Last week in Cheap Cooling started to look at cooling in the summer months. Here are some basic "cooling concepts" and suggestions to help with summer cooling – especially for those in the hot, hot south!

This week will look at other ways to block infra-red (Heat waves) from the sun, and places in your home you may be generating heat!

Some other ways to deflect heat waves would be to line your drapes with white cloth. Garage sale sheets present the cheapest solution to this problem. White blinds will serve the same purpose at a greater cost. White, to remind you of high school science class, reflects light waves. Black absorbs them –which is why solar collectors are black! Slatted shades also let some light in while blocking rays.

Ways that heat is generated inside your home are cooking, pilot lights, refrigerators, dryers and even your TV!!! In small apartments in particular internal heat can add up quite quickly. Running the dryer, and then baking dinner can really heat up a small space!

Ways to avoid this start with cooking as briefly as possible, or cooking outdoors on a grill or solar oven! Plans for an easy solar oven made from free materials are at:
http://www.solarcooking.org

Other ways to save on heat generation are to stir fry, use a crockpot, the microwave, or read up on once a month cooking in:
Frozen Assets:
Frozen Assets

Or make lots of sandwiches and tortillas!
Check out Mexican Cooking at Bella:

Bellaonline Mexican Food

In any case, avoid long periods of cooking, especially those in the oven.!!

Dry your clothes on the line instead of in your dryer. I refuse to even own a clothes dryer –they are such energy hogs. In the winter I use racks and never need a humidifier.

Other sources of internal heat are large electrical appliances. The large cheap TV’s that are now available throw off lots of heat. If you can put it near a north window to vent the heat –so much the better.

Look around your home for other heat generators. Be creative in your solutions of how to handle them.

And check out the free sample pages of these frugal books:

Complete Tightwad Gazzette
The Complete Tightwad Gazzette

Declare Your Finanacial Independence
Declare Your Financial Independence

Complete Cheapskate
Mary Hunt's Complete Cheapskate

Miserly Moms
Miserly Moms

You Can Afford to Stay Home With your Kids
You can Afford to stay Home WIth your Kids