Spring cleaning!
What does the phrase make you feel? Excited. Anxious. In a state of avoidance?
However the idea of spring cleaning makes you feel, it can actually be a really wonderful thing. I love the idea of taking time to clean, organize and restore order. I firmly believe that if you can put in some effort on the front end, you’ll be much happier and organized on the whole. And now that we’re a quarter into 2017, it’s a good a time as ever!
We just spent a few hours this weekend spring cleaning our house and garage, but today I’m going to share a few ideas for how to spring clean your life over the next few weeks.
Here’s how I suggest starting your life spring clean:
1. Get your finances in order
Take this time of year to make or try to meet some of your financial goals. Have you started a monthly budget yet? Are you hoping to go on a big trip this year? All you have to do is start tracking your money and find easy ways to save (and smarter ways to spend).
I suggest listening to the HerMoney podcast to get new ideas for saving and investing (like putting enough to match your employer’s contribution to your 401K and throwing the rest in a Roth IRA).
2. Make some to-dos and start checking them off
I love a good to-do list. But who doesn’t?! It’s so satisfying making a list (whether it’s what to clean, what to organize, projects to start or new ideas) and then checking off a task. Even if it’s a to-do list for making breakfast or writing thank you notes, it’s still a task completed!
I suggest using this amazing, well-designed online and mobile Teuxdeux list.
3. Implement some Earth-friendly tactics
With having just celebrated Earth Day, it’s a great time to reconsider what type of footprint you’re leaving. Are there ways that you could be more energy efficient in your everyday life? I’m personally trying to use fewer plastic baggies and waste less energy at home.
I suggest looking into using reusable sandwich baggies or seeing if your energy company offers any savings programs like Duke Energy’s Energywise Home (we just signed up!)
4. Clean up your inbox
I don’t know about you, but when I have a cluttered inbox, it makes me feel stressed and like I can’t get on top of things. Again, this is a perfect time of year to go through and organize your emails into folders and get rid of those you don’t need anymore, as well unsubscribe from those you don’t read regularly. Then, you can keep things organized as emails come in.
I suggest using one of these handy email subscription clean-up services to get a head start on keeping your inbox clean.
Good luck on your spring cleaning!