Running a household can be a full-time job: as a mother of 3 kids, it’s hard for me to keep up with all the chores in the house, while making sure everyone’s bathed, clothed, and fed, and making sure all the bills are paid on time. While I’m more than happy to do this for my family, sometimes I need a little “me” time too!
In an attempt to maximize my efficiency, I found the simplest solution of all: outsource my chores! Here are some of the chores that I’ve outsourced to professional services:
House Cleaning
Whether it’s making sure your hardwood floors are spotless or if it’s vacuuming all the rooms in your house, house cleaning can be done on your own, but there are some chores that you should probably leave to professionals.
Photo credits from: The Creative Exchange (https://unsplash.com/photos/uSFYHjmqPAE)
For example, carpet cleaning is one of those chores that you’ll want someone who’s experienced with dealing with stains and delicate rugs to look at, mostly because cleaning your carpets and rugs do require special tools and techniques, otherwise you risk ruining them.
Laundry
Outsourcing your laundry can save you not just on time but on money as well. Yes, some people enjoy doing the laundry (some people even think it’s therapeutic!), but outsourcing it means you won’t have to spend as much on detergent and water, not to mention freeing you up to do more “me” things like reading a book or working on a personal project.
Photo credits from: Andy Fitzsimon (https://unsplash.com/photos/nHhGuO-2YPw)
Think about it: especially for people with families, laundry time can eat up at least 6 hours a day, not including ironing, folding, organizing, and taking the clothes to and from the laundry room to bedrooms, closets, and wherever else. I mean, you have things dry cleaned by a professional service, why not do the same for your laundry, especially since it will cost less on average if you get things washed in bulk than if you continue doing it at home?
By outsourcing your laundry to a professional laundry service, you’re not only guaranteed a fresh wash, your clothes will also arrive completely ironed, folded, and on hangers.
Taking the Kids to School
Especially for parents of kids who study in different private schools or school districts, it’s important that you get them to school on time. But what happens when there’s only family car and each school is in opposite directions? Some districts offer a public school bus service, but sometimes that service can be late, or they pick up and drop off your kids at odd hours, and no one wants that.
Photo credits from: Sai De Silva (https://unsplash.com/photos/E68j7MQ4u3Q)
Instead, consider asking your community for help. Many neighborhoods (like the one I live in) have carpool services where parents pay a nominal fee to volunteers who take your kids to school. Because they’re our neighbors, we don’t have to worry about leaving our young ones to strangers, and while we’re more than happy to pay extra, most of our volunteers don’t do it for the money: they’re just glad to help people out!
Mowing the Lawn
Go ahead, ask your husband: what’s the worst chore you can think of? 9 times out of 10, he’ll probably say mowing the lawn! I mean, why wouldn’t anyone hate it: it’s repetitive, dull, hot, and way too much effort for something I’ll be doing again anyway next month or so.
Photo credits from: Zé Zorzan (https://unsplash.com/photos/CPo6qYvNsvM)
So why put your spouse or yourself through that stress when you can have a professional lawn care and maintenance service do it for you? Professional lawn care maintenance is a booming industry in the country, with lawn care companies offering scalable services that’ll fit most family’s budgets.
Groceries and General Shopping
With more and more stores offering online payments and delivery, there’s less and less reason to spend all of your time and effort into driving down to your local strip mall for your essentials. Large stores like Walmart and Costco all offer home delivery for groceries, while most retail stores offer same-day shipping services for most products.
Photo credits from: Leonie Wise (https://unsplash.com/photos/NLU117HCVuc)
Why is this an important chore to outsource? Well, while some people find “retail therapy” a great way to blow off steam, it’s also an expensive habit to have. With online shopping, studies found that people are a little more careful about what they put in their shopping cart. Plus, the option to take things out of your cart prior to purchase is a great incentive for people who want to save money.
Bookkeeping and Bills Paying
I don’t know about you, but it takes me at least a couple of hours a week to compile all of our paperwork for the house so I can file our taxes, keep up with mortgages, payment of bills, etc. etc. It’s a full-time job, maintaining the paperwork of an entire household! With that being said, it might be best to outsource this part of your life to a professional bookkeeper or accountant.
Photo credits from: Artem Beliaikin (https://unsplash.com/photos/Dz-Iij3CrpM)
Yes, it’s a little added expense, but think of the peace of mind you get knowing that your finances are being maintained by a professional? In my opinion, it’s a small price to pay!
Loves home. I am here to provide how to make your home a much better place. 🙂 Blogging about HomeDecor, Home Improvements and more.
