Invest in a tire pressure gauge to check the air pressure inside your tires. Once a month, check the pressure to make sure it meets the suggested guideline in your car's manual. If it reads lower, use an air pump at the gas station to add air. This simple test can improve the overall average miles per gallon for your car by as much as 3 percent.

Planting trees in your yard is one of the simplest ways to add value to your home and create future energy savings, too. Since trees provide shade and shaded air is cooler, you can strategically plant trees so they provide shade wherever your air conditioning unit is. The unit draws in the cooler air, which means it uses less energy to lower the temperature and circulate air conditioning around the house. In just one year, you'll save about $250 in electricity costs alone.

Sure, water is good for you, but water in plastic bottles can be bad for your wallet and bad for the environment. A daily bottled water habit can easily cost one person a few hundred dollars per year. Instead, invest in a high-quality reusable bottle -- I like glass ones from Lifefactory -- and fill it with filtered water. In just one year, that investment will help you recoup, on average, about $240. Cheers to the ecological savings!