How we manage without A/C in the Summer!

About 3 years ago, we decided to take our air conditioning unit out. The decision was a multi-faceted one, but, turned out to be one of the best decisions! I’m going to give you some tips on how we manage without a/c in the summer!

I know, I know, why in the world would you want to forego such a wonderful modern convenience? Why would you want to sweat in the summer and not be comfortable? These are all questions we have been asked. The short answer is, we are okay with being uncomfortable.

Let’s be clear, we live in Virginia and get some very hot, humid weather in the summer months. So, this wasn’t an easy move to make. I was a little nervous that we were making a huge mistake and that we would melt before we could get another A/C unit in!

Much to my surprise, we adjusted quite well to the change. We have a few box fans and we open all of our windows throughout the season. It’s actually very comforting to hear the birds and feel the breeze coming in!

So, how do we manage without A/C? Well, a few things we do are, as I said above, using fans. Just having air moving around the house makes it feel much cooler. Another change we made was to purchase thermal curtains. They keep the cold out in the winter and the heat out in the summer. So, when we are having a long stretch of very hot weather, I will close the curtains but leave the windows open. It really does make a big difference.

Another thing we do, is to not use the oven during the hottest parts of the day. If I have bread to bake, I will either bake it in the early morning or late in the evening after the sun goes down.

I also find that a neck fan is a game changer while working in the garden if it’s above 90 out.

Well, I hope you found this inspiring and it got you thinking about how it is totally possible to get used to not having air conditioning. It’s quite liberating to not be tied to the indoors all summer long!

See you soon!