Beat the Heat Without Breaking Your Bank Account This Summer With These Cool-Down Tips and Tricks!

No AC? Check those windows and back doors to find out what kind of airflow you have through the house. Can you open a certain window and door to create a tunnel of cool air?

Or is that just wishful thinking?

If you are only working with fans, then a strategy for placement is of major importance. Use fans in doorways or windows to push air around the room or even place a bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan to create a bit of a chill in the air.

Saying, "Luke I am your father" (a must when you are near a fan).

Did you know you body has pulse points? Certain spots on your body can be used to cool you down :) So stock up on the ice and grab a bandanna, because placing ice directly on skin isn't so good for long periods of time.

How about just a few minutes and then you move to a new point on the body? :)

Are you near the local pool? Perhaps a lake or even the sprinklers! I hear they have $15 slip and slides at Walmart! Or even head to the dollar store, where I hear things only cost $1!

Grab a little baby pool, fill that sucker with water and blow up an inflatable for a backyard cool down!

You don't even have to have kids to participate in this one.

I have heard about cooling down your sheets in the freezer and then making the bed, but let's be honest, making the bed can be hard work and if you are trying to cool yourself off this seems like a lot of work.

How about just the top sheet and your pillow cases? I bet that would be just enough to keep you cooled off until you drift into dreamland

When trying to keep your house cool, a great tip is using curtains or dark sheets over the windows to help keep the sun from shining in so brightly.

There are some fantastic and inexpensive temporary curtains that come with sticky tape from Home Depot we use. They have been up for two years now and I still love the fact I can sleep in on a Saturday without the sun streaming in too early and waking me up! Not that I get to do that very often, but it's the thought that counts :)

If you're not near a pool or lake, you could always take a bath or hop in the shower to get that body temp down :)

You can use your oven to heat up your house if you are chilly, so think before you bake yourself this summer!

Do you really need to use the oven or can you prepare your meals with as little to no heat as possible?

In this heat it's not good for your animals to be outdoors, so if you can, bring them in. Or make sure they have a shaded area with ice water.