Since spending so much more time at home the last few months, I started to realize just how much money I was spending on unnecessary things. Ubers, dinners out twice a week, that second latte when the office has free drip coffee - no area of my life was safe!

Now, I've been trying to cook all my meals, and I've started doing at home workouts a few times a week - staying home has done wonders for my bank account. Now, I'm on a mission to just be a more "together" person overall. I'm gonna take a step further, and I'm determined to keep my eternally messy home a lot tidier. Easier said than done when all of a sudden your home is now your office, gym, and living space!

I was discussing my new initiatives with a co-worker over video chat, and she told me her new goal is to keep her home in order, too. She admitted that she is pretty messy (I'm not alone!) and so she recently started using Handy to book cleaning services.

I've always wanted a cleaning service, but man are they pricey. My colleague went on to tell me that Handy is actually super affordable, and has helped her become a more organized person overall.

I decided to check them out and saw that Handy connects you with vetted cleaning professionals in your area. Plus, their site has a lot of great info about the steps they have been taking to ensure the safety of their customers and Pros with their new Handy Safety Standard. Among other measures, they've supplied professionals with PPE (masks and gloves) to wear during bookings and they require a daily in-app checkup where professionals verify they are symptom free before they can claim bookings.

So even though I felt a lot more comfortable considering Handy, a cleaning service would have to be incredible if I were to splurge. I still had a lot of questions..

Commitment is scary. How flexible is Handy?

The cleaning plans available through Handy are totally customizable - you can choose from monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly frequencies, and you can schedule an appointment at a time that suits you, sometimes as soon as the next day. You can skip and change the date or frequencies of your scheduled cleanings to suit your busy schedule. What caught my eye was how flexible they are - you can tweak your plan whenever you want, and you can even specify the exact type of cleaning you want done before your Cleaning Pro arrives (finally, someone can help me tackle that oven!).

Why would I spend money on a cleaning service when I can just do it myself?

Let's be honest, you don't want to, and you're not going to, either! Having a cleaning professional come to your home every week, 2 weeks, or monthly means that you'll be better able to keep on top of the mess between cleanings. Working from home has been an adjustment, so having the extra help to keep my space clean and tidy would be great.

Plus, I don't know about you, but waking up in a tidy space makes staying on top of my other goals, like meal prepping to save money, so much easier. I'm way more likely to want to cook in my kitchen rather than order takeout if my kitchen is a neat, tranquil space. A cleaning service booked through Handy will have a positive domino effect on other areas of your life.

Are the Cleaning Professionals vetted and is it safe for them to come into my home?

This was a big concern for me, too. Firstly, Handy does background checks on the cleaning Professionals booked through their platform. And even though Handy can instantly match you with a great professional, you can also read through customer reviews and request the professional you want to work with.

I'm planning on signing up for a cleaning plan through Handy because I really feel that a neat and organized home is my best chance of sticking to all of my other goals this year. It'll entice me to spend more time cooking, and less money on takeout. Investing in a clean home is going to save me precious time and money in the long run.

Update: The folks at Handy are extending a Special offer to our readers. For a limited time follow this link to get a special offer on a cleaning plan!