Question

What household tasks do you outsource? This is a point of contention in our household always between my husband and I. He thinks that lawn care, home cleaning, laundry, even grocery shopping, should be outsourced (paid for) to lessen our loads, leaving us more time to be with our son and each other. I think, well we are totally capable of doing all this ourselves, so why wouldn’t we? But then we spend all weekend working, after working all week. Sometimes I’m up at 11pm on Sunday night trying to finish up before the work week starts (preCOVID, of course). I’m just wondering what budget minded folks like yourself think. We can totally afford outsourcing so that is no an issue, it would just mean less going into savings.  

Answer 1

I say outsource the items that would bring the most value to your life. For example, I loathe cleaning. I hate it. So we have a house cleaner. My husband loves doing yard work so I can’t imagine outsourcing that. I love grocery shopping because I love to cook so for me, I wouldn’t outsource that. It all depends on you and your needs. I would maybe compromise and outsource one or two items and it may free you up to the point the others don’t feel as daunting. Or you could love it and outsource everything. For me, I travel for my job so the more time I spend with my kids at home when I’m there, the happier I am but there are some chores I enjoy or don’t mind.  

Answer 2

Groceries & Lawncare, I only have a lawn cause it came with the house, lol. I also rely on Grocery pickup once a week. However I'm a single parent and other than nagging the kiddos I don't have a partner to share the chores with me. I have kinda outsourced a few other things though. Like, I got a Litter Robot to cut down on litter costs and hassle. Yes, it was expensive, and it was worth EVERY penny! Lol. Also - I recently got a Roomba, and it has forever changed my life! The thing about outsourcing, if you're financially able to do so, is a way to provide work for someone else. In some cultures, it's considered selfish if you don't employ a housekeeper as that gives someone a means of earning a living. I think it is important to be economical with your time as well as your money.  

Answer 3

I pay my kid to clean the house. If I didn’t pay her I would have hired a cleaner to come in every week. If I had the funds I would outsource everything, food delivery, laundry, everything. You can always make more money, but you can’t get more time.  

Answer 4

I work full time and so does my partner. Those things I can delegate out, I do. I have kids do extra chores, have someone mow the yard and have a Housecleaner 1x/month. I also use Shipt for groceries 1-2x/month but not every time. It’s money vs time. Your life stage, workload and budget will tell you what is best for your family.  

Answer 5

Occasional house cleaning. More for like deep cleanings when we’re extremely busy and can’t seem to get the mess under control

Answer 6

We don’t outsource anything. Not even oil changes. If we did, it would be laundry. I hate it! That being said, we have 4 kids and they help with chores. Our oldest is 8 (the 2nd oldest is 7) and she can do laundry, dishes, clean and wipe down a table, pick up the living spaces. The house isn’t perfect but it is where we teach our kids life skills and how to find joy in work. We work as a team.  

Answer 7

Lawncare, because we don’t have a mower and since *this* yard at our rental is small, it would only need a small mower. But we’re looking at houses with multiple acres, which would be a big mower. No sense in buying a small mower when we will end up buying a bigger one in a year. So I budget $130/month (that is including a tip) for our lawn guy.  

Comments

If small yard, could purchase a weedeater for under $100. Does it state in your rental agreement you must do the yard? I always got a discount on rent if I maintained the yard myself-I did outsource yard when I was pregnant

Answer 8

If you can afford, why not? I agree with him. you all will have a quality life. For me , lawn care and bi-monthly house cleaning that’s all I can manage . even that little bit stretching .  

Answer 9

This is no brainer for me especially since you can afford these services. time with loved ones is important

Answer 10

It’s always nice to have help whether it’s paid for or not. When I had a house I paid for a lawn service (because I hated yard work). But as far as house chores, take a look at your routines, do you have any, I have used the fly lady systems for several years and never spend more than 15-30 minutes a day to keep a clean and tidy space. I personally would not outsource everything maybe pick one or two things.  

Answer 11

My husband want to outsource the things he has to do like outside but he doesn’t help with cooking, laundry, house so it’s not happening . tried that and he doesn’t help and we can’t get cleaning help and outside so we are doing it all in our own and always have in our 30 year relationship and marriage. Never had maternity leave or a casserole or help with the house so I am not even sure I’ll like it. I would feel so odd working from home with someone cleaning my house. Outside I’d love to have it done bit I’m not giving my husband the satisfaction if he refuses to change and take that time saved and help inside the house

Answer 12

We don’t outsource anything. We each do our fair share of chores and have kids do some as well.  

Answer 13

So with covid-19 we have outsourced grocery shopping to delivery and I’m not sure if we’ll ever go back. There are a few stores we can’t get that like Trader Joe’s. Then we get cleaning once a month for deep cleaning and that has helped us immensely too. Time is precious and outsourcing those things has given me more time with my kids and husband.  

Answer 14

I don’t outsource anything, but everyone has a different lifestyle! I’m still in debt though

Answer 15

Housekeeper every two weeks. We’re busy with our businesses and the cost-benefit analysis makes sense - not just financially, but our emotional well-being.  

Answer 16

I don't pay anyone to do anything. Pre-pandemic we both worked opposite shifts. I clean a little each day so that it's not a whole day spend cleaning. I shop on days that I work. Lawn care is done on days off. I do laundry as soon as I have enough to do a load so that I'm never doing laundry all day. There's YouTube videos one how to clean your house like 20 mins a day.  

Answer 17

Pre-covid we had a cleaning lady come once a month. Man I miss her.  

Answer 18

I wish I could outsource all of it. Right now we pay for lawn services. Neither one of us likes to do it so we pay. In the pass I’ve paid for a cleaning lady too.  

Answer 19

We outsource landscaping and that’s it. Because it was convenient for my husband

Answer 20

I have a housekeeper that comes every week But I do not have a beauty envelope I don’t get my nails done or my toes or my hair because I love my housekeeper

Answer 21

House cleaning service is important to us on a monthly basis, so I make sure to fit it in our budget, as well as lawn service. Our sanity is important to us lol (we have 4 small children that I homeschool and that require much of my time during the day and my husband works overnight shifts and is extremely tired during the day).  

Answer 22

If it isn't something that I have to personally do, if it doesn't move me closer to my goals, and if I don't enjoy doing it, I outsource it. Both personal and work tasks. My husband does enjoy some of the things I don't, so I outsource some things to him .  

Answer 23

We don't outsource anything, because we can't afford to. But my husband says all the time that he'd hire someone for the lawn if we had the money. Personally I'm like you, I'd rather save the money and do it myself.  

Answer 24

I have someone clean each week, then someone else does the ironing, cooks evening meals, prepares lunches, shops and does the garden. But it is a bit different as my local council pays for this on my behalf because I am disabled so I get 17 hours paid help a week. It is a lifesaver. Before I got ill I paid for cleaners every other week and and gardener and it was worth it. I had a well paid job with long hours and it took the pressure off.  

Answer 25

I grew up with house help. Maids, Gardner’s and drivers. It was easy. When we moved out and we had to do all these things for ourselves, we find missing all the help. Yes doing it yourself saves money, but also takes time away from other things you could be doing. My siblings and I moved out of our parents house but we still live together ‍♀️. Yes it’s a thing. 5 siblings living under one roof.  we unanimously agreed we needed house help. So we split the cost 5 ways. So it really doesn’t cost us much. And we love it! I would do it if you need it.  

Answer 26

Sounds like you need to address the balance a bit. Maybe look at which tasks take most time or you least like? Or which would be easier / cheapest to outsource? Maybe it's not an all or nothing situation. Someone to do the lawn and clean the house once every 2 weeks? Then it's a compromise but you could still be saving.  

Answer 27

I didn't read all the comments. I was wondering @bondholder, do you enjoy any of the tasks that you currently outsource? if so then your hobby goes to savings? Iexample: I enjoy mowing the yard, but outsource tree trimming.  

Comments

I actually dont mind too much doing the grocery shopping. I go once a week (to Aldi) right when they open at 9am. My son and I wake up and get ready and I take him to the park to play until the store opens. Then we have a leisurely stroll through the store. by the time we get home, my husband is awake and usually has brunch close to on the table. I think for laundry, I'd like to get to a point where the whole family sits down after dinner on Sunday and watches a movie while we fold together, but my son is still quite young so I might propose that as something my husband and I do after kiddo goes to bed. Dishes I absolutely hate doing but I'm not sure how I would outsource that.  

Answer 28

A cleaner! 150 a month for biweekly cleaning! Totally worth it! I can’t wait until she can return!  

Answer 29

Nothing. it is waste of money ‍♀️

Answer 30

When we were super busy with sports we had someone do our mowing.  

Answer 31

Grass cutting.  

Answer 32

We outsource what we hate to do. for my husband it's the lawn.  

Answer 33

We pay our oldest $10 a week to cut the grass.  

Answer 34

None no one is home hubby a truck driver and our son works night as a security guard, I the only one that has to stay home

Answer 35

Everything that needs to be fixed because my husband is lazy.  

Answer 36

I can’t imagine outsourcing any of those tasks. In my mind they are basic to life, being responsible for yourself and what you use/own, and the whole family can help. Someday one of your kids may not be able to afford paying someone to clean up their mess but if they feel it’s someone else’s job, their poor spouse will be living with someone with an attitude. Just my perspective as someone who’s middle class. Spending quality time together as a family doesn’t always have to be recreational fun.  

Comments

Thats true, and I think once my son is older and is actually capable of helping out, things will change. Right now he is only 2. 5 years old so he's not really capable of truly helping, although I do try to encourage him as much as possible. I do struggle with outsourcing things as I feel I am responsible for myself, but at the end of the day I feel absolutely worn out.  

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@bondholder I get it. I had 4 kids in 10 years and our house was chaos for many years. I couldn’t justify spending the extra money. we just didn’t have it. If we could’ve afforded it, I may have considered the extra help.  

Answer 37

I outsource my lawn care but actually clean for older ladies that can’t

Answer 38

I don’t outsource anything and I don’t expect to get done everything each week. Even fixing most of everything we’ll do ourselves.  

Answer 39

We have had a house cleaner for 15 years. It’s my one non-negotiable. We do Walmart grocery pick-up which is free. My husband enjoys yard work, and we’ve made it fit into our routine. We had the same issue as far as time management. We worked so much during the week, and then spent all weekend cleaning leaving little quality time. Since being on stay-in-place, it’s been a struggle keeping up while working from home and chasing 2 little ones around.  

Answer 40

Laundry is a big one for us

Answer 41

I'm a SAHM right now, so I can clean, but once I go back to work, I fully intend to outsource that at least every other week. It's important to me that my kids learn to contribute to the household and work together as a team, and chores are a part of that. BUT I have pretty high standards for my home that I don't know if I can maintain while also working full time. My hubby isn't much help on the housework front . Our yard is small, and he mows our elderly neighbor's as well. It takes less than an hour to mow/push mow/weed eat the whole thing , so we'll probably not pay someone for that ever.  

Answer 42

We pay for lawn service and do grocery pick up but I'm considering Instacart because its only $99/year. Totally worth it!  

Comments

@antonioantonius I have it and it’s worth it.  

Answer 43

I used to have someone clean every other week and I miss it so much! The deep cleaning is hard to get to with working full time and having 4 busy kiddos. I am hoping to be able to do it again in the future.  

Answer 44

We out source weed eating, we have 7 acres that have to be mowed every week, my husband mows it but for him to mow it and weed eat all the pond area which is an additional 3 acres and 7 acres is a lot. I can’t because of allergies. Otherwise we do everything else, we will have the other guy help with mowing if my husband can’t because of work on occasion too. But I have mowed in a bind when we have to because of funds.  

Answer 45

We do outsource lawncare. I work full time, my husband is in school full time and working part time. We have a special needs son that needs care. There is just not enough time or energy for that. Now if we could afford a riding lawn mower right now (we have a very large yard and the front is on an incline) then it might be different. For us it convenience.  

Answer 46

We do it all ourselves and always have. Kids chip in

Answer 47

Outsource a cleaner every other week. Do my own shopping and lawn care (cutting) but pay for treatments.  

Answer 48

Yard work (every other week) and a cleaning service 1 x per month for the baseboards/bathrooms/deep cleaning

Answer 49

I totally agree with outsourcing it. It’s not straining you so look at it more like you’re able to employ someone.  

Answer 50

I think teenagers are a great resource for busy homes! You have one do the yard and another clean your house (or a SAHM looking to make some extra money). Laundry is one of those things that while I hate I'd never have someone else do. I'm weird about people touching my underwear. As for Grocery Shopping you can get ALOT of amazon subscribe and save. There's also Grocery pickup. Really there's tons of ways to help lighten your load. They don't all have to be expensive.  

Answer 51

I would suggest outsourcing what you can! Time with family is limited (when we are not stay-in-place) so when “normal” does return; I suggest bringing in outside help to continue to be able to spend time with family. If you will be comfortable financially, and you’ll definitely be happy at home- then I say DO IT!  

Answer 52

We dont outsource anything, thankfully my husband LOVES doing lawn chores, so much actually that he cuts the grass for alot of the neighbors as a side hustle after he comes hime from his full time job. The cleaning the home just seems routine to me i rather save the money for other goals

Answer 53

Absolutely nothing! We do it all. no debt, we could I afford to I guess but my hubby is of the mindset that if he can do it then he won’t pay someone to do it. But he’s an engineer, great with his hands and does A LOT of building work and DIY. If he needs a second person. I’m it!  

Answer 54

If neither of you like doing those things or are too exhausted (because life), and you can afford it. Why not?  Once your son is older, maybe he’ll want to pitch in and get paid for some of those things!  

Answer 55

We’ve outsourced our lawn mowing & weed control for about the last four years. Keeping up on laundry, food shopping & cleaning hasn’t been an issue. Everyone pitches in.  

Answer 56

We outsource lawn care(but I think that depends on the size and time it takes for your lawn). I wouldn’t mind doing house cleaning too.  

Answer 57

I'm a SAHM and we still have a lawn guy and a housekeeper. Housekeeper comes once a week, lawn guy comes every other week. Sometimes we do instacart for groceries, it just depends.  

Answer 58

I’m a single mom, with 2 busy kids. I do grocery pickup, and I have a cleaning lady that comes every other week to deep clean (1 week bathrooms/kitchen, other week living room bedroom, halls). and then she does small stuff Everytime she is hear (vacuuming, wipe counters, etc). I honestly didn’t think I could afford it but after the stress reliever I feel from it, I make it work. I do our laundry, and mowing though. ‍♀️

Answer 59

I look forward to the day my cleaning angels can return. I would love to pay for lawn care but my husband thinks he should do it. Then doesn’t. So we have that yard in the neighborhood  

Answer 60

LPA—- I’m retired (68 years old), my hubs is still working (60 years old). When I was working full time, and our children were young, there were years we had a cleaning girl every other week. While we home schooled for 2 years, house cleaning was worked into our schedule. It was a good teaching/learning lesson for them. When I went back to work full time, the kids were in middle school, they were responsible for cleaning their own rooms, and bathrooms. My hubs and I cleaned the rest of the house, together, on the weekend. It took about 2 hours. Also, He mowed the lawn, I pulled weeds, and picked up sticks, etc. We shared snow removal. Since I retired, 4 1/2 years ago-the first year I had a cleaning service-started every 2 weeks, then cut back to once a month (with just the 2 of us and a Yorkie, house doesn’t get too dirty). Then, I decided I don’t like all the chemicals, anymore. I started using Norwex microfiber cleaning cloths, mop, etc. I don’t want harmful, toxic chemicals in my house. So, I stopped using a cleaning service. I’ve decided, when a Covid 19 vaccine is widely available, I will try to find a cleaning service that will come once a week just to do my bathrooms (we have 3). Tubs and showers are my nemesis. I’d also like someone to clean my oven every 2 weeks, and clean my windows - inside and out - 4 times a year (seasonally).  

Answer 61

I'm all for outsourcing if you can afford it!  I try to think of it this way. What's my time worth? If I make $40/hr typically on the job, should I be doing a job that I could pay someone $20/hr to do? Now, that being said, we aren't yet in a position to outsource, but my husband & I are both on the same page with this, someday when we are both working & debt is gone & we have the disposable income to do it!  

Answer 62

I would definitely hire a cleaner to do a deep clean every 2 weeks-monthly. My husband & I have discussed doing this, but haven't yet pulled the trigger. If cost isn't an issue, go for it!  

Answer 63

I’d love to outsource many of the chores and if we were in a place in our budget we would. Laundry is a lot easier if you do a load every day. Start to finish. My washer has a timer so I can set it to start washing at 6am, then when I come down from getting ready I can switch it to the dryer and hubby can fold and put away (he works from home). Do I probably wouldn’t outsource that. We do outsource the lawn care. We pay $50 every two weeks. My husband is like ocd about every thing he does, so doing the lawn literally would take him him an entire Saturday and he did it every week. When he was traveling for work and gone 3 days a week, the idea of losing him to a day of lawn care also was just not ok with me and my girls. I do outsource grocery shopping (normally, it’s been more difficult during covid), but I use Walmart grocery pickup which is free. I do a small kroger run but that literally takes a half hour because I just do deli and produce. Meat comes from the butcher which we order ahead and pick up. I do hope to get to a place where we can have someone clean the house. Again hubby is ocd about it so he ends up spending a lot of time on it (I have never been able to clean to his standards so I just do what he tells me).  

Answer 64

When restrictions lift, I'll go back to having a cleaner come in. That's where I spend most of my non-working/non-parenting time, so it makes the most sense. We have a ride on lawnmower, so lawn care takes no time and wouldn't be something we'd source out.  

Answer 65

If this were my situation, I’d hire out lawn care and cleaning. I like my laundry done a certain way, and I like picking out my own groceries  

Answer 66

We pay for lawn care and I would like to get to a point I was comfortable having a cleaning person.  

Answer 67

The only thing I hire help for is Once a year, I have my mulch replaced and my brother does that. Keep it in the family.  

Answer 68

Weed wacking, that’s it. We have 3 acres, and we do most of the stuff our selves, but week wacking is just something we can’t do, it’s $200 a month, my neighbor, who is a sheriff, does it, so it helps him out with things, and we don’t have to stress about it.  

Answer 69

I am a cleaner at the moment. I always think if you earn more £/$ per hour than a cleaner or gardener then I would outsource them if makes totally sense x

Answer 70

I have a Gardner that cuts the lawn 1-2X a month. And once my debt is under control and mostly paid off I’m getting a house cleaner 1-2X a month to just clean the bathrooms and kitchen. And most likely pay for a deep clean once a year!  

Answer 71

Our cleaning lady comes weekly and does the laundry  we have lawn service and with the pandemic I’ve been ordering groceries but I usually go myself. My husband is a Junior Associate (attorney) so his hours are unpredictable, I wfh full time with our 1yo, and our 3yo goes to preschool, plus a furry dog so not a lot of time during the week to handle those tasks. This way our weekends are for spending time together, going to the park, the movies, visiting family, etc. If I didn’t work/once our 1yo goes to preschool or the 3yo is old enough to help (he tries), then I could do the cleaning and laundry.  

Answer 72

Home chores build character and bank accounts . start with your children . even the big one . : )

Answer 73

My boyfriend and I rent a house and we pay for mowing services because that’s just something we don’t want to do, it costs us $68 a month but we split it. I could definitely see myself paying for home cleaning services in the future but right now we do everything else ourselves

Answer 74

Lawn currently

Answer 75

We do it all ourselves using time management. We still get to spend time together.  

Answer 76

We were short on time just like you and decided to outsource lawn care, grocery shopping and house cleaning. We don’t have kids who can help us.  

Answer 77

I think it's back to what Miko says, what are your financial priorities? For me, I'd rather have a little less going into saving for my future to make my present more comfortable/easy so i have a cleaning lady a few times a week and a gardener (when i can be bothered calling)

Answer 78

I outsource groceries.  

Answer 79

I have someone come clean bi-weekly, and I hire the nicest guy to handle labor intensive yard work. I'm picky about laundry so I do that myself, and I'm very tidy so I pick up and wipe down things between housekeeping visits. I also mow my own lawn and plant my own container flowers. So I guess it's a mix for me.  

Answer 80

Thanks everyone for your wonderful input. There is a lot to think about and I’ll probably do a little here and there for right now. I enjoy grocery shopping with my son on our once a week trip and have been trying to include him in helping with laundry (but he is 2. 5 so lol it’s mostly a disaster at this age). I think maybe a cleaning service might be something to look into because between 2 adults working full time, 1 toddler and a basset hound, the house is impossible to keep up with.  

Answer 81

We’ve gone back and forth over the years. If it saves your sanity, it might be worth it. Pick and choose.  

Answer 82

You could also view outsourcing those tasks as giving someone else a job. You are helping the economy

Comments

That is a great point and I'm sure so many people need this right now. We are doing fine in light of COVID, but so many are struggling.  

Answer 83

We outsource a lot of yard work, but save what we enjoy (gardening, planting, etc. ). I do the majority of my groceries online for free pickups.  

Answer 84

We outsource lawncare and some home maintenance like electrical. My husband is about to tebuild our deck. If you can do it yourself but once we stress over it, we outsource.  

Answer 85

We do everything ourselves . But paying for the mowing of lawn would be nice . But my son enjoys riding w daddy . And it doesn't take too long. I worry about a cleaning person bc I don't like people in my house when I'm not there . its basically a stranger in my house . Makes me feel uneasy. But I know lots of people who have them !  

Answer 86

Gardener and Pool Just tried grocery delivery yesterday out of necessity for the 1st time and it was amazing!  

Answer 87

I totally understand! I do home daycare and then of course I have my kids activities in the evening with a husband that works nights. So it’s me myself and I. The list never ends. Just some thoughts. You can teach your son how to do small household chores so that it turns into family time my kids at 18 mos were helping me fold wash cloths and vacuuming at 2 with ear protection cleaning windows because they were eager to help that goes away enjoy it while it lasts. But that can still be done between house cleanings by a housekeeper. You can teach him how to do yard work. You can maybe even buy him the little play lawnmowers. My kids had one as well it pushes out bubbles. You can really make cleaning and yard work a family thing. Or outsource what is taking the most time and keeping you from family time if it’s the deep cleaning then hire someone for that if it’s grocery shopping do pick up or delivery. Or both! Time flys I have 4 kids the two oldest are in college and then I have one in high school and one in middle school. And I truly wonder where the time went. You can’t get the time back. If you have to put a little less money into savings it will be worth it. I do grocery pick up and I wish I had someone for the other things. If you can afford it go for it!  

Answer 88

We currently do everything ourselves but spread it out. I take about an hour every night to do something. I load the washer or dishwasher and cook supper while they are washing. Then change clothes over to dryer while eating, the fold and put away together before bed. Dusing and vacuuming are done by room, with one room each night. Lawncare is about two hours on the weekend so leaves plenty of time for ourselves. Of course our kids are grown. Schedule out the tasks to make it easier on everyone.  

Answer 89

If you can afford it, then maybe think if outsourcing will make you happier? Less arguments and frustration over who/what needs to be done could be priceless.  

Answer 90

I’ll tell you right now. Your husband is right and you can’t buy back time with your kids. Outsource what you can reasonably afford and work out the rest. This time is so short and I would give anything for more time with my kids.  

Answer 91

People have forgotten that doing these tasks can be a valued form of spending time together. It’s why my stepsons ALWAYS helped me at home but fought their own mother. We would work and talk and have fun. Each task done with more hands took less time and nobody felt sacrificed. Outsource some of the work and pick the ones where time is more valuable spent doing the work together.  

Answer 92

We have a housekeeper that comes 2x a month. That’s the only thing we outsource because it’s the biggest task for us. We still have to clean because obviously 2x a month isn’t enough but at least they get under the beds and get the ceiling fans etc.  

Answer 93

When we both worked full time outside the home (we are both home based now and have been for years) we had a housekeeper and I had a meat delivery service twice a year and a weekly produce box. It saved our sanity, we could relax on the weekends. We are out less because we always had food in the house. It doesn’t work for every family but it did for us. Maybe do a trial for 2 months and track to see if you are spending less because of not going to the store? We had a housekeeper 2 times a month.  

Answer 94

My husband thinks otherwise and says we can do everything when something breaks or happens in the house it takes him at least 6 months to fix things I do what I can when I can I work 60 hours a week and would love to come to a clean home but no I have to do itthe 3 kids can do their rooms I just ignore that.  

Answer 95

We outsource lawn care and grocery shopping. Best decision we ever made!  

Answer 96

I have someone come in and clean my house twice per month. It has saved my sanity. It is 100% worth it to me. Grocery pickup has changed our lives. It saves so much time - we can't get delivery where we live, but the pickup option is amazing.  

Answer 97

Grocery pickup, house cleaning, and lawn maintenance are the three biggest time sucks there are. Outsource those tasks and enjoy life.  

Answer 98

Home cleaning especially if the kids are too young yet to really help (under 4) or if you have multiple kids, then I’d outsource for sure (I did). Laundry can be easier to do if you wear your clothes twice before putting in the laundry. Grocery can be a fun thing to do as a family (beware of being bamboozled into buying ice cream and chips! ). Lawn care was outsourced kind of, my husband used to mow (now my teen son does it, he loves it) but it could be a learning experience with your child to be out in the garden with you and your husband. I think it might be a matter of perspective too. If you view it as a chore and not as a cool teaching experience then it can be outsourced.  

Answer 99

When our kids were little we did everything ourselves. Changed oil, baked  yard work, gardening  . Raise our own  . Mostly because we were a single income family. My kids have amazing work ethics. Now we can totally afford to outsource

Comments

I have a groomer come and groom my dog $120. 00 plus tip. I think I could have done that. My husband says time is worth . If I was in debt I would not pay for services. Working moms have so much work.  

Answer 100

Lawn care, house cleaning but the rest you guys should be able to do.  

Answer 101

A load of laundry per day, everyone pitches in on daily clean ups, and deep clean days. Outsource lawn. I totally have groceries delivered bc THAT is a headache.  

Answer 102

For our family all the things you listed we value in showing area kids. We want them to take care of themselves when they become an adult. Teaching time management and also communication between spouse is a valuable lesson. For us, we include our kiddos in these things. Yard work, household chores and such. However, you have to weigh what is best for your family! Having groceries delivered is amazing though lol

Comments

I mean, I value those things also, but my kid is only 2 right now, so he's as stressful to have 'help' as he is to not help at this age. I do want to incorporate him as he gets older

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@bondholder yes! It's hard to get anything done with a two year old lol

Answer 103

Personally I don't see the point of paying someone else our hard earned money to do what we can. Once we got into a routine of things it so much easier and way less time consuming plus depending on what it is the kids love being involved. My 18 month takes it as a personal insult if she doesn't get to take the recycling out while my 3 yeae old loves to vacuum lol . That being said everyone is different if you feel that would best suit your family go for it if you can afford it

Answer 104

We do what we can ourselves (lawn and snow care, vehicle maintenance, shopping and cleaning, basic repairs) but would outsource anything beyond our skill level (when we didnt have a plow we outsourced snow removal, anything beyond basic plumbing or electrical work, etc. )I think its up to a household if the convenience or money is the priority. We do purchase a box of HelloFresh each month as a convenient way to try something new, which isnt budget friendly compared to shopping and cooking but it was a mutual decision we agreed was worth the money once in a while.  

Answer 105

Depends on your budget. I can see both sides, but I only agree to outsource if it works with your budget. We outsource lawn care because of your husband’s line of thought; mowing our lawn would take at least 1. 5 hrs. We both work and have 3 kids so we think it’s worth it. House cleaning however I do not want to outsource even if we can. I tried it once and I just like to clean myself  I’m extremely particular so I don’t mind sacrificing my free time at night to do so. For groceries, we only started ordering since this pandemic and I can see keeping some form of it after; to safe time and actually be able to budget better!  

Answer 106

We do everything, no hired help. We do travel sports, 4H events, and I've been the PTC president for 7 years. I own 2 businesses and have a part-time job, and my husband works shift work. We're a very busy family and our kids have lots going on, but we still handle it. I personally just lower my standards sometimes during our really busy times (almost always).  

Answer 107

I can see outsourcing lawn and home cleaning, those can take a lot of time. But laundry and grocery shopping are simpler and you can do at the same time.  

Answer 108

I'm going to be trying Imperfect Foods delivery whenever I'm eligible to start shopping. See if that saves me time. I would eventually like to get to a cleaning service even just once a month.  

Answer 109

We semi compromised on the yard work. Hubby has always used a push mower and refused to let me outsource. So I bought him a CHEAP, very used riding mower for his birthday from a couple we used to go to church with. He has decided that he likes this riding mower stuff.  

Answer 110

You’re not going to agree, so you’re both going to need to compromise. decide what you might be willing to compromise, and see if he is ok with it. If not, what’s his suggestion for a compromise

Answer 111

I think compromise is the best bet. Outsource landscaping, and maybe every other weekly cleaning. Do a light (key word - light) clean on the off weeks, daily load of laundry and utilize grocery pick up. That should lessen your load while you’re home and he’ll be happy to not gave as much to do and more time with you. I only say do your own laundry cause it would ewww me out to do someone else’s laundry.  

Answer 112

I pay a company 40$ every 2 weeks to mow. I do the rest.  

Answer 113

Well I understand where your husband is coming from. I’m single and I outsourced home cleaning and laundry when I lived overseas. I had a full time job and was going to school. I want my off time to be my off time. You could probably bundle the home cleaning and laundry. Order your groceries online and do pick up or delivery if they have an option near you. Most of the time with services like this. If you are going to be a routine customer you get a better pricing for it. I negotiated with my housekeeper about the laundry. I cleaned my own under garments.  

Answer 114

You’re doing everything yourself and you’re up still up at 11pm on Sunday? Maybe you should take some of the help. Also, I’ve never house a housekeeper do my laundry. They aren’t any more qualified than I am and I have a vested interest in not ruining my clothes. I’ll always do my laundry. *we don’t mow. For us it is cheaper to let someone else do it than buy and maintain the equipment.  

Answer 115

Are you cleaning thru out the week? If your budget can handle it get some help

Comments

@photobathic by the end of the day, I really only have time to do 1, maybe 2 things. It’s usually dishes and something else. But often times I just do dishes because I don’t want to be cleaning in the hour before I go to bed

Answer 116

I have to tell you. I fully agree with your husband. All of those things are outsourced in our home (pre covid) it made life so much easier, it made me appreciate the work that we do and how hard we work in order to have the ability to outsource those things, it allows me to love on my babies and my husband more and be a less stressed mama. After covid we cut ties with all of our services (except grocery delivery when available) it’s been really really difficult between work and the kids. It doesn’t hurt to give it a try and see how it impacts you, if it isn’t what you expected then you can always put a stop to services. Good luck mama

Answer 117

Well if I could afford it I definitely would!  

Answer 118

We are on a pretty tight budget and we outsource all of those things except for laundry. My husband and I each work 40+ hours during the week and we have a 2. 5 year old and a 10 month old so it is worth it to us to save any time we can! For now, the landscaper is worth it. We also have a cleaning company come every other week. These were both obviously pre-COVID and we both know that these expenses are both “extra” and if we need to, we can cut them from our budget at any time. We do our best to be able to afford them because unfortunately we just don’t have the time to do it ourselves. I also saved up $1, 000 before I allowed myself to hire either service. I felt like I gave us a little buffer there. I don’t know if you have Stop and Shop where you are but I pay $129 a year for Pod Pass and it’s for delivery service for the year for PeaPod. I feel like it actually saves me money because then I’m not impulse buying when I’m at the store. I meal plan every Wednesday, place my grocery order every Thursday and it’s delivered to my kitchen counter every Sunday morning. I still have to meal prep for the week so it definitely saves me an hour or two of shopping as well!  

Answer 119

We outsource lawn service. It’s like $50/month during summer.  

Answer 120

A friend told me a long time ago to, as soon as I could afford it, outsource everything I could. Then my time off was really down time to recharge and got me ready for the week to come. Best decision I’ve ever made.  

Comments

@sudden Zunich God bless this friend of yours!  

Answer 121

I hire the lawn care and house keeping. I hate laundry and as soon as I can afford it, that's the first thing to go. I also hate cooking and I have Celiac Disease and can't eat out. When I make enough to hire some food prep done all will be glorious in my world. I'm far too busy with work, community boards, sports, and 4-H to be in charge of housework and cooking. Husband has an hour commute each way every day, so he doesn't have the time either. Yes it means I can't pay down debt or save as much as I'd like, but sanity and less arguments make it a win for us.  

Answer 122

I hire someone to come clean my apartment. I started when I was injured broken ankle and leg.