How's it hangin'??

Summer electric rates are in effect.  Not only does it cost about $.50 to run the dryer, there is the additional cost of having the AC work harder to expel the excess heat in the house.  As a rough guess, I would say it costs $1-$1.50/load to dry clothes in the summer.  Being frugal, and working for the utility company, I just can't let myself "waste" that money when the sunshine provides the drying for free :)

The two large drying racks I have been using to dry our clothes in the summer time have finally bit the dust.  They were awesome over-sized wooden racks from Organized Living ($40 each, but I had picked them up at garage sales for $5).  I forgot to bring them in last winter - oops!  I was not willing to spend $80 to replace them right now, so I needed a frugal alternative.  After searching the interwebs for ideas, I came up with this:

I used a 100ft cotton clothesline and six eye-hooks.  Total cost was $12 at the local hardware store.  I ran the line through the hooks, pulled taut, and tied it off.  Then, for stability, I ran it back through again to give each line more support.  Also, clothes can be tucked between the double lines to eliminate the need for clothes pins. And I now have 50 ft of drying space - just slightly less than the two drying racks.  Towels and sheets can still get hung over the deck rails as I did before. 

And, if we ever get the call to show the house, the whole thing can be untied and taken down in just a couple minutes :)