It’s the end of another month and I can’t believe how fast this year is going! Anyone else feel that way?!
With the arrival of a new month, I thought I’d share with you guys how I’m getting myself and our household ready and organize with these eight steps for prepping for a new month!
I’m a list person who thrives when I have a plan written down and a place where I can physically check things off as I accomplish them. If you’re like me then bookmark this page and spend the weekend preparing for the month just like I will be!
Here are the eight things I’ll be doing this week to prepare for the month ahead (I’ll be working through some of this list over on my Instagram stories and will save it to my highlights, so be sure to check it out)!
1. Identify a List of Goals
Starting out a new month with a list of goals helps in so many ways. Not only do you identify some important things you’d like to achieve, but when you realize these goals and are able to check them off your list, you benefit with a sense of accomplishment. I don’t know about y’all, but I get frustrated and sometimes overwhelmed when I get to the end of a week, month or even day and feel like I didn’t do the things I wanted/needed to do. Identifying a list of goals for the month helps to ensure that doesn’t happen. Even if you don’t achieve every goal, you can take pride in the ones you did!
2. Make a Budget
Make a realistic budget for the month and stick to it. Include all your bills and monthly expenses and give yourself a little room for fun and treats! If you need help starting your budget, utilize the free templates on Microsoft Excel or search for budget templates on Google – you’re bound to find one that works for you!
3. Clean Your Car + Maintenance
Whether you keep your car tidy or let it get filled to the brim with snack crumbs and miscellaneous items, starting the month off with a clean car (inside and out!) is sooo nice. Wipe down the inside surfaces and give it a good vacuum. Whether you do this at home or at a car wash is totally up to you. Also, at the beginning of the month, check to make sure you’re not due for an oil change or any other maintenance on your vehicle. Do your tires need air? Or maybe an alignment? Make sure everything is good to go so you won’t have to worry about it over the next month!
4. Declutter & Purge
A tip for decluttering. Take a basket or a bin and walk through all the rooms in your house. Pick up and put anything that isn’t in its rightful place in the basket. As you move through your home, put things back where they belong. This will straighten up your clutter and leave you feeling totally refreshed. Also, take the time to go through your closets and drawers. Toss anything you haven’t worn in a while, outgrew, or simply don’t love anymore into a bin and drop it off at your local donation location the next time you’re out running errands!
5. Plan Your Cleaning Schedule
Click here to get my free editable cleaning calendar! 🙂
I get so much more cleaning done when I have it all planned out on a calendar. This month, I actually plan on combining the cleaning card system I talked about here, with Clean Mama’s daily task system and see how I like it! Basically, each day, I’ll conquer a different task: (bathrooms, dusting, vacuuming, etc.) and I’ll also work in the card system to give each room a thorough cleaning/organizing throughout the month. We’ll see if it complicates or simplifies my life even more – I’m betting on the latter!
Additionally, I suggest decluttering and purging the contents of your phone! If I did this every month I know it would save me so much hassle and headache. So, I’m starting this month – no more low storage and 10 month-old screenshots I no longer need!
6. Pick One Area of Your House to Organize
Keeping your house clean and organized is so much easier when you take it step by step instead of trying to do it all at once or in one day. Something I’ve started doing each month is identifying one thing or one area in our home that I’d like to see become more organized. Maybe it’s your medicine cabinet or under your kitchen sink. Maybe there’s a certain closet in your home you avoid at all costs. Whatever it is, commit to tackling it this month – whether you knock it out one Saturday afternoon or work on it a little bit each weekend. You’ll feel so much better this time next month when you look back and its done!
For me, this month is our garage! Since moving in and using it as a storage space for boxes and random items, we’ve gotten it to the point where I can park my car in there, which is great – but it could still use a lot of work! So, this month I’m dedicating one day each week to go out there during nap time and work on it. We’ll see how it goes!
7. Fill in Your Calendar
As I said before, I love to write things done – and this includes my planner. I have a personal planner and then G and I share access to our google calendar on our phones so we can see when the other adds things to the calendar. We started doing this when we first got married and were always forgetting or mis-communicating things we had going on, lol! Just before a new month, I like to be intentional about writing down family activities, appointments, schedules, etc. in order to stay more organized. Haven’t been to the dentist in a while? Schedule it! The kids have weekly practice or lessons? Write it down!
I’m not very good at this next part, but it’s something I’m going to try to work on from now on – and that’s making social plans as well. Text or call friends and family and see if they want to get together for dinner, come visit for the weekend – etc.! You may think two, three or even four weeks is way in advance, but with everyone’s busy schedules they’ll welcome the advanced notice.. plus you have a better chance of getting on their calendar that way! 🙂
8. Stock Up
At the beginning of each month I like to take stock of our household items and make a list of what needs to be replenished. Things like toilet paper, cleaning supplies, snacks we love and can buy in bulk, diapers, wipes, vitamins, pantry staples like flour and spices… things like that! Then, Fischer and I take a trip to Costco (or I make a Grove or Amazon order – depending on what the items are) and make sure we’re all stocked up for the month ahead!
And there you have it! Eight ways to prep for a new month. If you take the time to utilize this list, please take a photo and tag me over on Instagram (@amandafontenotblog). I’d love to see how you guys are getting prepped for this next month!
Do you have any other tips?? Leave them in the comments below so that everyone can benefit!
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