5 Ways to Save While Being Green

Green is a pretty awesome color to see in your wallet, but it's also a great color when associated with our humble little planet. Why can't the two go hand in hand? Actually--they can! Not only is being green great for the pocket book, and the body Earth, it can also be pretty easy too.

Here are a couple of quick tips to put that beautiful green in your pocket and do Planet Earth a little good.

1. Save on Electricity: There are a ton of ways to save on electricity. A few good ways to start include: washing your clothes in cold water instead of hot water. Unplug your electronics when you aren't using them. Use your toaster for small food heating needs instead of firing up the oven. You can also take this quiz to learn a few more tips from Quick and Simple.

2. Shop at Your Local Farmer's Market: You like fruits and veggies, and your local farmers likes to grow them. If you can eat as much local and seasonal food as you possibly can, not only will your meals likely be better for you, but much less fuel and energy will be used to transport those meals to your kitchen. Use Local Harvest to find the market nearest you.

3. Avoid Plastic Bottles: Invest in a good reusable stainless steel water bottle that you can refill on the go. Plastics can eventually leak toxic chemicals over time and typically only about 20% of plastic bottles even ever get recycled. Not only that, but you'll start saving when you no longer buy an overpriced water bottle at your nearest convenience store.

4. Shut Down that Computer: You can save an average of $90 a year on your electricity bill if you just turn off your computer at night. The Department of Energy recommends going ahead and shutting down if you don't plan on using your computer for more than two hours.

5. Pay Your Bills Online: Not only does this save trees, but it also saves energy and fossil fuels expended to deliver those bills to your door. You will also save money on stamps. Some companies are even providing incentives to pay your bills online. I just recently signed up to pay my Verizon bill online, and now I am saving $5 a month on my phone bill.

Have you found any simple ways to go green and save green? Tell us about them in the comments!