9 home-related New Year Resolutions we’re making (and keeping)

Home is where the heart is, so this year, we’re determined to start organizing our space at home better, plus cultivate better habits. Check out these 9 home-related New Year Resolutions we’re making, and tell us if you have any resolutions of your own! (Cover image credits)

#1: Keeping our electronics out of the bedroom

Studies show that the more you use your phones in bed prior to sleeping, the harder you’ll find it to fall asleep. Want to wake up refreshed and well-rested every morning? Join us in keeping our electronics out of the bedroom, and committing to half an hour of downtime (with no electronics allowed!) before going to bed.

#2: Sticking to a cleaning schedule

If you need to coordinate household tasks between family members, we recommend Wunderlist (available on both the App Store and Play Store). If you’re a new homeowner who isn’t quite sure where to start, get Home Routines, which comes with pre-built lists of chores (according to rooms!) which you can refer to.

#3: Cooking more

Eating out everyday isn’t just bad for your wallet – it also gets those cholesterol levels rising quickly. But cooking at home doesn’t need to be a long-winded affair – these 3-ingredient dinners and these one pot meals are all fairly fuss-free to make. New Year Resolutions are easy!

#4: Switching to non-toxic cleaning products

There are tons of potentially harmful toxins and chemicals in conventional cleaning products, so this year, we’re committing to swapping these out for natural, non-toxic supplies.

#5: Minimizing clutter

As a general rule of thumb: if it takes less than two minutes to tidy up, make sure you do just that instead of leaving it for later. For more, check out these decluttering lessons from the legendary Marie Kondo! Craving even more tips? Look no further as this comprehensive 20-step guide has got you covered!

#6: Have more guests over

You could always meet up with your friends at a bar, but it’s more special and intimate to have them over instead. If the thought of hosting a dinner party is sending you into a panic attack, don’t stress – you can always outsource your cooking, so that you have more time to entertain your guests.

#7: Stop buying more stuff

Who else is guilty of buying more mugs, bottles, and cute little trinkets from Typo and then hoarding them at home? Here’s what we’re doing from now on: we’ll force ourselves to go through a 48 hour “cooling off” period, and after those 48 hours, if we still think the purchase is a good idea, then we’ll go ahead.

#8: Keeping our wardrobes tidy

According to Marie Kondo, folding your shirts in this specific way lets you store 10-20 more shirts in the same space required to hang 10 shirts. We’re pretty sure there’s some black magic involved here, but we’ll do anything to maximize the space in our wardrobes.  

#9: Donating instead of tossing

Every time we spring clean, we’re guilty of throwing out tons of stuff that’s still in perfectly usable condition. 2018’s the year we’ll start donating instead of tossing these items!

If you found this article useful, 99.co recommends Cleaning hacks for the ultimate low-maintenance home and 12 minimalistic IKEA hacks that blend aesthetics with practicality for your room under S$50.

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