Living a greener life — being more eco-friendly and sustainable — doesn’t have to be a matter of saving the rain forest. Instead, you might want to consider going green as a matter of saving some money. One of the big emphasis of a sustainable lifestyle is using a little less, whether you’re using less energy or fewer resources. As our energy prices rise, energy conservation makes sense on a financial level as well as an environmental level. If you want to pay less at the pump, you have to figure out a way to drive less. If you want to bring down your electricity bill, using less electricity is the way to go.

In general, one mantra works for both saving the environment and saving money: “Use less stuff.” There are some small steps you can take to implement that mantra in your life.

Energy Star Appliances

Energy Star appliances are government-rated appliances proven to be more energy efficient than other options. The initial price for many Energy Star appliances are a little higher than you might be used to, but in the long run, they’ll save you money by dropping your electricity bill.

It used to be that the Energy Star system only covered major appliances, like washers and dryers. The Energy Star site now lists a whole array of electronics, though, from lighting to televisions to battery charging systems.

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Want an easy fix for your electricity bill? Swap out your incandescent light bulbs for CFLs. For each bulb you change out, you’ll save at least $30 in electricity costs over the life of the bulb — and that’s taking into account the fact that CFLs have a slightly higher purchase price.

Public Transportation & Carpooling

Looking for ways to cut that gas bill? Depending on what part of the country you live in, you may be able to make use of public transportation. Even in some of the Midwest cities notorious for less-than-adequate municipal bus systems, you may be able to get a cheap ride to the mall or other city hubs.

For those trips that public transportation just won’t help with, consider carpooling. Rather than offering to meet up with your friends, see if someone will swing by and pick you up. Same goes if anyone needs to run the same errands you do.

Shop Locally

Minimizing the trips you take outside your neighborhood may limit your selection a bit, but even if your nearest grocery store is a little pricier than some of the others in town you can still save by not using so much gas.

There’s another facet to shopping locally that can bring the price down even more: if you buy locally grown produce and other food from farmers’ markets and similar local suppliers, you can often spend significantly less to buy your food. A farmer who operates just outside of the city limits doesn’t have to factor in the fuel costs that grocery stores who bring produce in from two states away must.