Going green used to be an expensive choice in the years gone by because not many manufacturers were catering to the needs of the eco-conscious buyer. However, going green has become popular in the last couple of years and now; green living is one of the smartest ways to save money. This article provides insight into nine simple ways you can start saving money by going green today.

For best effects, it is recommended that you start implementing these tips into your lifestyle starting from today. It takes some time to build a habit and you’ll occasionally falter and revert to your old ways of doing things. However, if you commit to make conscious eco-friendly decisions, living green will eventually start coming to you naturally and you’ll have a fatter purse to show for your troubles.

1. Invest in a solar energy system

Start by investing some money into a solar energy system for your home or small business. The solar energy system can supply electricity to power your appliances and lightning – you can pair up the system with an inverter to store energy for when the sun is down. Solar energy can help you save money because of the reduced electricity bills.

2. Change your bulbs to LED

You can cut your utility bills the more by changing your bulbs to LED lights. LED lights are energy efficient – some use as much as 35% less energy than regular bulbs and they are quite as bright (sometimes brighter) than regular bulbs. LED lights also last longer than regular bulbs; some LED bulbs can last as long as 1800 hours.

3. Use a programmable thermostat

You can use a programmable thermostat to create heating/cooling zones in your home instead of just firing up all the house with by switching the heater ‘ON’ or turning the house into a freezer when the HVAC system is set to cold. A programmable thermostat can help you turn on the heating in the bedrooms and bathrooms in the mornings without wasting the heating on the other parts of the house that are not occupied.

4. Wash clothes with cold water

You can reduce your heating costs by using cold water (room temperature) water to wash your clothes.  Using hot or cold water to wash clothes doesn’t have a marked difference in how clean your clothes will get.

5. Use the washing machine with a full load

You may not like piling up dirty clothes in the laundry basket; yet, using the washing machine every time a piece of cloth is dirty is a surefire way to waste money. You should consider having a set time to wash clothes to enable you have a bigger pile to wash. Your washing machine probably consumes the same energy units up on each wash whether you are washing 2 or 10 pieces of clothing.

6. Line dry clothes

The not-so-humble tumble dryer is probably the biggest energy guzzler in your house. They can’t seem to find a way to make these machines energy efficient. If you have a yard, you should consider going the good old way of line drying clothes. If you don’t have a yard but you go a balcony, a cloth horse might help you get your cloths dry while noting a marked reduction in your electricity bills.

7. Apply weatherstripping on doors and windows

Weatherstripping can improve the heating of your home in winter and reduce your heating bills. Weatherstripping simply means sealing air leaks around doors and windows in order to stop the heat from escaping and stop cold hear from getting in during winter. You can DIY weatherstripping or hire a professional to test your house for air tightness and seal all leaks.

8. Plant an organic garden

Planting an organic garden is a simple way to stay fit, eat right, reduce expenses, and improve your immediate living conditions. Tending an organic garden can provide exercise in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. You can plant greens—starting with simple crops such as tomatoes and lettuce so that you can eat right. The produce from your garden will reduce your grocery expenses. The presence of greenery in your house will also improve your air quality.

9. You might not really need bottled water

Bottled water is probably the most expensive item in the grocery store if you consider the huge margins that its producers record. Studies have shown that bottled water is not usually better than regular tap water in some countries. If you live in a country with excellent tap water, you should consider getting a faucet water filter and get water from the tap when you are thirsty instead of paying for a CEOs Christmas bonus with your hard-earned money.