New Year’s Home Resolutions for 2018
Happy New Year! Another year just passed and this is a great opportunity to think of 2018 plans and put them into action. A lot of time people consider their New Year’s Resolutions in terms of health, diet, staying fit, education or savings. I suggest that it is time to take 2018 to a new level and think about what you can do to improve/protect and upkeep your loved home. At the end of the day you spent there the most time, so why would you not take a closer look at your home and take some action?
I have a list of my favorite 5 that I would like to share with you.
1. Get out of debt (budget for home improvements).
Nothing better like preparing yourself and your family for unexpected household expenses. Nobody likes to think about sudden issues and repairs, but life is not all colorful and bad things happen. Therefore, get ahead and prepare yourself for it. According to some surveys, you should keep at least 2% of the purchase price in your savings account that is strictly allocated for household upkeep, maintenance and any emergencies that may arise. Therefore, if you purchased a house for $300,000 you should keep about $6,000 in your savings account.
It may seem like a lot at first, but trust me – it will be easier to put a little bit each month to your account than suddenly come up with a few thousand dollars worth of repair. If you haven’t saved that much yet over time, start including the monthly allocation into your household budget.
2. De-clutter
How many times do you think about all the space that is taken? Or how many times do you wish you had more space? I guarantee you – you have space, but you just need to organize it better.
- Start looking at old stuff. If you did not use an item or wear a thing even once in the last year, it means that you do not need it. We are not talking about any sentimental items, but do not think that old pair of jeans or the item that you got on sale is a sentimental thing. Here are some good ideas on how to start, since a lot of time it is overwhelming to begin!
- Take the 12-12-12 challenge. In one day find 12 things to throw away, 12 items to donate and 12 times to return to its proper home. Sound like fun, right? This quick idea helps you to organize 36 items! I would not recommend doing it regularly, but it can be more fun and creative way of tidying up things once in a while.
- Designate a spot for incoming paper. I would suggest the tray or box that is placed close to the entry door. This way you can also put your mail in there as you come back home. Manual, receipts, warranties, etc. – place it all there. Stop putting papers all over – counters, drawers, desks or kitchen tables. We all know it. Having the papers all over your house will make it messy. A simple box/tray with a designated place for it will make it look neat.
- Teach your family members where things belong. This is one of the biggest challenges a lot of families face. Teach you significant other and kids that all items have its one place and they need to put them back after done. It May seem difficult to achieve at first but be patient, it will pay off.
- Create a ‘maybe’ box. Nothing more annoying than when you start tidying up your house and you start finding all the random items that do not belong anywhere. It does not mean they need to be tossed (but consider it) but a rather temporary item that needs to be placed somewhere before more action is required. I have found that having a maybe box creates so much space and I would highly recommend sorting it every couple of weeks.
3. Drink less water. Your household is thirsty!
According to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), each American uses an average of 88 gallons of water a day at home. Are you surprised? The main water usage is connected with flushing the toilet and taking long showers. You mustn’t consider only reducing these valuable resources but also reduce your water bills.
- Install Dual Flush Kit in your toilet.
- When doing laundry, always use the full load.
- The same goes for the dishwasher, use the full load.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.
- Get the water pebble – it is an Eco-friendly water-activated shower timer that helps train you to reduce your time in the shower.
4. Go green and shrink your house.
This item goes well with the one above about water. A lot of people sneeze when hearing words such as green, environment and recycling. But really, give it another thought in 2018. The trend for more sustainable and environmentally friendly households is growing which gives you more tools that are readily available. You will not only help the planet but will save you some money. These can be very simple steps that you start implementing in everyday life.
- Switch off the lights.
- Turn off the air conditioner. It does not have to run 24 hours/a day.
- Install LED’s light bulbs.
- Air dry your clothes. The great add-on benefit of this is that your clothes won’t get ruined so quick keeping the elastics and colors as brand new.
- Don’t heat an empty house. You can easily upgrade to a programmable thermostat. During winter months, turn down your thermostat to 55 degrees F while you’re away.
5. System for keeping your house clean.
Make a schedule and follow it. It is as simple as it sounds, but it will make your life easier in the long term. Take time and make weekly, monthly and quarterly cleaning schedules. This way you would avoid spending a lot of time deep cleaning your house. There is no need and probably you won’t have time to clean your oven every day but once a week will make it last longer and less time-consuming. If you clean behind the kitchen cabinets once a month you will never have to spend hours deep cleaning your entire kitchen. The list will bed different for everyone, but make sure it is simple. Always remember to break down your big project into smaller steps.
I hope you liked some of my ideas and you will rethink your goals for this year and incorporate some of them in your everyday life. Good luck!
Thanks,
Aleks
You can contact me via the form on this page.
