10 Home Goals To Set In Your 20s

This post is in partnership with Dropps and contains affiliate links. Save 15% off Dropps’ products with the code GEN15!

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Our homes — the place where most of us a spend the majority of our time — can also become crowded in clutter. Somehow over time, our spaces get slowly out of hand. We stop paying attention to how often we clean, what we’re cleaning with, and where exactly all of this *stuff* came from.

Over the course of my twenties, I’ve made many changes when it comes to how I approach my home. And everything runs much more smoothly and keeps me from feeling stressed out about our space. So based on my experiences, here are 10 home goals to set in your 20s!

10 Home Goals To Set In Your 20s

1. Cut back on plastic.

One super easy home goal to set in your 20s is to eliminate plastic in your kitchen! Switching out your plastic containers to glass is not only better for the environment but better for you too. 

You can also replace single use plastic items like straws and bags with more eco-friendly alternatives like glass or stainless steel straws and reusable or compostable bags. 

You could also make the switch to reusable shopping and produce bags! Beeswax wrap is also a great alternative to foil and cling wrap when it comes to food storage. These days we have many options for reusable products!  

2. Clean up your products.

As I get older and have kids, I’ve been starting to pay closer attention to the chemicals and products we bring into our home. I started using white vinegar more as a cleaning agent throughout our home. But I was looking for a better laundry detergent to use too. 

When I learned about Dropps, I knew I had to try them! I feel like as a family, we have a lot of laundry needs. My husband is not a fan of overly-scented laundry detergent. And my son gets a touch of eczema every now and then, so his doctor recommended using laundry detergent without fragrances and a non-irritating ingredients. And then I just want something that cleans our clothes well and removes stains.  

It’s a tall order but Dropps hits every single one of our needs. 

And their packaging is recyclable and compostable meaning nothing gets put back in the environment! 

Plus, Dropps has carbon neutral shipping which means they offset 100% of carbon emissions produced from shipping. We love eco-friendly and sustainable products here at GenTwenty. Dropps products ship in a small box that also stores the pods and is recyclable once you’re done with them.

Did you know? Liquid laundry detergents are typically packed in high density polyethylene? The majority of these bottles are not recycled and contribute to the approximately 275 metric tons of plastic waste that end up in our oceans and waterways every year. 😲

Save 15% off Dropps’ products with the code GEN15!

Dropps also makes dish detergent pods as well! I highly recommend trying out both products if you can! I have been loving the clean scent laundry pods and the lemon dish detergent pods. Plus I feel really good about putting less waste back into the environment.

3. Develop a cleaning routine that fits your home and your schedule.

Speaking from experience, it’s so much easier to do a little bit of cleaning and tidying everyday than to expect yourself to do a massive cleaning all at once.

Cleaning can be time consuming. But taking 15 minutes everyday to make sure one space in your house is clean and tidy is way more manageable than giving yourself two hours to do it on a Saturday. Plus, you won’t be constantly walking around in chaos!

Now, there are things I have to do nearly everyday like take out the trash, run the dishwasher, etc. But I try to do at least 1-2 things everyday to help make a difference in our house. Here’s an idea of what my loose cleaning schedule looks like:

• Sunday: I deep clean the kitchen, my husband steam mops the floors
• Monday: Master bath
• Tuesday: Clean up playroom and toy rotation (we generally try to keep this room cleaned up but you know, kids)
• Wednesday: Light dusting, cleaning off of surfaces
• Thursday: Light clean of kitchen, wipe out fridge, make grocery list
• Friday: wash sheets, towels, etc
• Saturday: big laundry day, clean other bathrooms

Some days get switch around of course, but the point is I try to do a little bit of cleaning everyday! It really makes a difference in keeping my house clean and leaves me less stressed because I don’t need to do an all-day cleaning. 

4. Make a meal plan schedule that works for your family.

One great thing about meal planning is that it wastes less money and food than not doing so! I will be the first to admit I don’t love meal planning (or even cooking for that matter). But I have developed a system that has helped me to organize our meals for the week while reducing waste. 

My basic meal plan looks like this:

• Friday: Every Plate
• Saturday: Every Plate
• Sunday: Every Plate
• Monday: Pantry Meal
• Tuesday: Take Out/Delivery
• Wednesday: Pantry Meal
• Thursday: Wild Card

You can learn more in depth about how I manage this at the link above! Some people are very deliberate and selective about their meal planning and prepping and some people aren’t! Whichever way works best for you, whether it be a loose plan or a strict one, having a plan will help keep you on track.

5. Give everything you own a place in your home.

This goals along with the next home goal, but everything in your home should have a place. Imagine a space where everything belongs. Nothing is floating around looking for a spot or just getting shuffled from one makeshift home to another. It all belongs.

Books go back on the bookshelf. Clothes in the closet. Food in the pantry.

I feel like this goal is always shifting and changing. Especially in our twenties because many of us move around so much. I think it’s a worthwhile pursuit to make sure everything in our homes has a place. Not only does it help keep things tidier overall but then you’ll know exactly where to find everything you own! It’s a win-win strategy all around in my book. 

6. Put everything back once you’re done with it.

I’m notoriously bad at putting things back in their place once I’m done with them. But I heard someone say once that when the put things away after they use them, it’s less that they have to clean up later. Um, wow? What a concept.

I’ve been trying to do this more often. Finished with the scissors? Back in the drawer they go. My pajamas? Into the hamper. The laundry is done washing? Fold it today. It’s still a work in progress and sometimes things completely get away from me, but trying to make it more of a habit has been very powerful for me. 

We spend so much time at home that this place should feel comfortable, cozy, and put together. We don’t need our physical space to bring us more stress. And putting everything back once we’re done with it puts us one step closer to achieving that goal.

7.  Implement the “clean surfaces” rule.

Cluttered surfaces are one of the biggest ways a space can look messy. I’m not quite here in my life yet, but it’s something I am working towards. Taking a few minutes everyday to clean off the surfaces — like your countertops, the top of your dresser, etc — can immediately change how a space looks.

This is a habit that definitely takes time to implement (trust me, I know!) but you’ll be amazed at how much clean surfaces makes a difference in how much you love your space.

8. Make a “home maintenance” calendar.

As homeowners know, there are always things that need to be checked or fixed to make sure they are working properly. 

There are a variety of tasks that need to be done monthly, bi-annually, annually, and seasonally too. Go through your calendar every year and put in reminders for these things. And some things (like a chimney sweep) might need to be scheduled out in advance, so make sure you plan to leave time for them too!

Even if you’re just renting, there are things that should be done and checked every year. For instance, in one of my old lease agreements, it stated that it was the renters responsibility to make sure the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors inside the unit were working. So even if you are currently renting, make sure you read through your lease agreement to cover your bases! 

9. Make one extra mortgage payment per year.

Did you know making one extra mortgage payment per year can offset the interest you pay over time by tens of thousands of dollars? The exact amount of course will vary but this is just an example of how one action makes a massive difference. 

To make it simple, divide your mortgage payment by 12 and add that amount to each payment you make every month. That is much easier to swallow than a big payment. Doing this can cut years off of your mortgage 

10.  Finally, make your home a space you love being in!

Our homes are our safe spaces. We should feel comfortable and cherished in them. Our homes should support our hopes and dreams while comforting us during our hardest times.

To make my apartment scream “me” I used removable wallpaper to create a fun space that really pops to me. I like to fill my home with textures and rich colors. I even have a blue velvet couch that I absolutely adore. Whatever your style, really refine it and make it yours!

And that’s it for 10 home goals to set in your 20s!

Now, you don’t have to start by overhauling your life and doing these things all at once! Start somewhere simple. For you, that might be replacing your products with more eco-friendly and zero waste products. We can also work towards simplifying our spaces. Small efforts make the biggest difference over time!

And don’t forget — save 15% off Dropps’ products with the code GEN15!

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