A follow-up on my washer and dryer tip... donate your old washer and drier to a church or habitat for humanity. Tax right off and maybe you get to go to heaven, eh, eh.
Although quite expensive, if you have money laying around, replace your old washer and dryer with a new large capacity/green machine. I did, and I promise I use half the amount of water and detergent. Plus, I do many fewer loads than I used to. So, I guess I will earn my money back in a few years.
Have a kiddie pool you are going to throw out? Stop and fill it partly with dirt, organic matter and start planting your garden. It's just hard to move the darn thing (gets heavy) and if you live in the suburbs or city you'll be labeled as a red-neck... never stopped me before.
If you shop at a large bulk food store, don't just recycle those 50 gallon barrels of mayo and pretzels, use them for your kid's or pet's toy storage. Also great for storing nails, potting dirt (poke holes in it for air purposes)... oh, and it makes for great planting containers. Your local hippie will think your pretty cool.
Want to be really hip? Buy your fruits, veggies, meats. honey, flowers, herbs from a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture... it's a share program). Look it up. Plus, you may earn a discount if you give up some free labor. Hey, when is the last time you shoveled some sh*! Take your kids and show him/her where food really comes from.
Listen, even old grumpy country folk agree. You may not be able to buy fresh greens and fruits in the dead of winter (at least in parts of the midwest/east coast). Just don't buy, for example, blueberries from South America (plus, they are packed way before appropriate harvest time and taste awful - I think).
Consider wind energy... you don't have to have a 20 story windmill in your back yard... they come in smaller sizes and pretty cool, I think.
Compost bins come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and varieties... city, suburb, country folks can all get along now.
Hey, my grandparents did this on regular basis: harvest your rain and storm water. Rain Barrels/Buckets can be attached to your downspouts. Use the water to wash your animals, cars, children, spouse - your garden will be bloomin' and healthy because you have water during the dry, hot months. If you live in the city, you may have zoning issues.
Relax, the chemical Round Up is really not that bad. It does not stay in the soil after two weeks. Even my hippie, organic master gardener friends use Round Up.