It may be a small investment of time, but in the long run, it is worth it to retrofit older lighting fixtures to accept long-lasting, energy-efficient LED lighting. If you have overhead lighting fixtures that use fluorescent tube-style lighting, you can upgrade them using easy-to-install converters. Using modern-day LED strip lamp lighting, while initially much more expensive, can still recoup about 20 to 40 percent in overall electricity savings in its lifetime. They also do not need to be replaced as often, lasting up to 20 years before the LED bulbs burn out.

As cold winter temperatures melt into warmer spring ones, it's a good time to re-examine ceiling fans, air conditioner vents and tabletop fans before you need to turn them on to cool down. During the winter months, dust and other debris can collect on these items, so use a damp microfiber towel to thoroughly wipe them down. This way, when you turn them on, all of the collected dust and other allergens won't recirculate indoors.

Here's a nontoxic way to keep slugs away from freshly planted plants: Reach into your pocket. Grab a few pennies and place the copper coins around the base of new plants. Instead of using chemical insect repellants, when slugs come crawling up toward the seedlings, they'll either get an electrical shock or be repelled by the copper. By adding coffee grinds as well -- which they hate -- you'll have a foolproof barrier to protect your plants for good.