Wednesday, June 3, is free float night at Sonic from 8p.m. to midnight! Go here to find the location nearest you!

Speaking of Sonic, do you know about their happy hour? (Don’t worry, this is a happy hour everyone can be happy about.) From 2p.m to 4p.m., each weekday, you can pick up a Sonic beverage for half-price. Including my personal favorite, the lemon-berry slush! (Yes, this means you can get a Route 44 size for about the normal price of a small.)

Thanks to reader Adam, for the heads up on this deal!

If you’re in the market for a new pair of flip flops, you might want to head over to Old Navy bright and early, because tomorrow only (Sat, May 23), they’re selling their solid colored flip-flops for just $1. Limit 5 per customer.

Last year I hit the store a little after noon, and everything was already sold out. I survived quite nicely without any Old Navy flip-flops, but you will want to get there early if you want to get your flip-flops!

Restaurant.com certificates are currently 80% off with the code SPECIAL. $25 certificates are now $2! And $10 certificates are a mere $.60! Go here to get yours. (You can read more about how restaurant.com works here.)

I just purchased a $10 certificate for $.60! I also picked a location that doesn’t require a tip. Additionally, I used Paypal to pay, and used the money sitting in my account that I had earned from YouData! YouData pays every Friday afternoon, so if you sign up for YouData right away you might have time enough to get paid by this afternoon! (You can read more about what I wrote about it here.)

This deal expires on Sunday, May 31!

Another way we’re working to keep our living expenses low is by challenging ourselves not to use the air conditioner (or the heat at other seasons of the year) for as long as possible. Actually, we haven’t technically set the goal for “as long as possible,” but we are trying to make it until June without turning on the AC! Only 1 more week! But Greenville’s May weather this year has made it hardly difficult at all. So, perhaps we’ll set our goal to make it through June, too! I love seeing electric bills for under $50 or $60! (Because our winter heat bills more than make up for the difference…even if the heater doesn’t work! :))

Our house is poorly insulated, and the upstairs (which is where our bedroom and our little girl’s bedroom are located) gets quite hot in the afternoons. Thus, there have been a few times when it really has been a struggle not to go flip on the air conditioning. Here are a few things that have helped us stay cool:

• Fans. Really, this is one of the biggest things you can do to keep a house cool. We have a box fan in our upstairs bedroom window at night, as well as an overhead fan. It hasn’t really gotten hot enough to need to use fans in our downstairs yet, though.
• Keeping the blinds closed when it is sunny and really hot.
• Doing high energy activities in the morning.
• Going somewhere cool if it gets really hot.
• Our 15-month old takes a nap during the afternoon heat; so if it really hot, she sleeps in just a diaper and we spray her down (she loves it!) before her nap. She still wakes up slightly sweaty, but she seems comfortable.
• Drinking lots of water.
• Going to bed after a cold shower and with wet hair.

All told, going without AC during some hot times has been a great experience for us, particularly as we anticipate be living in more “rustic” settings. Not working in an office or constantly being in a heavily air-conditioned environment has made it easier for my daughter and I to adjust to the change of weather. Though, in the dead of summer it sure makes church seem cold! But we are still spoiled; and if it gets super, super hot, this pregnant lady plans to turn on some air conditioning. Additionally, we rarely use lights during the daytime, but there are probably still a lot of areas where we could cut back on our use of electricity.

What about you? I know lots of people who set a “no AC” goal–how long does yours go? What are your tips for staying cool?

Well, my husband finally did get his birthday coupon for a free Firehouse sub. Fellow Greenville blogger and frugal friend, Jessica, of Bargain Banana also had her birthday this month. She shares even more birthday deals and PICTURES of food she got. Wow. I can hardly wait until my birthday now! If you’re having a birthday sometime this year, you’ll definitely want to go here to check it out!

photo courtesy Bargain Banana