Spring 2021 begins on Saturday, March 20, and ends on Sunday, June 20. It is that favorable time of year when the weather grows warmer, spring buds and greens bloom and flourish, daylight grows, kids can run free and play outdoors, and spirits are restored. There are numerous ways we can introduce hints of the new season into our homes. Here are three must-dos with money-saving tips:
1) Make use of spring vegetables when cooking. Introduce green veggies such as asparagus, sugar snap peas, spring onions, and scallions. Not only will they add vibrant green color to your meals, but they are also nutritious and effortless to prepare. Asparagus, an herbaceous vegetable, can be steamed until tender-crisp. It is so tasty that no seasonings are required. Sugar snap peas offer a sweet and grassy flavor and provide a hardy crunch. They may be blanched for a meal or eaten raw as a snack. Spring onions, scallions, and chives can be toppers for soups, added to frittatas, or used to flavor and add color to blander foods like potatoes. Spring onions have thicker bulbs so that they can be grilled. Moneywise tip: Watching spending? Consider going to a farmer’s market or farm stand to buy produce directly rather than a grocery store. Or buy in bulk and share with friends.
2) Update your fabrics to reflect the new season. Spring is a great time to enhance your interior décor and make your home lighter and brighter to mimic this cheerful time of year. Changing home fabrics is an affordable, inviting, and temporary way to add seasonal wow power to your home. Concentrate on fabrics such as rugs, throws, pillows, curtains, towels, tablecloths, bedding, and more. When incorporating spring into your décor, take lessons from nature and seek out bright and cheerful fabrics, from the pastels of delicate flower petals to the vibrant colors of the earth and sky. Afraid of color change? Look through magazines for inspiration. Then, overcome your fears by selecting a color or color combo that you respond to, and that makes you feel good. Moneywise tip: On a tight budget? Consider using a duvet cover in lieu of purchasing all new bedding, adding less expensive valances to windows rather than full curtains, watching for sales and searching discount centers, and sewing your own tablecloths or pillow covers to go over preexisting pillows.
3) Make a change and become more organized! Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. As birds are building nests, we can take a hint from nature by focusing attention on our own dwellings, our homes. Why not use the season to improve conditions in our lives and get things in order? Commonly, as we live in a material world, there is a tendency to over accumulate. Spring is an ideal time to address decluttering to make our homes more manageable and easier to clean. This will translate into more time to play in the sunshine. There are many techniques out there, but the simplest way to declutter is to go room to room with a box and fill it with items you no longer want, need, or use. Then, take it over to the donation center. Be sure to get receipts for your donations if needed for tax purposes. Repeat the process until you are satisfied. Moneywise tip: Want cash in your pocket? Have a yard sale. Be sure to price items reasonably, pay attention to weather reports, and advertise to attract customers and maximize your profit.
By dedicating time and energy to revitalizing our homes and incorporating our passion for the new season, our houses can become warm and welcoming places to entertain and kick back and relax. Use the joy of the new season as a drive to eat better, decorate more cheerfully, and get your home into ship-shape! It’s worth it!
