Frugal Summer

I've kept myself entertained lately by seeing just how frugal I can be. Yesterday, for example, the high was only 90 degrees, so I decided I wouldn't use the air conditioning. On other days I have imposed a 4 hour limit: from 5 PM until 9 PM I reward myself by setting the thermostat to 80, then turn it back off. It's late morning before the house starts warming up again. I've also been leaving the house as little as possible. This helps me save gas and avoid the temptation to spend money. Finally, we're trying to cook almost everything at home this month instead of going out to eat all the time.

I barely feel like I am sacrificing. Sure, it was warm last night, but that encouraged me to drink more water. Boredom does have a way of sneaking up on me. I've eased some of it thanks to the local libraries and watching streaming movies on Netflix. I've also been exercising in the morning more regularly with all this extra time I now have. Really the only place I am splurging is in the travel department, and even there I'm pinching pennies.

You might be asking why I am living like this. Well, I want to pay off all my debt, especially the mortgages on the rental properties. If I can get rid of all my debt I will be able to live a very comfortable life on the rental income. If the electric bill is $40 instead of $100, that's $60 I can use to pay off my debt.