May Reading Roundup

Spring has officially sprung. While you may be out enjoying warmer weather and smelling the flowers, the change in seasons can also be a great cue to partake in another seasonal activity: spring cleaning.

This may not sound as fun as enjoying nature, but spring cleaning can leave you feeling rejuvenated and put you on a better track to enjoy the warmer weather both this season and the next! From tidying up your home to cleaning up your finances, here are some tips for refreshing your life.

Home

Perhaps the most traditional target for spring cleaning is your home. To start, you may want to take stock of the current state of your home . What are some surface-level areas that need some attention? This could include dishes, vacuuming, dusting, and other common chores. Next, decide what needs to be decluttered. For instance, your kitchen may be in need of some serious TLC , or it may finally be time to clean out that junk drawer once and for all.

Another aspect of spring cleaning that may not be as obvious is your subscriptions. From magazines that clutter up your living room to streaming services that litter your digital home footprint (and suck away at your savings!). It’s essential to review your subscriptions regularly and assess what you’re truly using and what needs to go.

Work

No matter if you work from home or in an office, the odds are high that you have some sort of workplace setup that you need to keep clean and tidy. If you have some time before a meeting, are bored at work , or even need to schedule some cleaning time as a “meeting” in your work calendar, tidying up your workspace can help you feel calmer, more productive, and more organized throughout the workday.

Additionally, you may want to spring-clean your work-life balance. Are you spending an increasing amount of time in meetings? Is your workday constantly extending into your personal time? Then you may want to review your schedule and look for places you can maximize your time, such as meetings that could be email updates or tasks you can delegate to other team members. Not only can this tidy up your calendar, but it can tidy up your brain, helping prevent you from overworking, burnout, and other negative mental health consequences.

Friends & Family

Has it been too long since you chatted with your sister or went out to lunch with your friend? If so, your social calendar may need some spring cleaning, too! You can start by using your freshly-cleared calendar to pencil in a meaningful activity , like a lunchtime walk with a friend or a phone call with your father. If you have unused vacation time, it may also be time to plan a family vacation ! Is vacation not in the cards? Consider a weekend staycation or a date night with your partner .

There’s another, somewhat trickier, relationship aspect with your friends and family that may need some tidying up, too: money. If a friend or family member owes you money or has asked you to borrow money, be sure to have clear boundaries and expectations about how and when that money should be paid back. Depending on how much money they’re asking to borrow, you may also want to document the loan in writing and have both parties sign it. This can help avoid the situation from becoming messy, both in terms of you being out of money and keeping clear boundaries in your personal relationships.

Diet

No matter if your new year’s resolution is to eat cleaner (or not), spring is a perfect time to reexamine your food selections and meal plans . Keeping better tabs on your meals can help you eat healthier, avoid takeout, and even save money on food, which has become even more important as the price of food rises due to inflation.

Putting more thought into your daily meals means you can also take a look at eating cleaner, too. This could be as simple as adding more veggies to your diet with two vegan dinners a week or as involved as going completely vegetarian or swearing off processed snacks.

Around the Web

Need more help with spring cleaning? We’ve searched the web for some of the best tips for tidying up your life:

•   Spring Cleaning Cheat Sheet: A Step-by-Step Checklist for Your Home

•   43 Spring Cleaning Tips From Cleaning and Organizing Experts

•   Spring Cleaning Checklist: The Ultimate Guide to a Tidier Home

•   Our 20 Best Spring Cleaning Tips of All Time

The Takeaway

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to mean just cleaning up your home. It can also mean tidying up your work, personal relationships, diet, and more. Doing so can help you simplify your life and give you more time to enjoy the warmer weather months.

Want some help spring-cleaning your finances? SoFi Insights is a budgeting app that can track your cash, set up financial goals, and help you keep tabs on your spending.

Learn more about how SoFi Insights can work for you.

Learn more

Photo credit: iStock/Prostock-Studio

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.