Simple and Green are not the same things.
The wife and I have a lot of electronics and appliances. But we cook most of our meals at home, and we use the vast majority of the gadgets we have. Its not 'simple' if you feel overwhelmed by what you have. When then gadgets themselves begin to be a chore rather than a benefit to your life. But we only bring home things we know we will use. We are both technophiles, so we bring technology into our lives that streamline how we live.
We have 2 cars, but we don't drive them much because we live 1 block from my wifes work, 4 blocks from my kids school, and 1 mile (easy to walk to, sidewalks/walking trail the whole way) grocery store. I pick up a lot of our grocerys when I am out for a walk and bring them home in my backpack. About once every 6 weeks we drive to a Costco and buy all our paper supplys/bulk stuff. If you live in a rural area, or a suburban area that is not walkable, then getting more efficent cars is really your only option. The NE is tough, because you have tough winters to contend with, and that dictates you need to have a somewhat capable car. Not sure where you live, but perhaps public transport is an option?
Greening up your house is pretty obvious stuff. Replace drafty windows, get better insulation, plant trees for shade to reduce cooling bills in summer. Modern appliances (especially refridgerators) are much more efficient than older models.
Bah! Don't overthink this thing. Just buy a Prius and put a 'Envision World Peace' sticker on the back.
