Over the past few months, my husband and I have switched nearly every traditional light bulb in our house to a compact fluorescent light bulb.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) cost a little bit more at the store, but the long-term savings -- and environmental awards -- are tremendous. The light quality of a CFL is just as good, if not better, than traditional light bulbs. They're not harsh like typical fluorescent lights in office buildings. I've found that General Electric makes very good CFLs. They're middle-of-the-road in terms of cost, but the quality is much better than the cheaper brands.

According to environmentaldefense.org, by replacing just one traditional 60-watt lightbulb (with 6000 hour replacement), you save $23.98 on your energy bill, and prevent 396 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. What's more, if every household replaced three 60-watt lightbulbs with CFLs, it would be the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road. 

So what are you waiting for? Just make the switch!