Today is Earth Day, so we wanted to not only bring you positive ways you can impact the planet, but how those changes can impact your savings account as well. We came up with 11 ways to save money all while going green.

1. Use the Sun to Save Money

You don’t need expensive equipment to do a little solar heating. Just open the curtains on the south side of the house during winter days to let the sun shine in. And open the drapes on east-facing windows in the morning (if they’re not shaded).

Of course, the opposite is true when you need to keep the house cool.

2. Drink Tap Water

Not only can a bottled water habit get expensive, it takes it toll on the environment as well. The Water Project says:

• It takes three liters of water to package one liter of bottled water.

• Water bottles can take 1,000 years to biodegrade, and if incinerated they produce toxic fumes.

• Making water bottles for U.S. demand alone takes more than 1.5 million barrels of oil.

We know not every state has access to drinkable tap water, so if you can, drink from the tap.

4. Develop Green Laundry Habits

There are a number of ways to save money doing your laundry — and almost all of them are also environmentally friendly.

Here are some of the best green and frugal habits, according to these various sources, along with the potential annual savings:

• Wash in cold water ($40)
• Use less detergent ($80)
• Line-dry your clothes ($85)
• Skip the fabric softener ($65)
• Replace the old washer ($55)
• Run full loads (savings vary)
• Keep the dryer lint trap clean (savings vary)

5. Hunt Down and Put an End to Energy Vampires

The U.S. Department of Energy says energy vampires — electronics and appliances that keep using power when turned off — can add 10% to your electrical bill.

For example, phone chargers keep sucking down power even when you’re not charging, and a digital cable box can add more than $40 per year to your bill if you don’t unplug it between uses.

But who wants to run around unplugging things all the time? Instead, plug electronics into power strips that have an on/off button so you can easily cut the power to the TV and DVD player with a flip of a switch.

6. Walk and Bicycle More

If the store is nearby and you only need to carry a few things, walk or take your bike.

Depending on how many places are within reasonable walking and biking distance, you can significantly reduce your car-related expenses — and you’ll put a lot less pollution into the air.

7. Use Public Transportation

Even if you own a car, you can save money using public transportation. Take the bus or train on longer cross-town trips that would eat up more gas, or to avoid paying for parking.

Here in Portland, Tri-Met is always looking for ways to do more for the environment. Choosing public transit in Portland eliminates over 200,000 daily car trips, which reduces carbon emissions by over 60%.

8. Get an Energy Audit

A home energy audit can identify easy-to-correct energy waste issues in your home, and many utility companies offer them for free or a small charge.

If the cost of a professional audit or assessment is too high for you, just do it yourself.

10. Stop Those Water Leaks

Leaky faucets and showers are bad enough, but constantly running toilets can be really expensive. A moderately leaky flapper can cost you $70 per month!

Given the potentially high cost of this wasted water, it’s probably worth $5 or so to buy and install a new flapper if you ever hear the toilet running in the middle of the night.

11. Vacation Closer to Home

Of course, this green habit can also save you a lot of money.

12. Dress Warmer

One of the easiest ways to save on your heating bill is to simply turn down the thermostat. You can knock $10 per month off your winter heating bill for each degree you lower the setting.

To do so comfortably, you may have to start another new habit and wear warmer clothes around the house.