Coupon Queen: Savings during a summer staycation

Our summer looks a bit different this year as we've been staying at home as much as possible but popular summer activities such as swimming, backyard camping, and playing a ton of video games are all still there. Since much of our summer has been staying inside, we've saved more money than in previous summers. Of course, I'm always looking for ways to save even more. Here are a few tips to save money all season long. Spend less on cooling: Don't make your air conditioner work too hard. You can help it by closing your blinds during the midday heat and cleaning your filter on a regular basis. Using a smart, programmable thermostat is an investment that pays off all year round and many of them can be controlled with an app on your phone. No more forgetting to lower or raise the temperature when you are out of the house. Keep the oven off: On hot days, nothing will make your house heat up faster than turning on the oven. This can also make your cooling bill skyrocket in an attempt to bring down the temperature of your house. Create a list of summer-friendly meals that can be served cold. Keep the list handy so you can reference it often when you don't know what to make for dinner. If you want a warm meal, choose your slow cooker or pressure cooker instead. Cook outside: Keep the heat outdoors and fire up your grill. You'll find a lot of great grilling food deals during the summer and you can search the internet for a bunch of new recipes. We use our grill at least twice a week and I will grill extra meat for use in meals another time. Grilling can be a time saver and money saver. Dry outdoors: Your laundry that is! I don't dry everything outside but whenever possible, I will hang dry our sheets and towels as these take the longest in our dryer. Doing this will save you on electricity costs of running your dryer and will keep your house cooler. Plan a staycation: With social distancing being the norm, some family summer vacations have been canceled. Plan things to do in your town or a few towns away. Take a family hike, visit your Metroparks, or plan fun activities at home like a backyard bonfire or camping adventure. You'll save a bundle on a vacation in another state. Skip bottled water: Drinking water is a must in this summer heat, but the cost of those one-use water bottles can add up quickly. Instead, switch to a reusable water bottle. My whole family has their bottles. They use them all day long and it cuts down on using the dishwasher as well. You can make this summer fun and inexpensive. Give a few of these simple tips a try. This week's deal Here's a deal to grab at Dollar General this week. Gain Flings (14 ft), Gain Fabric Softener or Sheets — $3.95 $2 Dollar General digital coupon (on app or online) — $1.95 Rachel Krych is passionate about helping others spend less and save more. In addition to her weekly column, she has a blog, Couponing With Rachel, which earns her compensation from Google for ads it places there, and from entertainment marketers whose promotional codes she touts. She doesn't write about entertainment in her column. Email her at couponingwithrachel@hotmail.com.