There are many things we can do when building a new home to make it energy efficient and environmentally friendly, thus making it a “green” home. Although you may not be able to incorporate all of the following ideas into your new home, certainly some of them will fit in with your plans.

Whenever we think of homes, our first consideration is location. In the “green” home thought process, it is necessary to locate your home near where you go the most. It should be close to your job, near a grocery store, and children’s schools. This will save on travel costs as you will be able to walk or ride a bicycle.

The exterior of your home should be made of whatever material is readily available in your area. Of course, it also must be cost effective. Try to design your home around the availability and energy efficiency of particular products.

Consider raising your fireplace to the level where the heat meets the height of the seat cushions. This will make everyone more comfortable and expend less energy.

Digital programmable thermostats automatically correct the level of humidity when necessary.

Consider having an overhang on your home extending approximately 3 to 5 feet to provide summer shading.

Shade trees help keep the house cool while drought-tolerant plants require less water.

A well-positioned porch captures breezes and screening is very beneficial.

Consider a detached carport versus an attached garage to eliminate gas fumes and other toxins from getting into the home.

Consider flooring made of linoleum or oak as they are durable and easy to clean. Linoleum is easy to clean and oak is plentiful and affordable. These are much better choices that importing exotic woods.

Appliances should always be Energy Star certified as they are high quality and more energy efficient than any others.

The following are cost-saving tips that can save you money over the next year. Consider implementing some of them so that your family can stretch their budget.

Plan a visit to your attic to see what is up there. Many internet sites allow you to list these items for sale. If you are not using them, maybe someone else will.

Drink tap water instead of bottled water and you could save as much as $1,250 per year.

Adjust your thermostat so that your heat and/or cooling system is not working as hard and will use less energy. Consider a sweater if you are cool.

Adjust your toilet flow. Instead of purchasing a new toilet, consider filling a plastic drink bottle with water, cap it, and put it in a corner of the tank. This will decrease the water needed per flush.

Switch all light fixtures to fluorescent bulbs as they last longer and use less energy.

A new showerhead with a low-flow can save water over a period of time.

Pull the plugs on your electronics and the savings will be considerable. Disconnect the TV, DVD player, etc. each time you are finished using them. Substantial savings will be realized by this simple act.

Do not hand wash dishes; it actually uses more energy than the dishwasher.

Line dry your clothes.

Weather strip your doors.

Turn down lights using dimmers in several areas.

Plant leafy trees to protect from the summer’s heat.