this wasn't in the plan |but life is still pretty good

Recycle - Obviously, this is a great way to help out the environment, but by keeping trash out of your trash bin you may eliminate the need for an extra bin or having the trash truck come around for an extra pick-up, both of which may cost you extra. Soon after we moved into our house we noticed a small fee for recycling on our garbage bill. Turns out the city does pick up recycling in our neighborhood, you just leave it out in a plastic bag on trash day and it gets picked up. We pay for it, so we may as well take advantage of it!

Use cloth - Instead of always running for a paper towel, use rags or kitchen towels instead. Keep a plastic grocery bag in your kitchen to toss it in so you don't have to run to the laundry room each time the towel is ready to be washed. You'll create less waste and won't be buying paper towels as often. If you can go completely without paper towels, yay you! I'm not there yet.

Don't toss the bread bag - Use the heels to make bread crumbs. I'm not a zipper bag re-user, but I will occasionally wash out the bread bag and keep it around to store leftover baked goods that are sometimes too much for even a bigger zipper bag. Again, less waste and less money spent on storage bags.

Be creative - Use leftover egg cartons, old magazines, containers, and boxes as craft supplies for your kids. See this post from Make and Takes for some ideas. Get one more use out of it before it gets tossed and save money on craft supplies.

Keep a stash of paper - Have a place designated for scratch paper - you know the paper that's already been used on one side. Use it to jot down a note, as drawing paper for your kids, or throw it in your printer to print on the other side.

How do you help the earth and save money at the same time?