...Don't come to my apartment.
We got our power bill yesterday. It was astronomical. The only change we've made in the past month or so has been to run the air conditioner every day, from about 10 in the morning to about 10 at night. I figured the heat justified the use of the A/C, and it really wouldn't be all that expensive. That power bill changed my mind. After all, we are saving to buy a house and all.
So yesterday and today, we only used the fan, turning on the A/C only a couple times for a few minutes at a time when the heat got unbearable. Figured that should save money and we'll still be able to buy a house like we want to.
Problem is - IT'S HOT!!!!!! The kids and I have been miserable the last two days - their cheeks have been flushed, our hair is matted, our skin is sticky and smelly, we've all suffered from heat-induced grumpiness, and it's just so darn uncomfortable! I spent two hours this evening lying on the couch in a semi-stupor, unable to do anything else because it was so hot. Ugh!
I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. If we run the A/C enough to actually be comfortable, we rack up an enormous power bill that we can't afford. If we don't, we're absolutely and utterly miserable. Grrr, I just don't know what to do - be an overheated, grumpy tightwad, or be a comfortable A/C user with an impossibly high power bill.
5 comments:
No fun. If it were me I would be going places all day that had A/C, like the library and Walmart and places like that, JUST to stay cool. I did that while I was 8 months pregnant with Alyssa in Albuquerque, and it saved my life! Having a spray bottle and spritzing the kids and your own face and then standing in front of the fan tends to help too...at least momentarily! Good luck! Hope it starts cooling down soon.
Whichever you choose, make sure you and the kids are both drinking plenty of water.
Problem is, you're pregnant and therefore hotter. And kids have a harder time controling their body temperature. AND..... you get migraines at the drop of a hat! So you do need to stay cooler.
The hours from about 2pm to 6pm are the hottest of the day. So keep the curtains closed and run the A/C during those hours should help keep you cooler without running up that huge bill. The temperature acutally peaks between 5-6 pm and then starts to gradually cool off. Keep those fans blowing in the morning and evening to help circulate the air too.
We didn't have A/C in England, and it was humid and miserable. Total sympathy for you, especially with how hot it's been here this summer. Blowing breezes your way!
I agree with Nicia--head out! Hit up the library or Walmart or the children's museum...anywhere that has AC... :)
And run it during the hottest part of the day if you absolutely must!
May I also suggest buying a couple cases of otter pops (freeze pops). When I was pregnant and going through a heat wave with no AC, I would often pull a few out and use them as ice packs to cool down enough...and then have a snack while I was at it. :)
Forgot to mention that you can always turn the thermostat up a bit. Like keep it at 78 instead of 70.... It'll still feel cooler than the 95 it is outside and it won't cost so much to run.
We were without air conditioning last summer, and it is a real bummer! With the pregnancy and little ones, though, I agree with the everyone else's comments! Hang in there!
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