In these enlightened times, you would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't adopted some method of green living, whether it's faithfully recycling, using natural products or biking to work. If you’re ready to move to another level in your green lifestyle, there are several steps you can take to become more eco-friendly, all without having to radically adjust your lifestyle. Here are some suggestions for helping out the planet without breaking the bank.

Green the wash

In the past 20 years, washers have become much more energy efficient than older models. To live greener at home, invest in a more efficient model and consider saving the washer for bulky and/or large items like denim, towels and comforters, all of which take considerable effort to wash and rinse by hand, negating the Earth-saving measures you were undertaking in the first place. Hand-wash smaller items with a washing board and homemade detergent and let air dry on drying racks or clothesline.

Power down

Appliances use a lot of power, even when they're shut off. Energy-sucking culprits include computers, printers, televisions, DVD players and TiVo. Plugging items into one power strip will make it easier to shut them on and off when you're leaving for the workday or going to sleep at night. Though it might initially take a little practice, it will become second nature to unplug rather than switch off, perhaps more so when you notice a difference with your utility bill.

Also make sure you unplug phone chargers when you're done charging your phone, as they too will draw power that you need not pay for. What starts as small increments can really add up and unnecessarily inflate your utility bills.

Around the house

Installing a low-flow showerhead can reduce your average water use by up to 50%. On average, a regular showerhead uses four gallons of water per minute. If installing a new showerhead is not an option, get wet in the shower and then shut off the water off while you soap up. You'll accomplish the same result without wasting needless gallons of water. As good as it feels to linger, keep in mind that an average 10-minute shower can use more than 40 gallons of water.

Use natural ingredients to clean up around your house. A plethora of cleansers can be made using non-toxic materials like baking soda, lemon juice, and vinegar. These handy household items will efficiently clean your house without exposing you or the environment to toxins.

You can make a number of green health and beauty aids, including alcohol-free mouthwash. Mix together 1 ¼ cups of mineral water (such as Evian or Perrier) with six drops each of peppermint oil and tea-tree oil. Pour into a sterilized bottle, shake well before each use and gargle as you would with a store-bought mouthwash.

Thankfully, this list of 'go green' suggestions isn't exhaustive. If you're new to greening your lifestyle, be sure to start small. Giving yourself time to adjust to your new habits will help you succeed down the line. Before long, you'll probably be advising friends about steps they can take to green their lives.

Holly Lee is an avid yogi, animal lover, and vegan. She enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands she loves.