Favourite Sydney hang out when the mercury sky rockets

With the mercury hitting as high as 37°C in Sydney today, how is it possible to keep cool in this heat while ensuring minimal damage to the environment as well as our pockets?

Go to the beach

This is perhaps the most obvious activity that any Sydney-sider will think of when the mercury hits the high 30s. It’s great swimming in the cool waters of the ocean. Just remember to slap on heaps of sunscreen, bring the shades and drink lots of water when you are at the beach.

Insulate your home

As part of the government’s stimulus package, they are providing a rebate of up to $1200 to eligible home owners who decide to insulate their homes. Home insulation not only helps to keep out the heat and it also reduces energy consumption by almost 40%. This really means extra savings on electricity and more money to spend on the Chrissy pressies this Summer. As a way of encouraging more home owners to take up the offer, many installers are offering extra money in your pockets when you choose to insulate your roof through them. For example, www.homelovers.com.au is giving away $50 for each successful insulation carried out through their authorised installer. So, not only do you get free home insulation, you get some extra money to spend too.

Shut the windows

Shutting the windows and drawing your blinds or curtains ensure that hot air does not get indoors. This also means that less heat is trapped inside and hence you will not need to turn on the air conditioning unit to cool the place down. Check the weather report daily and make sure you keep those windows shut during the day to avoid the heat from entering your home. Extra savings in energy consumption.

Turn off your lights

Avoid using lights, lamps and bulbs unnecessarily. Lights emit heat and energy. By using less light or just by remembering to turn them off if you are not using them, you will be saving money on your electricity bills as well as helping the environment.

Go to the library

When was the last time you visited the library? Libraries around Sydney have changed quite a bit. Many of them offer wireless internet and of course air conditioning. Why not visit a library on a hot day to enjoy the air conditioning and get your soul nourished through books.

Do you have any suggestions on what to do on a scorching day in Sydney? Why not share them with us by leaving a comment?

Love a great cup of coffee in the mornings!

Hi everyone, my name is Jessie Goh and yes I am a coffee addict! Like any other coffee lover, I need a coffee in the morning or my day will never start. This addiction has followed me for the better part of my life and it would continue its journey with me throught life. That said, it is a very expensive addiction but I can’t help it! So, for over a year, I have limited myself to only one cup of coffee a day. This coffee is usually homemade and does not cost $3.70 per cup.

To live life a little, I allow myself a little Saturday indulgence and I would spend $3.70 on a cup of coffee to kick start my day before a long work day. By following this plan, I have satisfied my coffee addiction but also saved a whole heap of money. The math is as follows:

$3.70 a cup (Soy flat white – I’m lactose intolerant)

5 times a week

50 weeks (I figured that there will probably be 2 weeks in the whole year when I don’t drink coffee due to various reasons)

Total Savings: $925!

That is about 9 pairs of gorgeous new shoes at $100 a pop….

Saving money does not have to be boring and it definitely doesn’t mean that you have to make sacrifices to the extreme. By cutting back a little, you will be amazed at the amount of savings you can make in your daily life.