After brewing your morning cup of coffee, don't toss the grinds into the trash. Grab some pots and pans that need a good cleaning -- cast iron pans are particularly good to try this idea on -- and scrub them with the used grinds. Their naturally abrasive texture will buff off debris, and they'll rinse clean without the use of any chemical cleaners.

Americans drive about 3 trillion miles every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. More than 70 percent of United States oil use is for transportation, which means doing small things to help reduce your gas usage can help save precious natural resources and money in your wallet, too. Take a look at your car's owner manual: Are you using the grade of motor oil it recommends? Using the wrong kind -- or not knowing and trusting the auto shop to choose -- can lower your car's gas mileage up to 2 percent. Changing to the proper oil grade won't cost more, and it will save you money at the pump.

Do this one thing if you want to help extend and protect the life of your clothes: Never store dirty laundry near freshly laundered pieces in the closet. Body oils, perfumes and other barely there scents can be enough to attract fabric-damaging insects from your pile of to-do laundry. Insects that are attracted to the scent will then wreak havoc on clothes -- used and new. So keeping your laundry pile far away from your freshly washed clothes is one way to help keep your closet free of damaging insects.