Going green – or saving the environment – can be extremely expensive. When you think about what it means to “go green”, you probably visualize huge solar panels on the roof, personal water treatment plans with fancy rain water collection barrels and a purification system in your backyard, or a windmill fueling your home with all the electricity it needs. These options would undoubtedly help you do your part to save the environment – and they would even save money for you over the long term - but the initial expense of installing such equipment is well outside the average family budget.

That being said, it doesn't mean you can't do your part to save the environment. In fact, there are a number of things you can do that actually help you save money while saving the environment! Even if you haven't jumped on board the “go green” bandwagon yet, by using (or, in most cases, wasting) less “stuff”, you'll end up keeping more green in your wallet.

WATER

1. Skip the Bottled Water
Buying bottled water costs between one and two bucks a bottle, and easily adds up to a few hundred dollars a year. You might think it's worth it to drink water that tastes good and is considered safe, but those bottles of water cost about 1.5 million barrels of oil per year to make and 22 million of them end up in landfills annually. Did you know that many companies are simply bottling tap water and slapping a label on it before selling it to you? Get a filter for your water faucet and a re-useable water bottle – save money, drink healthy water, and do your part for the environment.

2. Trick Your Toilet
There are toilets that reduce water consumption each time you flush, but they're more expensive. Plus, if your toilet works, who wants to pay to replace it? Instead of buying a new toilet to conserve water, you can just displace the water in the tank. Put in a brick or a soda bottle filled with water and it will use less water per flush, and not cost you anything.

3. Flush Less
If you want to, you could flush your toilet less. Don't flush if you've just blown your nose and tossed the tissue in the water!

4. Capture Wasted Shower Water
Do you have to run your shower for a few minutes before the water heats up enough to step in without screaming? Put a bucket in to capture the cold water while you wait for it to heat up and you can use it to water the plants or wash the floors.

5. Low Flow Showers
Low-flow showerheads are fairly inexpensive and reduce the amount of water you need to get clean. Because showers use hot water, using less water in the shower will also reduce energy consumption.

6. Spend $5 to Save
Take a trip to the hardware store and pick up aerators and low-flow faucet adapters to install on each of your sinks. You'll use less water and save money.

7. Fully Stocked Dishwashers Only
Only run your dishwasher when it's completely full of dirty dishes. Skip the pre-rinse to conserve water.

8. Pre-Soak to Hand Wash
Fill up one side of your sink or wash tub with warm, soapy water to let your dishes soak for awhile. This loosens up food particles and lets you wash them easier. Fill another tub or sink with clean water to rinse and avoid running tap water constantly for hand washing dishes.

9. Save Fruit and Veggie Washes
Rinse your fruit and vegetables over a bucket or bowl and use the water to water your flowers, plants or garden.

10. Wash Cold
Whether you use energy-efficient appliances or the older ones, you can wash your clothes in cold water to reduce the amount of hot water you use in your house and save money and energy.

11. Catch the Rain
Keep a bucket or two outside to catch the rain as it falls from the sky. You can use this water to wash your car, water your lawn, garden, flowers and plants.

12. Time the Shower
Put a kitchen timer in the bathroom and take shorter showers. You'd be amazed how quickly you can lather and rinse when you are conscious of what you're doing.

ELECTRICITY

13. Skip the Heated Dry
Most dishwashers have a heated dry cycle. This uses more energy. Turn off the dry cycle and let them air dry, or wipe with a dish towel before putting them away.

14. Power Down
There are a number of appliances and electronics that consume phantom energy even when they're off. You'll recognize them by their flashing lights and glowing clocks. Unplug them when not in use. They're responsible for 10-40% of your electricity usage.

15. Replace Light Bulbs
Energy efficient light bulbs cost a bit more when you first buy them, but are still fairly reasonable with the average price of about $1.50 per bulb. Energy efficient light bulbs draw less electricity to light up and last about seven years. Buy them all at once and replace all your bulbs at once or simply replace bulbs as they burn out with the energy efficient versions.

16. Use Computer's Sleep Mode
Whenever you're not using the computer for a few hours, let it go to sleep to conserve energy. When done using it for the day, shut it down completely.

17. Vacuum Under Fridge
Every three months or so, vacuum the condenser coils under the refrigerator. If they get built up with dust and dirty, the refrigerator has to work harder to keep your food cold.

18. Keep it Stocked
Your refrigerator and freezer will require less energy to maintain the coldness if they are full of food. The food itself will help maintain the temperature. This is why an empty freezer uses more energy than a freezer that's full of frozen goods.

19. Use the Microwave More
The microwave uses half the electricity of your conventional, electric oven and cooks food in less time, so use it more often to conserve electricity.

20. Use Task Lighting
When reading or working on a desk, use small lamps to illuminate the area you need rather than using an overhead light to light up an entire room. You can use fewer watts with smaller lights and reduce energy consumption.

21. Hang to Dry
On dry days, hang your laundry outside to dry rather than using your clothes dryer. So what if the neighbors see your undergarments blowing in the breeze? You are helping the environment and saving money in the process. On colder or rainy days, you might be able to use wooden clothes racks in the bathroom to air dry many of your clothes.

22. Turn it Off
How often do you turn on lights out of habit when you enter a room, than out of necessity? If you don't really need it, don't switch it on. If you're done with it, switch it off. Teach your children these habits as well. You'll notice savings on your electricity bill and use less energy, which is a bonus for the environment.

23. Lower Water Temperature
Next to your home's heating system, the hot water heater uses the most energy in your home. Lower the temperature from 140 degrees to 120 degrees and save about 10% on your energy bill.

24. Insulate Hot Water Pipes
You can purchase inexpensive water pipe insulation kits from the hardware store. Wrap your hot water pipes with them to help keep the heat in as the water travels through the pipes.

HEAT

25. Weather-strip It
If the windows in your house are drafty, consider replacing them. Since this is quite an expense, you may need to make them work for awhile before you can save up enough to replace them. In the meantime, use weather stripping around each of your windows in the winter to block out most of the cold air while keeping in your warm air. Consumer Reports tells us that heating costs can be reduced by about 30% with the use of weather stripping.

26. Caulk
Caulk costs about $5 per tube and can be used to seal drafty windows. It's a little messier than weather stripping, but cost efficient and easy to use.

27. Reuse Cooking Heat
When you use your oven in the winter, once you're finished cooking and have turned your oven off, keep the door open to allow the hot air to enter the kitchen. It will help keep the air temperature warmer and reduce the need for the heat to kick on temporarily.

28. Rearrange for Winter
Move furniture away from your heating units in each room, so you don't block the warm air. It will require less energy to heat your home as more of the heat is being used rather than blocked behind furniture.

29. Use Warm-Air Humidifiers
In the winter months, the air is dryer and it can make it difficult to breathe. Using energy efficient warm-air humidifiers can help raise the temperature of a room while providing moister air to improve breathing.

30. Close the Door to Unused Rooms
If you have little used rooms in your home, why should you spend the money to heat them? Turn off the heat to that room (close heating vents, switch off electric radiators, etc.) and keep the door shut with a towel or blanket to seal off the opening under the door. You'll require less heat to keep the rest of your house warm.

31. Use Space Heaters
You can purchase affordable space heaters to keep the rooms you're in warm, instead of heating the entire house, and turn them off when you're not going to be home for extended periods of time. Just keep in mind that it often takes more energy to bring the room back up to temperature than to maintain it at the desired temperature. You should only turn the heat off completely if you'll be gone for a long time. Also, only turn heat off completely if there is no risk to your pipes freezing.

32. Don't Use Bathroom Ventilator Fan for Winter Showers
The water vapors from a shower raise the temperature of the air around the shower. In the winter months, don't turn the ventilator fan on and you can benefit from the warm water as it will help heat your home.

33. Lower Heat Temperature
For every degree over 68, you can expect about a 3% increase in your heating bill. Lower the heat to the lowest possible setting that maintains comfort throughout winter, and wear heavier clothing to keep warm.

34. Shrink Wrap Windows
Purchase shrink wrap product (about $10 a box will cover 3 windows) and seal up your windows for winter.

35. Use an Electric Blanket
If you turn the heat way down at night but feel cold when going to bed, simply turn on an electric blanket for a few minutes to warm up your sheets and bed – and turn it off. You'll be warm all night.

36. Programmable Thermostats
For an expense between $30 and $100, you can program your home's temperature based on your schedule so you aren't wasting energy when you're not home or when you're sleeping.

37. It's a Tankless Job
Make your next water heater a tankless water heater

38. Downsize the Computer
Buy a laptop instead of a PC for your next computer and you'll use far less electricity.

39. Quick Clean A/C Unit
Use a garden hose to blow dirt out of the filter around your A/C unit and your air conditioner will run more efficiently and require less energy.

40. Turn the Freezer Temperature Down
Turn your freezer down to just below the freezing mark. A good test of the right temperature is ice cream. It should be solid but easy to scoop.

41. Toast It
Use a toaster oven for reheating meals instead of conventional oven. It heats up quicker and uses less energy. You can get one for about $20 at Wal-Mart.

42. Reduce Air Conditioning
Turn your thermostat up a degree or two in the summer and use fans to keep cool. Fans require less electricity and any air movement will be cooling against your skin.

43. Remember the Air Filters
Change the air filters on your furnace regularly to keep it running efficiently and using the least amount of electricity possible.

44. Put Your A/C Unit in the Shade
Provide some shade for you’re a/c unit so it’s not in direct sunlight.

TRAVEL

45. Better Transport
We're a long way from a car that doesn't use any gas at all that's affordable and reliable. In the meantime, ride a bike or walk whenever possible, join a carpool or use public transportation. Save money on gas and reduce your carbon output at the same time.

46. Drive Better
When you do have to drive your car, don't accelerate like a race car driver every time you take off from a red light or stop sign. Keep your tires properly inflated and save one mile per gallon. Combine your errands so you don't have to drive as often.

47. Don't Idle the Car
You will use considerably more fuel by idling your car instead of turning it off and turning it back on. If you're sitting for longer than a minute, just shut down the engine and start it up again when you're ready to go.

48. Drive over 15 mph and under 60 mph
Studies show that a car emits more pollution into the air at speeds under 15 mph and over 60 mph. Watch your speed and reduce your carbon footprint.

HOUSEHOLD

49. Reuse Shopping Bags
Grocery bags and other plastic shopping bags are good for way more than one trip home from the store. Use them to line small trash containers and save money on trash bags.

50. Purchase a Canvas Bag
Make or purchase a few canvas bags to use instead of plastic bags. They last forever and can be washed like laundry to keep them fresh.