On Wednesday I published my version of New Years Resolutions with a large serving of tongue in cheek humor, or at least I thought it was funny. With that aside I figured it’s time to be serious about doing something positive in the new year. We all are facing economic pressures as well as the frequently cited ecological reasons to “go green”. With that in mind and with some basic suggestions from AOL’s Shelter Pop, here is some more ideas for simple things that you can do for 2010.
In addition to the usual New Year's resolutions to get in shape and eat more healthfully, resolve to make your home a cleaner, more efficient and happier place.
1. Get an energy audit. Offered by private consultants or sometimes for free from your local utility company, an audit will tell you exactly what you can do to make your home more energy efficient. If there is an upfront cost it will often pay off over a short amount of time.
2. Adjust the thermostat. Probably one of the best ideas of the last 30 years, the programmable thermostat is the most efficient way to control your direct energy cost for the lowest initial cost. When set for Energy Star's suggested temps: 70 degrees or below in the winter months and 78 degrees or above in warm weather, the programmable thermostat can save you hundreds of dollars per year in heating and air conditioning cost. These can be purchased, usually, for less than $100 and installed by the most bumbling of homeowners in a matter of minutes.
3. Really clean out your closet. Instead of the usual half-hearted closet sweep, take a hard look at your clothes and accessories. If you can't remember when you last wore something, give it away. If you can't fit into a garment, donate it. If the item is damaged, repair it or toss it. Get a friend to help you make hard choices. I am the most guilty of parties in this regard. As a man I resist to throw away anything no matter how old it is or the fact that I haven’t been able to fit into it since the 1960’s. Those super thin ties and wide lapels may come back in style some day even though my need for a suit and tie has long since past. I’m not even going to buried in one opting instead for my favorite daily attire of comfortable elastic waist band shorts and a Ralph Lauren silk and linen camp shirt. I guess I’ve just talked myself into cleaning out my closets.
4. Stop clutter at the door. Instate a rule for your home that every time someone brings something into the house, an item of equal size goes out of the house. Buy a new book? Pick an old one to donate.
5. Go paperless. Stop the never-ending flow of paper. Sign up for online billing and banking. Collect all the catalogs that come to your home and spend an afternoon calling them to get off their mailing lists. Follow the steps recommended at wikiHow to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive.
6. Buy yourself flowers. Don't wait for a reason, buy fresh flowers once a month just because you deserve them. Need more motivation? It may be your wifes birthday or your anniversary so you could just get lucky to have bought the flowers on the right day. Additionally a study from Rutgers University found that flower recipients felt "less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers." This would certainly apply to your significant other if you forgot a birthday. I grew up in a family home with some pretty well stocked gardens that allowed for fresh flowers, seasonally, all of the time. Although as a child I never felt the effects as an adult I have always appreciated them and they remind me, today, of a more secure time of life and home.
7. Give up the self-storage space. Unless you are in a temporary housing situation or you're storing a treasure trove of valuable antiques, a storage space is a waste of money. Decide whether you want to keep the stuff or toss it and give up the unit.
8. Expect guests. Always keep the living room and kitchen clean enough that you wouldn't be embarrassed for guests to show up unexpectedly. You'll be surprised how nice it is to enjoy your home every day in the way your guests have in the past.
9. Tackle one project every weekend. Make a list of all the little things around your home that you'd like to fix or change, like the mess of plastic bags under the sink or the patch of wall that needs touch-up paint. Take on one task each weekend; when you cross everything off, make a start a new list.
10. Clean green. Swap out your harsh, chemical cleansers for gentler, earth-friendly products. You'll be helping the earth and it will reduce your family's risk of accidental poisoning. I’ve written, several times, in past blogs with ideas for cleaning “green”.
11. Clean out your medicine cabinets. It’s a fact of life, these days, that the most abused drugs are prescription drugs found in your home. We are all guilty of saving old unused prescriptions with the idea that we may need them again. These become a real liability in several ways. They expire and be dangerous if ingested, if flushed down the toilet become a major source of dangerous pollution and are a temptation to children, family and even guests to steal them for their own use and abuse. Do not throw them in the trash or flush them down the toilet. Bag them up and take them to your pharmacy and ask for their help in disposing of them safely.
The Super Bowl is over February7th so this gives you plenty of procrastination time and for excuses to get started. Set the weekend of February 13th as the day to start your first project. If you start with Item #5 it will take care of Valentine’s Day for you at the same time.
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