Dealing with the Heat: Shade it!

Studies show that 10-30% of cooling and heating bills is due to leakages around windows and doors.  Window shades and blinds can reduce the amount of heat that enters your house and keep the cooling bills down. I found some great honeycombed pull-down shades online at JCPenny.  They were a cinch to install, stylish, and reasonably priced. Even opaque shades will cut down on some of the heat so you don't have to opt for the full blackout effect.  And if you're on a budget, hanging a sheet or blanket over your windows will work in a pinch!