Frugal Appliances: Slow Cooker

During the summer months, I try to keep the heat down in the house any way I can do so.  One of my tricks is to use a slow cooker.  A slow cooker will heat your house only a fraction of what an oven would do, and it also costs less to operate.  (When researching the cost savings, there seems to be an argument about how much of a savings it is between a slow cooker and oven.  It apparently goes by size, and whether or not you are cooking more than one thing at once in the oven.)  But I take it one step further.  The slow cooker in the photo above?  It's sitting on a TV tray in our sun room.  I set it up outside, then shut the door on the heat.  :)  In a few hours, our dinner will be ready and the house will have remained cool the whole time.

It's the end of June now, and we had our air conditioner on yesterday. The humidity was wretched, and I decided saving the money wasn't worth being that uncomfortable.  That was the 3rd time we turned the air on since the weather started turning warmer.  Luckily, our house is surrounded by very old, tall trees and the resulting shade saves us money on heating in the summer.  We also have ceiling fans in every bedroom, and lots of windows for cross-breezes.  Of course in the fall when the ENTIRE half-acre is covered in leaves?  I don't feel quite so grateful.

Hope you are keeping it cool wherever you are!