6 Realistic New Years Resolutions for Your Home in 2016

Your home has a tremendous impact on your well being, peace of mind and health.  Your home is, in fact, an extension of you!  So why not start 2016 off with a clean slate?  Below we talk about some realistic goals for your home to help keep you clearheaded, happy and serene throughout 2016.

Mini Spring Cleanings Throughout the Year

Most of us dread Spring Cleaning every year.  It usually means spending an entire day or weekend organizing closets and drawers and cleaning out the fridge and the garage.  It also means going through all of that stuff that we’ve tossed to the side in the past year…the stuff that we REALLY don’t want to deal with.   But the day inevitably comes where the closet or drawer or garage has reached its limit and you’re forced to do something about it.  It can be exhausting, right?

So what can we do throughout the year to lessen the chore of Spring Cleaning?

Toss What You Don’t Need on a Regular Basis

Throw out or recycle what you know you’re not going to need.  It can be difficult to let go of stuff, but it’s actually like strengthening a muscle; the more you do it the easier it is.  The more you get used to tossing out what you’re not going to use, the more you’ll want to do it!  Soon, you’ll have clean closets, drawers and garages because you’ll only be keeping the essentials.  And you don’t have to throw things away, there are so many ways to recycle items as well: donate to Good Will, have a garage sale, sell old items on Craigslist or sell clothes and furniture that are in good condition to second hand stores.  One summer I made over $300 on Craigslist just selling random stuff I didn’t need anymore; jewelry, a hula hoop, an old desk and chair, pillows, sunglasses…the list went on.  It can be done!

Start an Organizing System for your Home

Once you remove the clutter and are down to the essentials, start an organizing system for your home.  Although this may sound overwhelming if you don’t consider yourself an organized person, it’s easy now that you’ve removed all the stuff that you had no idea what to do with before!  And contrary to popular belief, organizing can be fun and creative.

Check out these fun organizing ideas from Buzzfeed and Design Sponge.

Photo via 7001 Arlington at Bethesda Apartments

Cut Down on Paper Mail and Printed Bills

How lucky are we that we live in an era where we’re not stuck with going through paper bills and writing checks?  I used to keep all of my printed bank statements and various bills organized in manila folders.  It was a cumbersome job, one that I did not do on a regular basis because I dreaded it.  And because I put it off so often, I was left with stacks of printed bills and statements in random spots all over my home.  Since online billing has become the norm, I have taken advantage of it whenever I can and it has seriously cut down on the paper clutter in my home.  Instead of organizing manila folders, now I have everything organized on my computer and I have to say, it’s such a relief.

Use a Budget App for your Home Expenses

This is something I’ve just started doing and I love it.  And while this can definitely go beyond your apartment and into all aspects of your life, it really helps to stay on budget with home-related items throughout the year.  There are many budget apps out there, but the one that seems to be the most popular is Mint by Intuit.  This is the app that I’ve personally started using and it has made organizing my finances so much easier.  You can link your bank and credit card accounts to see your debt to cash ratio, set up alerts for all of your bills and budget all your monthly items such as groceries, rent, and utilities.

Buy Fresh Flowers to Brighten up Your Home

There’s nothing like fresh flowers on a Saturday morning to make your home feel more bright and cozy!  And if cleaning, organizing, and budgeting doesn’t sound very appealing, fresh flowers is an easy resolution to keep up with and will have a big impact on your overall well-being in 2016.

Featured photo via 909 West Apartments