It’s easier than ever to find organic cotton bedding in big-box stores and online shopping sites. But other than choosing to help farmers who grow cotton organically, what’s the real benefit to sleeping on organic sheets? Conventional cotton bedding is often bleached and then dyed using heavy metal dyes that can have formaldehyde resins. And if you choose sheets that are labeled “wrinkle-free,” they are also treated with a chemical substance that is a suspected carcinogen. If you can’t find organic cotton sheets, look for light-colored bedding that is not wrinkle-free for a greener sleep.

If you drive only locally, there’s no need to have a spare tire in your car, especially if you don’t know how to replace one. A spare tire weighs about 39 pounds, which reduces your car’s efficiency by 1 percent. That’s about an extra $50 a year in lost fuel savings. Instead, keep a can of Fix-A-Flat, which can temporarily inflate a flat tire so you can drive to a repair shop and get it fixed. When you do go on long-distance trips or travel, place the spare back in the car so you're prepared for wherever your travels may take you.

There’s nothing like a fresh, juicy tropical fruit salad to start off your day, but did you know there is one type of exotic fruit you should avoid? The majority of papayas are genetically modified (GMOs). The fruit is considered a GMO because scientists restructured the genetic structure of papaya to combat the papaya ringspot virus. If you want to avoid GMOs, avoid papayas altogether. If you can’t live without them, look for certified organic ones, which can be found at health food stores. Certified organic fruits can’t be genetically modified.