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Holiday time is here and now more than ever, there are eco-friendly options for decorations that will make your festivities easier on the environment and your wallet, especially when it comes to lights.

The US Department of Energy reports that if LED lights replaced all of the conventional incandescent Christmas bulbs this season, the energy savings would total two billion kilowatt hours. That’s enough energy savings to power 200,000 homes all year long. That’s also an enormous savings for homeowners. Good for the environment, good for the wallet.

Using LED lights saves money on your electricity bill because they use about 80 percent less electricity than traditional ones. Also, the typical lifetime of LED lights is around 100,000 hours. (No, that’s not a typo.) So you won’t be buying them again – they’ll be included in your will. Where do you get them? Ordering online is greener (no driving) as well as more convenient (no waiting in line).

Quick Tip for Lights: Put outdoor lights on timers instead of leaving them on all night. You can get this one for $13.64.

More Quick Decorating Tips:
1. Use what you already have.

2. When you need to replace items, whenever possible, choose ones that are local, recycled, recyclable, organic, and conserve energy and water.

3. Don’t throw anything in the trash to be delivered to the landfill. As you buy things, ask yourself, “How can I dispose of this without sending it to a landfill?” If you don’t have an alternative to a landfill, pass on it and look for something else.

4. Pine cones and popcorn and cranberry garlands are classic natural decorations as well as being more personal and less expensive!