By Holly Trantham
In my pre-baby life, I was definitely the person to spring clean so early that it actually would be more accurately referred to as winter cleaning — typically, getting all of it done the first full weekend of January. Now, though, I can’t exactly carve out an entire weekend just to focus on cleaning/organizing/life admin tasks. It pains me to admit that my closet still hasn’t been switched over from fall/winter to spring/summer (though, aside from a rogue 80-degree stretch last week, this has been a deeply wintery winter and chilly early spring, so I haven’t been too put out). I’ve had to piecemeal my spring cleaning for the first time in years, and that’s okay!
This weekend, that means tackling a bunch of life admin tasks we’ve been putting off, which Peter and I will gradually cross off our list over the course of the weekend, in the in-between moments when our child doesn’t need so much attention. Or, more likely, after she goes to sleep. Life admin always makes me feel more put-together and in control, no matter what kind of headspace I’ve been in, so I’m looking forward to it, as dorky as that sounds. If you’re looking for some inspiration for your life admin spring cleaning, here’s what’s been on my list, most of which will be done by this weekend (plus a few items I’ve already checked as done!):
1. Refresh your resume/LinkedIn/portfolio website
Do I have any plans to apply for a job anytime soon? No. Have I actually updated my resume in the past few years? Also no. It doesn’t matter how stable your job feels, or how uninterested you are in finding a new one. You always want to make sure these things are up to date, especially in an increasingly uncertain job market.
2. Do a full audit of your subscriptions/memberships
I just did this and cut out $100 of our budget, mostly from streaming services/digital magazine subscriptions we simply don’t use enough. It took less than five minutes — I just logged into my Monarch account, filtered my transactions by streaming services/subscriptions, and then went to cancel my membership for each one I don’t remember using lately. The beauty of subscriptions is that you can always resubscribe later. They will literally not turn away your money! I promise!
3. Do a full inventory of your medicine cabinet/personal supplies
One of the absolute worst parts of being an adult is getting sick, realizing you don’t have Theraflu on hand, then remembering you are now the person responsible for stocking up on it. Do a full inventory of your medicine cabinet and personal supplies so this doesn’t happen the next time you are sick/when the absolute last thing you want to do is run to CVS. Also, be sure to check the expiration dates on your sunscreen, especially the heavy-duty one you only pull out at the beach. This does matter because your skin will sting if it is sensitive and you apply expired sunscreen. Ask me how I know!
4. Mass unsubscribe from retail marketing emails
I actually did this at the beginning of the year, when I started out on my year-long no-buy challenge. I can tell you, while there have been a few temptations, I feel like I have been much more successful than expected so far, with far fewer “unmissable” sales flashing before my eyes. Sales are always going to happen, and I’ll probably forget about the clogs I wanted to buy within 24 hours, anyway.
5. Set up sinking funds for "big" spending
I have talked about this ad nauseum, but I will once again reiterate: sinking funds, where money leaves my paycheck and goes directly into a savings account so I don’t see it as available to spend in checking, are the number-one reason I am not stressed by big-ticket spending like booking a vacation or buying Broadway tickets. This is another thing I track on Monarch, and I love keeping tabs on our sinking fund every month. We contribute $1,600 a month, which is admittedly a lot! But that means that we basically never pay for things like tickets to shows/WNBA games, vacations, Christmas gifts, figure skating classes (me), Japanese lessons (my husband, Peter), furniture items, etc. out of our regular budget. This also means our “available” budget is smaller, but I find it a lot less stressful overall, because I don’t have to think about making space for a bigger purchase amid our excessive coffee/pastry habit — I just check the fund balance and see what we can make work.
We just booked our first vacation as a family of 3 (omg), so it’s currently lower than usual! And I do want to reiterate that Peter and I completely share finances — I would not be able to put away nearly as much each month if I were doing everything solo.
6. Order photo prints!
A fun one, but overwhelming!! I have been meaning to order prints to put in Sadie’s baby book and hang around the house, but it does admittedly feel like a huge task. But I want her to grow up in a house surrounded by photos of our family, friends, and herself, and I need to actually start making that happen. I can tell our phones have proven that too much of a good thing can backfire, just from how much I am dreading sifting through thousands and thousands of photos.
7. Clear out phone space, and back up important files elsewhere
Maybe you have a newer/more intense phone than I do, along with plenty of storage capacity. I do not, so I have to periodically remove large files (mostly apps and videos) in order to make enough space for my phone to just literally keep functioning. I have my photos/videos in Google Photos and also backed up on a hard drive, so that if I ever lose my phone, I don’t lose all of our memories with it!
8. Set up a password manager
It’s 2026, babes — we are multi-factor authenticating!! We use 1Password in our household, but there are tons to pick from.
9. Make your "in case I die or am incapacitated" document
Not fun! But very important. I’m not talking about a will and trust (though this could actually be included in those things), but rather just a document kept in your home safe (get one if you don’t have one!) that contains your passwords, account information, etc. It’ll make your loved ones’ lives a lot easier, logistically speaking, if the worst ever happens to you. And if you already have this, wonderful — just make sure it’s up to date.
10. Set up a dedicated landing place for keys/transit cards/sunglasses/etc.
After losing my subway pass for the…third time, I finally started doing this with a tray I already had, now set out on my kitchen sideboard. I truly hate having to dig my wallet out of my bag just to boop onto the subway platform, so I keep my pass in my back pocket, which has resulted in far too many simply disappearing or going through the wash. I still keep it in that pocket, but toss it into its dedicated space right when I get home.
11. Check your passport expiration date
Especially if you are traveling internationally this spring/summer. It may be expiring sooner than you think, and remember, most countries won’t let you through customs if it expires within the next six months (which, yes, means the expiry date is kind of a lie). If it is expiring soon, go ahead and make your plan to renew it, which is honestly not even that hard. Just go actually do it!
Budgeting isn’t about doing everything right — it’s about making your money easier to face. If you want something that lowers the barrier to checking in, Monarch is what I use to keep things simple and visible. Use code TFD50 for 50% off your first year using Monarch’s Core Plan.
