Do you want to avoid disposable plastic bags when buying fruits and vegetables at the store? While reusable bags are common, they can be difficult to keep clean and can be heavy -- adding extra cost to your produce purchases. But new reusable bags made from featherweight polyester aren't just strong, they let your produce breathe, too. And the best part? When you bring apples, broccoli or whatever's fresh from the market home, they can be rinsed and drained right in the bag.

Here's another reason to invest in a reusable coffee cup: disposable plastic lids may be bad for you. Disposable coffee cups use plastic lids made from rigid Styrofoam -- a No. 6-grade plastic -- that has the chemical bisphenal A (BPA) in it. When you sip your hot latte through a plastic lid, you're slowly sipping chemicals, too. In addition to investing in a reusable mug, you can avoid BPA in other plastic containers by simply looking at the recycling symbol. If you see Nos. 1, 2, 4 or 5, the product has low or zero BPA in it.

If you want to make a minimal investment to save money on your utilities, look no further than your showerhead. New low-flow showerheads use about 2.5 gallons per minute. By replacing less-efficient showerheads, you can save about $145 a year on electricity costs alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This doesn't even count the amount of money you can save on your water bill. And while we're speaking of water: Always wash full loads of laundry. That one tip can save you 3,400 gallons of water per year.