If you love the taste and smell of backyard barbecue and the smoky flavor that comes from cooking over hot charcoal, do this one thing: Skip the lighter fluid. The residual chemicals in lighter fluid can penetrate grilled food. But you really don't need lighter fluid to get a roaring fire going. Just use an inexpensive chimney starter with paper to start a slow-burning fire. It will help ignite the wood briquettes naturally and your food will taste so much better if you do.

Don't confuse the word "hypoallergenic" with "eco-friendly" when buying things like skin care products and bedding. "Hypoallergenic" only means it won't trigger allergic reactions. It's not a classification that means the product is natural, eco-friendly or organic at all. And even worse: There is no regulation from the U.S. government on what "hypoallergenic" actually means, so anyone can slap the word on any product. Read labels and learn if the actual ingredients and materials used live up to your green expectations.

While it would be ideal to buy only organic groceries all the time, the reality is that it can be cost prohibitive for most of us. The simple compromise is to focus on the items you consume a lot of and to go with conventionally made products you use sporadically. So, if it takes more than a month to go through a package of butter, it's OK to buy the much less expensive conventional butter than organic. But if your kids eat PBJs morning, noon and night, spend a little more on organic spreads. Prioritizing your eco-friendly grocery list will help you save money and be greener at home.