Big impact on the wallet for No Impact Man

Colin "No Impact Man" Beavan has gotten lots of press for his year of living carbon-neutrally.

But in a column that appears on Yahoo! Finance, Laura Rowley points out an aspect of the experiment that has been under-reported: going no-impact has saved Beavan some big bucks.

He's dropped take-out food from his expenses, which is a huge savings. That's balanced out somewhat by the "artisanal, unpasteurized cheese made from the milk of grass-fed cows" his family now buys, plus the expensive eggs from pasture-raised hens.

But the family's utility bills for their New York City apartment are practically nothing now. Aside from the mortgage, most expenses are a mere $120 each week.

Rowley's finance column is full of tips for how you can cut back your impact and your budget (even if you're not ready to drop off the grid). Swap to fluorescent bulbs, unplug appliances, track water leaks, ditch junk mail, and eat food that comes from within 250 miles of your town, for starters.

Make some changes and see what the impact is on your own bottom line.