Green America's tips for saving money

Since we can always use some good-sense nudges to stay on track, I've summarized Green America's article, "13 ways to go green and save green" here for you:

1. Grow your food — a little work in the dirt really pays yummy dividends
   
2. Use your car less — combine trips or ride a bike
3. Freecycle — give away what you don't want, get what you need: freecycle.org
   
4. Unplug electronics/appliances when not in use — saves electricity
   
5. Go solar — while the initial investment is expensive, savings should only increase over time
   
6. Compost — this is really easy and you'd be amazed at how much less trash you have
   
7. Dispense with disposables — choose hand towels and cloth napkins over their paper counterparts
   
8. Think about what you buy — what do you really need? you can be happy with less stuff
   
9. Think about who you buy from — support local businesses and farmers; your community will reap the benefits
   
10. Eat less meat and more beans — meat is yummy but it's not all that healthy for you or the planet
    
    And if I can add a few of my own...
    
    
11. Make your own cards or send eCards — find scrap paper and get creative for local loved ones, otherwise use an online greeting
    
12. Take the stairs — burn your own calories instead of elevating your electricity use
13. Buy in bulk — refilling containers saves money and packaging (note to Costco, your vendors need to rethink their offerings to reduce packaging!)
14. Cook extras — turn on the stove or crockpot once, make extra meals and freeze the leftovers (this also saves you time and your sanity)