August 12, 2024
Actual footage of me this summer. Yay air conditioning!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been HOT this summer. Uncomfortably hot.
(And I’m not talking about the ‘hot girl summer’ trend that’s all over social)
It’s not surprising, since all-time record highs have been set all over Canada…
And with it comes record high energy bills.
In our books, ‘being rich’ is more than investing - it’s enjoying your life!
And since you spend much of your time at home, making it comfortable (even in a heat wave) is a great place to start.
We all know ‘being comfortable’ is code for “I’ve got 3.7 million in investments”, but in THIS case we’re talking about being actually comfortable.
Because if there’s one place you should be comfortable, it’s in your own home.
So let’s talk about ways to do that, even at record-high temps!
Stopping your house from heating up in the first place is one of the best ways to beat the heat.
Keeping shades closed during the day makes a huge difference.
This year I got a blackout roller blind and curtains for the bedroom, and it’s made a MAJOR improvement.
And yes, I use both - closing the blinds and curtains keeps the room cooler by several degrees compared to using just the blind or the curtain individually.
Here’s a quick summary of ways to keep the heat out:
Solar shades reduce heat while letting in natural light
A few years ago we went to Hawaii.I booked what I THOUGHT was the perfect condo - until my husband asked, “Does it have air conditioning?”
It didn’t. I frantically contacted the owner, who assured us we’d be fine since it had an amazing cross breeze.
I was skeptical, but it was perfectly comfortable even though it was blazing hot out!
Done right, this ‘natural air conditioning’ is AMAZING.
If the temperature cools off at night, air the home out by opening your shades and windows to let the cool air in.
But just opening windows might not be enough - you need cross-ventilation.
Getting hot air out is just as important as getting cool air in.
You’ll get the most benefits from a cool breeze by opening windows on the opposite wall of your home so the warm air can escape.
Boost the effectiveness of your cross-ventilation system by using a fan to push warm air towards the ‘exit’ window - this creates a vacuum that pulls more cool air in!
Hot tip - If there are any doors between your cross-ventilation windows, be sure to keep them propped open. If a door closes you’ll ‘turn off’ your cooling system (and get a jump-scare when the door unexpectedly slams shut!)
Just be sure to check the hourly forecast before cracking the windows. If it’s still hot at night (like during a heat wave), the outside temperature might not be cool enough for this to work.
Ovens have one job: create heat.
Problem is, the heat transfers to your home as well.
They cost a lot of energy to run, and those energy costs escalate in the summer since your air conditioner has to work overtime to counteract the oven’s heat.
Swap your oven for energy and heat-friendly alternatives:
I’ve been using my Wonder Oven and it’s truly wonderful. It has 6 different cooking functions (including a toaster oven and air fryer).
It preheats in 3 minutes, meaning my dinner is finished cooking in less time than it takes for my regular oven to preheat!
The Wonder Oven is basically an Easy-Bake Oven for adults
Keeping the house at a constant temperature - and running the air conditioning system before you need it - might be a good way to keep things cool.
However, the efficiency of this really depends on your home’s cooling system.
We have a heat pump, and it works best when maintaining a steady temperature.
If it gets too hot the whole system has to work harder to bring the temperature back down. That increased our energy bill so leaving it running is our best bet.
If you have a traditional furnace and air conditioner system, you might be better off adjusting the temperature.
Insulation plays a big role too, so it really depends! Try it both ways and see what works best for you.
While I won’t be dishing out style tips like the classic 2000s show, I am giving the real deal on what to wear when temps start soaring.
It’s all about fabric.
After surviving 40° heat waves, I now appreciate how fabric can make or break my day.
Can we have a round of applause for lightweight cotton? It’s soft, breathable and lightweight so it allows heat to escape.
Plus you can get it anywhere, and no matter what your style is you’ll find something in cotton that suits you. (Like the fun t-shirt below!)
Definitely read the label to make sure you’re getting a shirt that is mostly (or all) cotton. A blend with a bit of polyester helps prevent wrinkles, but polyester also keeps the heat in so you want clothing that is primarily cotton.
The upside and downside of cotton is that it absorbs moisture - good if you’re only sweating a little, bad times if you’re sweating a lot. Basically, wear it when it makes sense!
My friend is a big fan of the 100% cotton ‘caffeine molecule’ shirt by LoveSoulPrinting in Ontario
There are so many reasons why linen is a classic: It’s breathable. It’s lightweight. It’s elegant.
Even if you just started investing, there’s no reason why you can’t look ‘old money’. Linen is a sophisticated style choice that looks effortlessly elegant while keeping you cool.
Unlike cotton, linen tends to be stiff - but the benefit of that means it doesn’t stick to your body.
Linen also gets quite wrinkly, but it’s actually part of the charm. As someone who is allergic to ironing, wearing clothing that feels comfortable in the heat and is accepted (even expected) to be wrinkly is a total win!
Love these wide-leg linen pants from Hannah Canvas
The actual fabric varies, but the benefits are the same: they wick moisture and dry quickly.
The entire athleisure market was pioneered in Canada (shoutout to my hometown of Vancouver!), so it’s not just for the gym anymore - people happily wear activewear anytime, anywhere.
Yoga pants are practically patriotic at this point.
However, the moisture-wicking capabilities break down over time.
So if you find yourself thinking that something used to be a lot more comfortable, you’re probably right!
One of my fav things about investing is getting dividends.
(These are monthly or quarterly cash payouts from the funds you invest in - hello, money!)
I love thinking about how that money could go toward our living expenses. We could cover all our hydro bills through dividends if we wanted.
But instead, I reinvest that money because I want my investments to grow faster. Passiv makes it so easy!
I just tap a few buttons and voila, all that cash gets invested instantly 🙌
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