Note where you normally keep your thermostat and make the Two Degree Pledge: Two degrees up in the summer, and two degrees down in the winter. Doing so can save up to $100 a year on your power bill. Thats equivalent to one ton of greenhouse gases which would have been produced by the energy you saved.

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out. The average CFL bulb will save $30 in energy costs over the course of its life. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every American household swapped just one bulb to CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Unplug appliances from the outlet when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" energy use. The average household can save up to several hundred dollars a year just by pulling the plug on silent energy vampires.

Install a low-flow shower head and toilet. The benefits can be pretty impressive, particularly since water heaters account for nearly 25-percent of home energy use. Put several hundred dollars back into your budget each year and keep water use to a minimum.

Carpool or bike to work. This saves on gas, emissions and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and risk of obesity. If driving is a necessity, use your cruise control on the highway for up to a 15-percent improvement in mileage. Keep your tires properly inflated. And drive less aggressively to save gasoline: accelerate out of lights more gently, avoid rapid braking and keep to the designated speed limit.

Buying regionally produced food is a keystone of sustainability: not only does it save the energy costs associated with shipping bulk produce; it keeps a portion of your grocery money close to where live. So locate your local farmers market and add it to your weekly errands. Youll be supporting local growers while enjoying fresh, seasonal produce.

Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.

Get an annual tune-up for your car. A faulty oxygen sensor, for instance, can penalize your car up to 3 miles per gallon. Worn spark plugs and dirty air filters can cost you another 4 MPG. It all adds up fast. And check that fuel cap, while youre at it. A loose or poorly sealed cap will vent gasoline vapor, polluting the air and costing you up to 2 miles per gallon.

Look on the bottom of your plastic items for a number and only put the articles with a 1 or 2 in your bin; most areas dont take the ones with higher numbers. Shopping bags never go in your bins. Also, dont put light bulbs, broken glass, or bits of food in your bin, either. While youre at it donate or recycle your cell phones, computers, and other electronics when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxins and is a growing environmental problem.

Install solar panels on your roof to work with your conventional water heater. The panels cost between $2,000 and $4,500 and can reduce the need for conventional water heating by around two-thirds. A solar water heater cuts around 12 percent off the average households monthly electric bill.