Saving money usually is close to everyone's heart. It certainly is to mine. And if it can be done so that it also helps the environment, then it could be called double savings. It gives your wallet a break and does the same to the earth.

Let's look at some of the easy yet often overlooked ways to achieve savings that can make a difference. Compact florescent light bulb, or CFL, is coming on strong nowadays. Installing five of them in place of the regular incandescent bulbs can easily save you about 50% per year in you power bill. That would definitely help. Now, should every household in the U.S. do that, it would get rid of greenhouse gas in the amount that 8 million cars produce each year. That is a staggering figure.

Another inexpensive way to save would be a programmable thermostat. It could put more than a $100 per year more money in your pocket, but the real savings come on the environmental side. All you need is have one out of every 10 households use one of them and that would remove 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases. Energy Star Action Guide is the source on this one.

This is my favorite. Go ahead and purchase local produce. So, where are the savings, you might ask? Shipping produce will certainly drive up the price. Moreover, it is fresh, in most cases it's available only hours after having been picked. And the environmental benefits come from the lesser need for gas-guzzling trucks hauling the product for hundreds or thousands of miles.

I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to save and benefit the earth, so feel free to add yours to the list.