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LAURA COFFEYBy taking a few simple steps at home, you can save hundreds of dollars a year and help the environment at the same time.
1. Bank online. By paying your bills electronically rather than on paper, you'll save more than just trees. You'll be able to reorder checks far less frequently, and you'll save 37 cents a stamp with each payment. Over the course of a year those expenses add up.
2. Drink filtered water. A water-filtering system will cost you less than bottled water while still ensuring that key contaminants are removed.
3. Get thee to a library. If anything can be recycled, it's a good book. Depending on how much you read in a given year, you could save big by checking books out of the library instead of buying high-price paperbacks.
4. Buy an environmentally friendly car. According to estimates from the Department of Energy, a Prius or other hybrid-electric vehicle saves more money through fuel economy than a fuel-efficient gasoline-powered car. If you drive an average of 15,000 miles a year, your annual savings could total about $320.
5. Use fluorescent lights. Make the switch to compact fluorescent bulbs in fixtures that stay on at least three hours a day. The bulbs cost more, usually about $20, but they quickly pay for themselves because they can last up to 15 times longer than ordinary bulbs.
6. Don't let your electronics "idle." Turn off those TVs, VCRs, cordless phones, fax machines, printers and computers when they aren't being used. According to one estimate, idle electronics account for up to 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption in the United States.
7. Wash your clothes in cold water. Whenever possible, save energy - and money - by opting for cold water when doing your laundry.
8. Purchase locally grown produce. If you buy as much produce as you can from local growers and farmers' markets, you'll reduce the fuel consumption and emissions that come from having fruits and vegetables shipped in from far-flung places.
9. Let it grow. Allow the grass in your lawn to grow half an inch longer. What's the environmental and financial benefit? Deeper roots don't need as much water.
10. Keep your car tuned up. Save money on gasoline and reduce exhaust emissions by making sure your vehicle is well tuned and your tires are properly inflated. Otherwise, the tires will need more energy to roll.- Sources: Sierra Club Mutual Funds; Department of Energy's Fuel Economy Guide (www.fueleconomy.gov) Planet Ark (www.planetark.com) Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (www.balancedenergy.org)