1. Make the jump to fluorescent lighting; it uses about a quarter as much energy as incandescent lighting and can last many times longer.
2. Use phosphate-free detergents; they get clothes just as clean, but are gentle on the environment.
3. Paper or plastic? Neither! Bring reusable bags to the grocery store.
4. Pass on harsh drain cleaners for a more eco-friendly approach such as pouring baking soda mixed with a half cup of vinegar down the drain followed by boiling water.
5. Overloaded with free coffee mugs? Use one in your bathroom as a toothbrush holder or mouthwash mug.
6. Drink filtered water and take a thermos with you to minimize waste made by water bottles.
7. For small paint jobs, mix old paint colors together instead of buying more.
8. Dont fall asleep with the TV on.
9. Redecorating? Go vintage! Buying vintage furniture requires no additional resources and eases the load on landfills.
10. Eliminate drafts around windows, doors and garage doors to conserve heat and AC.

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You've repainted, refinished and even hung up a few pictures, so what else can you do to make your kitchen complete? Add a water filter! Go green in your kitchen by forgetting about bottled water and installing a water filter on your sink's faucet. Your water will be healthy and tasty, and the filter will save you money because you won't have to keep buying expensive bottled water.

More importantly, decreasing your use of water bottles will help the environment in a big way. Water bottles pile up in landfills and take up space, so if you need to take water with you, buy a reusable thermos.

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Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? You may be doing Mother Nature a favor by avoiding drywall when finishing your basement. The Los Angeles Times reported that waste drywall takes up a tremendous amount of space in landfills. The process used to manufacture drywall can also have consequences. Mining the gypsum used to make drywall can hurt the environment, and the fossil fuels and pollution involved in transporting it to drywall manufacturing plants certainly don't help.

There is about 30 million tons of wallboard manufactured in North America each year, and even though it is recyclable, it still tends to sit in landfills. If you are getting rid of drywall, be sure to recycle it. Drywall scraps can be used in wall cavities during new construction, which eliminates disposal and transportation costs.

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When it comes to coughing up payment to a contractor, things can go sour quickly. Is the contractor going to take your money and run? Are you stiffing an honest contractor out of hard-earned money? Too often, the problem lies with the contract and a vague description of payment terms and conditions.

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