Stay cool without burning up dollars.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Brief article

Air conditioning costs do not have to take a big bite out of a family's budget during the dog days of summer, according to Eckhard Groll, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., who explains that there are practical and inexpensive ways to reduce the monthly cost of home air conditioning.

"One of the biggest mistakes people make is they plant flowers or ornamental grass around their air conditioner's outside unit. These plants block the air flow and make the air conditioner run a lot hotter and longer. In the end, people not only pay a higher monthly electric bill, but they cause their air conditioners to wear out faster."

There are a number of other ways for consumers to reduce air conditioning costs:

* Clean or change the filter every few weeks.

* Clean coils on the...