Going green should not sound like a huge burden, a worrisome chore or a complete drag. It should come as second nature to want to protect the planet that we all call home, but some people are still dragging their feet when it comes to making the smallest sacrifices and the better choices.

Taken as a whole, green living may seem to be a bit hard to face, a bit hard to swallow. But, if you break it down to smaller steps and little changes, it becomes a far more doable process. For instance:

1. Only buy products that have limited packaging. The message to the manufacturer is clearly sent every time you reward them with a purchase.

2. Recycle all paper, glass and aluminum products whenever you can. If you do not live in an area with curbside recycling, then start advocating for one. If you can recycle paper products at work, at least take advantage of that program.

3. Reuse items until they are hopeless. A prime example is a bath towel that may have a faded color or a worn spot. Cut the towel down to a slightly smaller size, or cut it into several wash clothes. This reduces the amount of wash cloth or cleaning rags that you have to buy.

4. Install a low flow toilet and low flow shower heads. You would be shocked to know how much water is wasted each and every single time a family member goes to the toilet. Low flow toilets use a fraction of the water to accomplish the exact same task. Encourage family members to take shorter showers in addition to using the low flow shower heads.

5. Encourage everyone to turn the water off when brushing their teeth and to turn off all lights when they leave a room. Shutting down the computer saves energy as well.

6. Replace light bulbs with compact fluorescent to save energy and to save money as well. Fluorescent have a low end estimated life of five years.

Pick a tip, make it your own and then when it is second nature, pick a second. It can be something as simple as turning off a light to something more grand like biking to work three days of the week or buying a hybrid car. Do your tip to go green and hope that everyone around you does their share as well.