The other night, my husband and I were having dinner at my dad’s. When we walked in, his coffee pot was sitting in the middle of the counter. He pointed to it and told me we needed to go shopping so he could buy a new one. Naturally, I asked him if it had broken. He shook his head and said “nope, it’s just so dirty and looks ugly on the counter.” Which is fair. It was REALLY dirty. BUT, my dad doesn’t even drink coffee. He had company over the weekend. So the coffee maker out so he could make them their morning cup of joe. My dad was, ready to replace a good appliance that is used 2 weeks a year, because it was dirty.
I told him we’d try to clean it up and see if we could get it presentable. My husband grabbed some cleaning spray and a sponge and went to work. And while he did accidentally wipe off the words “on” and “delay” from the buttons, within no time the coffee maker looked practically new. I took a sharpie and wrote on the buttons and we were good to go. But this exchange with my dad got me thinking about spring cleaning and how it can really derail your budget if you aren’t careful.
Spring Is On Its Way
Spring is starting to arrive…albeit very slowly in Montana. And with it, people who have been stuck indoors all winter are ready to get outside. They may also be ready to freshen up their space. Which means, it’s time for spring cleaning! Spring cleaning is great, but if you aren’t careful, it can leave a dent in your budget. You may be tempted to buy linens or other things to freshen up your home, you may be ready to tackle a new hobby, or you may be in the mood to replace an appliance that just needs a good spruce. When you start spring cleaning, it’s important to be mindful. Here are some tips for keeping your budget in mind while spring cleaning that will help you stay on track!
Take Stock of What You Have
One of the best ways to keep your budget in mind while spring cleaning is to take stock of what you already have. As you are cleaning room by room, look at what you have. It can be helpful to make a list of the items you have in closets or less used rooms of your house. That way if you think of something you just have to have or see an ad online you can double check your list to be sure you don’t already have one. Unless you really need duplicates, buying another one takes up space and pulls money from your budget that is intended for other stuff.
Rotate Your Seasonal Items
Raise your hand if by the end of winter you hate all your winter clothes? I hope it’s not just me. Living where winter arrives sometimes as early as October 1st and the snow can stick around until early May, by March I’m often sick of my sweaters and hoodies. As the weather starts to warm up, it can be helpful to rotate out your seasonal items.
Maybe all winter you snuggle up under flannel sheets, instead of running out and buying new bedding, put your flannel away and put your cool cotton sheets out. Or if you are tired of all your winter clothes, put them in the back of the drawer and pull out your summer t-shirts. When we get tired of the same thing day in and day out, it is tempting to buy something new and fresh. But, if you rotate your seasonal items, it can feel the same as getting something new. And by turning to your closet instead of the store you are keeping your budget in mind while spring cleaning.
Get Rid of the Clutter
One thing that can lead to major feelings of discontent for most of us is clutter. It can make us feel unfocused and can lead to unintended spending. Whether you are buying organizers to try to minimize the mess or buying a replacement of an item you just can’t seem to find, clutter can sneak into your budget and drive your spending up. Instead, get rid of the clutter all around you. Take time to straighten and sort. Go through any papers you’ve been collecting and put them in a folder if you need to keep them. If they aren’t important, shred them. You’ll be surprised what you find under all those piles. And often, once we’ve cleaned and organized, our space feels fresh.
Make a List
Even with cleaning up your space, reviewing what you have and swapping out your seasonal items you may still find as you’re spring cleaning that you need to buy a few things here and there. That’s fine! One way to keep your budget in mind while spring cleaning is to make a list of the things that you need to buy. Keep the list on your phone so you can refer back to it when you are out and about. Then, unless the need is urgent, try to find the things on your list on sale. It is common for stores to hold sales around Easter or Memorial Day. Shopping for the items on your list when they are on sale can help you keep your budget in mind.
It can also help your budget if you spread out the purchases. So it can help to make your list in order of priority. Even if you can’t find every item on sale, buying things over time can lessen the impact and keep on track.
Spring Cleaning Doesn’t Have to Break Your Budget
As the days get longer and the weather warms up, many of us want to clean and freshen our spaces. But it’s important to keep our budgets on track in the process. Keeping your budget in mind while spring cleaning can help you keep moving forward with your financial goals. So as you are spring cleaning don’t forget to take stock of what you have, rotate out your seasonal items, get rid of the clutter, and finally make a list of the things you actually need to buy. Doing this will help your finances grow right alongside your spring flowers!
New to budgeting? You might find my blog post Creating a Values Based Budget in 5 Easy Steps a helpful read!
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