheaper interim.
Cass says
LOL. Welcome to the Northeast, where it is said “if you don’t like the weather, wait 24 hours, it’ll change”.
(Supposed to break Thursday into Friday with big thunder storms. Like I said, it’ll change)
PS: Window A/C units don’t look clunky from inside, they look like heaven…get one, or two, and stay inside.
Sharon says
So, so sorry that you’re having to deal with this, Mavis. This is the reason why up and down the East coast, the heavens are hearing the same prayer – Lord, just let me get through this heat wave, and I promise I won’t complain about the snow all winter … (At least the snow doesn’t, or shouldn’t, come in the house to get you …)
Tamara says
I grew up in New England, and prefer the PNW for this very reason. You cannot live there without a/c!!!! Get it!!!! If not, the whole house fan in the attic is a great idea. But it will only help if it cools down at night…..
Pauline in Upstate NY says
OK, woman, you (and we) really are going to make it through this! Think of it as the price you pay for getting to have a gorgeous fall and a real winter. It’s not going to last much longer. Fans, fluids, shade, light-colored clothing, and don’t exert yourself out in the sun. Oh, and, those rat traps you have in a pile by your feet? They’re mouse traps — not going to catch a rat… but the snap traps that *will* catch a rat aren’t something I would want around with a small and curious dog in the area. Not a fan of glue traps myself, because then you have a live rat that is caught by its paws, and you have to kill it yourself. Seems cruel to me compared to a quick death in a snap trap. And, yes, ice cream is popular for a reason 🙂 Hang in there, Mavis — the pro’s really do outweigh the con’s in NE! (And, on the bright side, you’re no longer living in an active earthquake zone, right??)
Terri says
Heat happens every summer of every year all day and sometimes all night too and makes you miserable.
Earthquakes happen rarely here and only for less than a minute. And our volcano hasn’t erupted in over 30 years.
We sit in our corner out here in the PNW and watch with sympathy when the rest of the country experiences this outrageous heat. I don’t know how you do it.
Most people do not have AC here. We do get stretches of high heat sometimes. Dries up the moss between our toes.
However my husband is an HVAC engineer who does not tolerate heat. We have a highly insulated home and AC. And we use it for those stretches of heat.
I hope you find an escape that works for you till this passes.
R says
Hi Mavis,
Delurking here to send my sympathies. I’ve lived in VA for most of my life and was honestly perplexed why a newer home anywhere on the east cost would be built without central AC. This is normal east coast summer weather, and it can be hot and humid all the way through the end of September 🙁 Coming from the west coast, you’ve got to be miserable!
My husband is a general contractor and I believe he has installed these Mitsubishi A/C wall units before. They won’t destroy your outside aesthetic nor take up any precious floor space. I believe they’re well rated too. Here’s a link if you’re interested. I imagine you’d want an AC-only unit instead of AC and heat. It’s a cheaper alternative to central AC, which would cost a bundle, but central AC may be your best solution in the long run for a forever home. In the meantime, definitely turn on circulating fans and keep your curtains/blinds closed during the day. Good luck!
http://www.mitsubishicomfort.com/products/indoor-units/wall-mounted/compare
Mavis Butterfield says
I think those units are totally cool and if I had a different style of home, I’d get one. Adding one to this house though would totally ruin the look. 🙁 And you know me…. Bahahahaha. A set of pull out couches in the basement is looking better and better and the minutes roll by.
R says
Honestly, it would look fine. Pilgrims didn’t have log splitters either, but I’ll bet they’d take an air conditioner over a log splitter any day!
Margaret says
Just a thought. If this is your forever home you aren’t going to want to deal with this heat when you are in your 70’s. I would figure out a solution ASAP. I was fortunate that when I lived in upstate NY we had AC. Now I am in Boise, ID with no humidity and bugs — love it! Best wishes, Mavis!
erin says
You could get geothermal! No clunky window unit then! Plus it’s very efficient cooling/heating the house. Pricey but it paid for itself in about 6 years. Lots of tax credits and rebates available. We got it 9 years ago and had the house zoned so it only runs to the areas it needs. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m cheap and keep it set at 78 in the house but I bet 78 would sound good to you right now! Good luck!
Jennifer says
Texas girl, with intermittent a/c depending on where I am staying. Place a nice full bowl of ice in front of your fan, it’s lovely. Another vote for the free-standing a/c. Many are on wheels, so you can move it with you a bit. We sometimes sleep on a porch or in a tent outside (some old houses down here actually have sleeping porches). I second the hammock idea.
For summer, we eat a lot of fruit (particularly iced down watermelon), freeze-pops, salad, and cook outside if we need to (bbq, grilled corn/asparagus, baked potatoes from the grill, etc). We will puree frozen pineapple with orange juice, too. Water, iced tea, hot coffee, and water with electrolyte drops. If you are overheated, stick a cold bottle of water under your arm or between your thighs near your groin…quick cooldown.
We use heavy curtains to keep the sun out and never open a window (it’s cooler inside, here).
We’ve survived thus far. Although its hotter here, we are more acclimated…my first year here after Canada nearly killed me. We spend a lot of time outside here in very high temps with steamy humidity (heat index has been well over 125 where hubs is working…poor guy, full coveralls, gloves, boots, and hard hat for 16 hours a day, no real shade, no mandatory water breaks…it’s tough. He already had heat stroke once in June…and heat index was only about 113 that day.) Dad works same industry…he recommends hot coffee, says it makes you sweat harder…I think he’s nuts. When you aren’t used to it, it’s awful. It’s awful when you are used to it. Be safe and keep cool(ish).
Deborah says
LoL. We are spending the 4th in the moutains. Prescott Arizona. Its a cool 87 with a breeze and some clouds. At home in Tucson it’s 107 now… For your own sanity and health get some kind of ac now!
Mim says
The only possible consolation I can add is that at least for northern New England, this extended spell of high temps is historic. Records being broken everywhere. Normally, we get one or two days in the 90s, but never a week like this. Here’s hoping it’s an anomaly, but I fear that it may become the new normal. Gah!
As for coping, do you have room for a pond? Ours is a refuge for us and the dogs. If not, you may (seriously) want to get yourself a kiddy pool to jump in between stints in the garden.
Have never had AC except when I lived in DC, where it’s vital. Fans have sufficed for us, although this week has pushed them and us to the limit. Have a fan going in the chicken coop, too!
Hang in there; it WILL get better.
Julie says
I know y’all are having an unusually hot summer, but we have lived in Germany for years without AC and have learned the local tricks. In the cool morning and evening hours open every door and window wide. When the temp outside is about the same as the temp inside (about 8:30 am here) close everything tight- blackout blinds even. We call it “cave life.” This way our house stays 73-80 degrees all the time, even when it is in the 90s for weeks at a time. We also have one oscillating fan in each bedroom for sleeping, and DON’T COOK! Grill, make sandwiches, have a snack platter, or a salad. Have a cool summer!
Shari Cooper says
Cook outside if you must! We have use the grill and camp stoves in the summer. And i have put the crockpot in the garage more than once!
Marybeth says
We Hubby and I first got married we had 2 apartments that we liked. One was a basement apartment and was on the 2nd floor in a house. I said get the basement apartment. Neither had AC so I didn’t want to sweat to death. We lived there seven years. When we bought our house(bedrooms on 2nd floor) by mid May we were dieing from the heat. We got AC units for the bedrooms. They might not be pretty but they keep us cool.
Shirley says
I did wonder how you were going to make out in that old two story house! Living in Manitoba with what seems like 10months of winter, we seem to go from parkas to bikinis in the same week. (Well not me- no need to scare people) the humidity is a killer -if you have no reasonable air flow, a dehumifier on each floor is a “good thing”. We still use the methods our parents used, open windows as soon as outside temperature is lower than inside, early morning close everything up Tight – windows, doors, pull all the curtains (hopefully insulated). Fans everywhere! I agree with some of your readers – if you can go solar or geo thermal. We are looking forward (not) to 35C this weekend.
Lolly says
Oh gosh, bless ya’ll in this heat! I survived a nc summer and the hottest summer in germany (105*….what the heck?!? The highs were normally 82*!!!) without ac. I closed the house up tight in the am. All windows closed and covered. Why on earth, when it is 90*+ outside would you open the windows?!?! As soon as the sun started to set, and the temp outside was cooler than IN my house, I put fans in the windows on the east side, to pull in cool air. Fans on the west side blowing out. Get that cool nighttime air in the house!!!!! Next am, shut the house up quick, and keep the cooler air in. I also showered at night, cause wet hair makes you cooler. (In nc, I kept the inside temp at 72-75 all summer!!!! It was humid as all get out, lol, but in the heat of the day, the apt stayed pretty decent! I’m thankful the nighttime temps were nice!)
When I was little we lived in the midwest, and only needed ac every now and then. We did sleep in the basement. Gosh, it was so much cooler! And there and later in va, my parents had a window unit in their room. We camped on their floor a ton in the summer, lol! And we had a window unit for our lr/dr/foyer in va. It kept the main living area nice.
We live in the deep south, so we have ac for the whole house. Thank goodness. I can’t handle it otherwise. Some summers it’s still 90*+ in the middle of the night!!!!! Nope! There’s no cooling down from that! One thing that does help (even in the ac, lol) is to have ceiling fans. They make it possible to keep the ac bumped a wee bit higher. We went somewhere recently, and I hated not having ceiling fans in all the rooms!!!! I needed that air circulation!
I hope it cools down for you. Two things they do in the deep south to be cooler….drink copious amounts of sweet iced tea….that sweating glass against your skin is refreshing, too! And eat spicy foods….spicy foods cool you down! There is some science behind that, lol, no joke! And the heat is why southern houses have deep porches!!!! We have ceiling fans on our porch, too!!!! Oh…and you learn to powder up every inch of your skin….to help with some of the sweating! 😉
Karen says
We just had a big thunderstorm, power was out for a short time, much cooler now.
Be sure to stock up on emergency supplies: candles, matches, canned Foods, bottles of water, etc.
Hope you all have cooler weather on the way soon!
jan says
When I was little, a million years ago, my Mom used to throw a bunch of flat sheets in the washer to get them wet. Spin out the water and use the damp sheet over you with a fan. It will FREEZE you!! Only problem is that they dry quickly so you have to change them throughout the night. But you are COOL!!
Lolly says
Awesome!!
Gina says
Love your friendship sharing with Heather. Reminds me of Mrs. HB. So sorry about the heat. Here in SE FL it’s 83. We get the a daily rain shower to cool everything off.
The pool helps. I even wear a hat in the pool. Keep your wet suit on. We have ac, but have used frozen water or 2 liter bottles next to our pillows to sleep when there is a blackout. In the 50s before ac in all houses here, they used sleeping porches, covered porches that are screened in, and most bedrooms had 2 windows for cross ventilation. Remember heat rises. May have to have a summer bedroom downstairs. May want to put box fan in the window to pull out hot air.
Tracy says
Grew up in New England, lived in southern California and London. (I think I’m the only person who loved London weather…) Now I’m back in New England and wouldn’t live anywhere else. But Mavis, if you and your husband can possibly afford it, bite the bullet and get central air installed. Super easy if you have forced air heating (they just use the same duct work) but I doubt that’s what you have in your house). However, there are several types that can be installed with compressors sitting outside and small, not unattractive units mounted very high on the walls. Not as butt ugly as window units, super quiet and definitely get the job done. It will also increase the value of your home. Mavis….you’re not even into August and September yet. You’ll DIE. I lived in southern California for three years where the temps would routinely hit 110-120 and it felt nowhere near as hot as 90 degrees with 85% humidity –like we’re experiencing right now– in New England.
It’s the very best place to live if you love all seasons, but the three things that make it fabulous are: 1. a wood burning fireplace, or two, or three, 2. Central air conditioning, and 3. killer lawn and garden irrigation system. Mine has 24 zones and waters every single thing with a root on my property, including almost 3,800 sq. ft. of perennials and veg. and my entire lawn. A big expense and totally worth every penny.
Leslie says
The year my son was born, we had triple digits for months. I was worried about having an infant in that heat, with no AC. Tried the air mattress in the basement (Creepy) and finally threw in the towel when the power went out. That night, we went to my office to sleep. At least the baby got some sleep.
Susan says
You poor thing! Put a big bowl of ice cubes in front of that fan and sit in front of it. Tell Lucy she has to share.
Susan says
Oh! I just remembered another tip for you. Fold your sheets and put in the freezer in a zip lock bag. Your sheets will be nice and cool when you get into bed.
Julia says
Maybe look in to a whole house fan? We had one growing up. Typically they are in the attic. In the evening, when it’s cooler outside, you open the windows and turn in the fan. The fan pushes all the hot air outside and draws the cooler night air in.
Also we had central air put in just in our first floor and it makes a huge difference. No more unsightly noisy window units. The unit was so loud we had trouble hearing the tv. And we only need to use it in really hot days.
Melissa says
My uncle visited Monticello & came home & started employing Jefferson’s cooling methods. His house has been much cooler since. This article details the methods my uncle uses.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/14/how-to-cool-your-house-like-a-wonk/
Sallie Borrink says
This is your forever house. Just put in central AC and be done with it. Life is too short to deal with tricks and ways to survive if you have the means to be comfortable. This will be even more true as you get older and find it more difficult to deal with temperatures. You’ll look back in five or ten years when you finally put it in and say, “Why didn’t we do this the first year we moved here?!?!!?!?!”
JJ says
Summer time meal plans… When it gets to hot to cook I end up buying a roasted chicken from the store and making a big batch of chicken salad. Lots of picky meals. This past year I bought a solar oven and it helps diversifying the meals. Made a great batch of orzo con pollo in the solar oven plus some banana bread.