We often overlook the simple things when we think about living green.

Here's a perfect example: your car's air filter.

The air filter is one of the quickest and easiest "repairs" you can make. Here's all you have to do to check to see if needs replacing:

Pop open the hood of your vehicle. Look for the largest non-metal casing. It can be rectangular or circular, and it's a little larger than a huge hardback book. Loosen the wing nuts (or in some cases, clamps) that hold the cap in place. Remove the filter.

Hold it up to the light to see if it needs replacing. Fan through the paper wings to see if there's an accumulation of dirt and dust settled between them. If that's the case, it's time to replace your filter.

That's how easy it is.

You just drop in a new filter and you're all set.

And you'll be pleased to hear that not only will changing the filter help your vehicle run more efficiently and thereby go easier on the environment, but that you can now use green air filters.

Just to make sure... a "green" filter does not refer to the color. It refers to an environmentally friendly filter.

So how often should you check your filter?

Your vehicle's manual should have the answer for you. But if you no longer have yours, a general rule of thumb is to change it every 12 months or 12,000 miles.

And why should you use a green air filter?

You'll be pleased to learn that a green filter is reusable. Instead of replacing it every year, all you have to do is pull it out, clean it, and put it back in.

Is that cool, or what?

Of course, there's a catch. You're going to pay more for an environmentally friendly air filter. Approximately 2 to 4 times more than a regular filter. So you'll need to spend a little more upfront to save a lot more (in time, money, and convenience) down the road.

It's also worth noting that cotton is the primary material in these filters. A great plus for those landfills since cotton breaks down quickly and is absorbed into the earth without doing any damage.

This is just one of many green living tips. Find more.

Discover a whole slew of green living tips, and pick up a free copy of our ebook, Top Living Green Tips at: http://livinggreentips.org