by Becky Smith Gallops

It is easy to be green when the weather is mild and you can ride a bike to work, garden outdoors or shop at your local farmer's market, but what happens when it is below freezing and the ground is covered with frost?

Install a Programmable Thermostat: This handy device can help to cut your heating and cooling bill by 20 - 30% annually. These thermostats allow you to choose the temperature to be maintained in your home during different times of the day. Programmable thermostats are relatively inexpensive and easy to install.

Turn Your Computer Green: Blustery days may make you want to hang out near the fire with your laptop. Make a few simple adjustments to that computer and you can save about a half-ton of CO2 and $60 in energy costs per year. This can be done just by using the proper computer power management settings and the minimal power settings.

Recycle Around the House: When cabin fever sets in, consider doing a little recycling with things you have around the house. Use torn or worn out jeans to create potholders. Knit or crochet a warm blanket from scraps of yarn. Find ways to take decorative items you are bored with and give them a new look. You will be amazed what you can do with a sewing machine, a hot glue gun and old fabric scraps or paint that you might have lying around.

Plant an Indoor Garden: If you are longing for the summer days of planting and growing, bring your garden inside! There are many herbs that you can grow indoors during winter, such as mint, basil, rosemary and thyme. Tomatoes and peppers are both quite hearty and will grow indoors with the proper care.

Cook Ahead: Cooking in bulk saves energy by reducing the amount of times you turn on the stove or oven. In addition, it helps keep the house warm so you use less heat. The bonus of all this cooking and baking is that you will have a refrigerator and freezer full of food to eat on the days you don't feel like cooking. And remember, a full freezer uses less energy than an empty one.

Don't fret the cold months, use them to keep green inside until it is once again green outside.