Jay, we were told by long time Arizonians to run the AC only during the monsoon and the swamp cooler the rest of the year... being from Houston, we loved the low humidity... and the swamp cooler kept the house nice and cool and comfortable. This did make for a more affordable cooling as the swamp cooler did use less power than the AC. Wish we could have stayed in AZ... loved the mountains and the desert, but was offered a job back in Houston at twice the money I was making in AZ, so back to the humidity.
LOVE my swamp cooler. Keeps the house in the mid 70s even when it is 110 outside. Usually only run the AC for 6-8 weeks a year. Saves 200 dollars a month when I can run the evap. I have something called an EvapMod on mine. They aren't made any more, but I salvaged mine off the old cooler when we had to replace it and put it on the new one about 15 years ago. It lets the evap run efficiently up to a 70 degree dew point instead of crapping out at 55 degrees. The guy who invented and sold it died about 20 years ago, and the technology died with him, apparently.
Usually only have to run the AC from mid July through August at the most. Right now the temps are hovering between 109 and 110 and the humidity in the 8 percent range. House hasn't gone above 77 yet, and I've been sleeping under a light blanket at night because it gets down to 73 or so.
I have Sjogren's Syndrome....dry eyes, dry mouth. The higher humidity in the house makes me much more comfortable, and also reduces the static electricity, which is a big problem in this dry climate.
When I converted the carport to a shop, I put in a window specifically for a window air conditioner. It is right in front of my lathe, so it does double duty blowing fumes away, too. It won't cool the whole 22x22' shop if it is over 100 degrees outside, but it makes my turning corner comfortable, and I avoid turning in the hottest part of the day. If I have to turn for some special occasion and it is hot, I have a set of 4x8 styrofoam insulation sheets that are hinged with duct tape. I can stand them up around my turning area to contain the cool air right where I am working. They fold flat and stand against the wall when not in use.