There is no way around it.  We are in the grips of summer, and if this last week of July plays out like it should, we are in for the hottest week of the summer (so far...).  In fact, daytime highs will top off at 100° or better through the weekend with heat index values making it feel more like upwards of 105°. 

While temperatures this year have been hotter on average than last summer -- thanks in part to this ongoing drought -- it doesn't mean this isn't a two step we are unfamiliar with here in Texas.  Year after year, many folks just plan on hiding out in air conditioning from June through mid-September.  But in these days of high food and gas prices along with a shaky economy you might be scratching your head to come up with a few "cooling on a budget" tactics.  Have no fear.  With a quick scan of the internet and a trip to Google, some pretty good ideas can be taken from the computer screen to the heat of the day.  Here just a few to get your started:

• You are never too old for a kiddy pool, a run through the sprinklers or a water balloon fight. Find out if your town is having any events at the local pool or swim club. Or, find a fountain to jump in
• Take a mini bath- running cold water over your wrists for 10 seconds each will reduce your temperature for roughly an hour. Other hot spots are the back of your neck, knees and feet. Soak a washcloth in cold water and apply it to those points whenever you start to sweat. 
• Pretend you're a vampire- Close your blinds and curtains during the day, to block the sun's heat. Also, keep exterior doors and windows closed throughout the hottest part of the day, until it's cool enough to open up and cool off the house.
•  If you don't have air conditioning, become friends with people who do. Bribe them with ice cream and Popsicles- how can they say no? If you can't make friends, head to a public library, the mall a church, movie theater or anywhere else that has AC.
• Eat spicy food. It's not a coincidence that many people in hotter regions of the world eat spicy food. Spicy (hot to the taste) food increases perspiration which cools the body as it evaporates. It also can cause an endorphin rush that is quite pleasant and might make you forget about the heat.

Those are just a few ideas to get you started.  Personally, I like to stick with the "Pretend you're a vampire" idea.  Black out curtains, a fan and a window a/c unit seem to do the trick for me in the summertime.  If you need a few more ideas, head on over to IBTimes.com, wikiHow or just do a little googling yourself. 

If you do one thing and one thing only -- make sure it is drinking a lot of water.  Drink water when you wake up in the morning, bring a bottle of water with you to work, school or wherever the day takes you, drink water while you are drinking water, and then drink some more.  Hydrate. Hydrate. Hydrate. That is the key to staying safe when it comes to this extreme summer heat.

Hang in there -- Fall is just a few months around the corner!