Change to Fluorescent Bulbs and Turn Off Lights

• Fluorescent light bulbs are energy efficient and produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs with much less energy. For example, a 60 watt bulb becomes a 14 or 15 watt bulb instead. Also, turn off the lights when leaving a room, even when staying in the house. Turning off the lights combined with changing the bulbs will not only lower carbon emissions, but it also lowers the power bill.
  
  

Use Cloth Diapers

• Landfills are full of disposable baby diapers. Maud Kelly, a writer for "Saint Louis" magazine, states that 20 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year. By using cloth diapers, which are washed and reused, a parent can lower home waste while also lowering the cost of baby supplies.
  
  

Use a Personal Coffee Mug or Water Bottle

• The reusable bottles or mugs not only avoid waste by using something that is washed and reused, but it also saves money. Rather than buying that 5 dollar coffee in a paper cup, drink a fresh made coffee from home in a personal travel coffee mug. Instead of the disposable bottle of water at the store, take a reusable water bottle filled up at home.
  
  

Carpool

• Carpooling not only eliminates having several cars drive to the same location from a similar area, it also cuts down in gas costs for everyone involved. Whether everyone is pitching in to pay for gas once a week or rotating the cars to drive once a week, the cost of carpooling both on the environment and the wallet is positive.
  
  

Air Dry Cloths and Dishes

• Whenever possible, allow dishes in the dishwasher or clothes to dry without the use of heat. Heat has a high cost in electricity and carbon emissions. For laundry, when the weather is nice, hang clothes out to dry in the sun. This will dry them quickly and save energy. For dishes in the dishwasher, turn the dishwasher off after the last rinse cycle and then allow them about an hour to drip away the water and dry.
  
  

Buy Local Fruits and Vegetables

• Going to a farmers market and buying local fruits and vegetables saves on carbon emissions by eliminating transportation. The fruits and vegetables are freshly picked and the cost of buying directly from the farmer is much less expensive since the transportation and middle man in the form of a grocery store is eliminated.