dealing with summer heat | Apple Valley Bail Bonds

If you’ve been living in California for any amount of time then it should come as no surprise that it was ranked as the third most expensive place to live in the United States, this according to a 2017 article published by CNBC. While California may be known as the Golden State, that doesn’t mean you have to strike it rich to live here.

With your paycheck being split between housing, food, and gas, we want to help stretch your family’s budget for the things you want to do – things that don’t include sending money to the government. In an effort to help you cut costs and make room in your summer budget, we bring you the top five ways to cut your summer utility bills.

We’ve taken tips from all over the web, including Forbes and US News to bring you top tips. Read below to save some serious summer cash.

• Place heavy or thick drapes over the windows – By hanging heavy drapery over windows and doors you will help keep your home or apartment cool by not letting the sun’s rays through the glass. We know that blackout curtains aren’t cheap. Click here to shop Amazon’s selection of blackout curtains. If there still isn’t room in your budget to cover every window with curtains, buy coverings for only the large windows or doors that face direct sunlight.
• Don’t turn off your A.C. – This might sound strange, however, when you turn off your A.C. completely the temperature in your home rises. In turn, when you return home and turn the unit back on the system will have to work twice as hard to cool down your home. Ultimately, using more electricity and causing your energy bill to rise.
• Utilize ceiling fans – The great thing about ceiling fans is that they do not use as much electricity as your air conditioning unit, but they help circulate air throughout your home to help keep it cool.
• Turn your lights off – This simple and effective step can save big on your electric bill by cutting energy usage during the day and keeping your home cool.
• Limit appliance usage – This suggestion is multi-faceted, meaning that it’s not specific to a particular room in your household. By limiting the use of your dryer, dishwasher, and oven you will see your electric bill take a nosedive. Utilize the summer warmth to dry laundry outside, have your kids help wash dirty dishes, and make simple dishes that don’t require the use of your oven or stove.

These are just a few tips and tricks to help you beat the heat and save some cash this summer, but we know that there are thousands of other ideas out there. Drop us a comment below and tell us some of your own tips and tricks to help lower your family’s utility consumption during the summer months.

With the summer heat in full swing once again, it is important for everyone to do their best to stay cool this season. While looking out for ourselves in this sort of weather is one thing, we can’t forget about the lives that are in our care. Children and pets cannot take care of themselves the way adults can.

Young children can’t be expected to take care of themselves. They don’t know the warning signs of when a place is too hot, nor do they have the ability to deal with the heat. Due to these facts, a child should never be left unattended in a car when temperatures approach 70 degrees. If they are left alone in a car in warm conditions, they could face serious bodily harm or worse.

Even at a comfortable temperature like 75 degrees, the inside of a car can become unbearable. The interior of a car can drastically increase in temperature when exposed to the harsh summer sun. The insides can reach up to 118 degrees at this low of a temperature, and can reach up to 145 degrees if the outside is at 94 degrees.

Even if you were just planning on running into the store for just a moment, the interior of the car will begin to bake the moment you shut off the air conditioning. Leaving the windows open just a crack is not enough to cool off the car. The metal body of the vehicle absorbs heat while the glass windows magnify it. All of that warmth gets trapped inside the vehicle making it unsafe for anyone, child or pet, to be stuck inside.

At this time of the year, it is best to leave pets at home where the climate is more controlled, and to bring kids into the store with you. While this may be inconvenient, this can help save their lives.