Outsourcing: where to start

[Anonymous]

I am feeling the general busy-ness/overwhelming nature of two-parent career household with young kids. There is so much we are behind on - keeping up with the daily mess (particularly kitchen and the "stuff" everywhere--not the actual cleaning our once-a-week housekeeper does), refreshing my wardrobe to be more professional and now that I'm out of the maternity/post-partum phase, rooms in our house that need furniture and decorating, etc.

It feels like we are managing okay week to week and sometimes we just look the other way at the mess, but we have the monetary resources to help with some of this--just not the energy to figure out what. Do I need a professional organizer to de-clutter and set up an organizational system that would make daily life feel more manageable, or someone to come in a few times a week to tidy? Do I need a professional decorator to help us figure out how to layout the dining room or find the right piece of furniture for our mudroom, or just a regular weekend babysitter so we have the time to do research and shopping ourselves?

We spend a lot of time on the weekends dividing and conquering (he'll take the kids out, I'll do the cleaning, or vice versa so he can handle grocery shopping), but there's a fair amount we want to figure out together, and mostly, we want time to just chill as a family and not spend our spare time on this sort of "work." (I am okay cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast, it's the bigger house projects or messes that take hours, not spurts of 20 minutes)

I feel like I make all these plans in my head to get help, and I can never actually follow through on it. If you've figured this out please share any advice. We would like to outsource effectively and not just throw away money on something that doesn't make sense.

[Anonymous]

OP, as someone who did a lot of outsourcing when our kids weee little, I think it really does depend on your and your spouse’s preferences. If you *had* some free time, how would you prefer to spend it. I took a months-long LOA from work and realized that it didn’t matter how much free time I had, there were just some projects around the house that would never get done by ME. So I hired those out (a professional organizer was wonderful).

The day to day clutter/ chores wasn’t fun to come home to so we hired a housekeeper to come every single weekday for a few hours. And she was flexible about what she did so she would go to the dry cleaner, do dinner prep if needed and would even cart an older kids around to activities if needed. But our floors were swept of crumbs, the laundry was always done and the sheets/ towels were regularly swapped out.

We spent less on extended childcare because my job was flexible and storytime, bathtime, cooking dinner, etc were enjoyable to me.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Well thank you for this very thoughtful answer. I suppose I don’t want to do the cleaning/de-cluttering all the time (although I worry I can’t effectively outsource this—someone will set up an organizational system that sounds nice in concept but isn’t sustainable). Any tips on how to screen for someone who’s a really good professional organizer?

[Anonymous]

I'm a big believer in spending money on outsourcing. Professionals are more efficient, you're keeping money in the US economy, you're not collecting crap the way you would if you just bought things, the list goes on.

Things we've had / have:

1. Professional Organizer. We used Organizing Maniacs. They brought all the containers you'd need to organize, and they took away all the crap that had to be donated.
2. Daily M-F Housekeeper (if you can afford it). We found someone on care.com, she comes 30 hours a week. We *also* have biweekly cleaners, but the housekeeper does a daily tidying, will change lightbulbs, deal with people who have to come fix something, helps out with the dog, keeps things organized, etc.
3. Interior designer. Again if you can afford it. I hadn't realized before how much a designer can be a life time service. If anything every comes up with anything we've ever bought through the designer - a stain on the couch, an issue with the shades, etc - she handles it. All I have to do is text.
4. Handyman. We have someone we can text who will just come over and hang things or do small tasks around the house.
5. Dog Walker. If you have a dog. We ALSO take our dog on additional walks but just for pleasure, not because we need to or else our dog is wild from lack of exercise!
6. Personal Trainer who comes to the house
7. Personal shopper/stylist - we found someone who will basically shop for you, bring things to the house, you keep what you like and return what you don't, and she puts outfits together for you. The cost of this service is not insane btw - it was $1500, not including the clothes, which honestly is 100% worth it for us to do once or twice a year.
8. Tailor who comes to the house
9. Landscaping service that does EVERYTHING
10. Regular childcare for date nights and other events

People should outsource more than they do, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Have you ever added it up?
np

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a big believer in spending money on outsourcing. Professionals are more efficient, you're keeping money in the US economy, you're not collecting crap the way you would if you just bought things, the list goes on.

Things we've had / have:

1. Professional Organizer. We used Organizing Maniacs. They brought all the containers you'd need to organize, and they took away all the crap that had to be donated.
2. Daily M-F Housekeeper (if you can afford it). We found someone on care.com, she comes 30 hours a week. We *also* have biweekly cleaners, but the housekeeper does a daily tidying, will change lightbulbs, deal with people who have to come fix something, helps out with the dog, keeps things organized, etc.
3. Interior designer. Again if you can afford it. I hadn't realized before how much a designer can be a life time service. If anything every comes up with anything we've ever bought through the designer - a stain on the couch, an issue with the shades, etc - she handles it. All I have to do is text.
4. Handyman. We have someone we can text who will just come over and hang things or do small tasks around the house.
5. Dog Walker. If you have a dog. We ALSO take our dog on additional walks but just for pleasure, not because we need to or else our dog is wild from lack of exercise!
6. Personal Trainer who comes to the house
7. Personal shopper/stylist - we found someone who will basically shop for you, bring things to the house, you keep what you like and return what you don't, and she puts outfits together for you. The cost of this service is not insane btw - it was $1500, not including the clothes, which honestly is 100% worth it for us to do once or twice a year.
8. Tailor who comes to the house
9. Landscaping service that does EVERYTHING
10. Regular childcare for date nights and other events

People should outsource more than they do, IMO.

What do you do independently? Take a shower?

I simultaneously laughed but also really want much of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a big believer in spending money on outsourcing. Professionals are more efficient, you're keeping money in the US economy, you're not collecting crap the way you would if you just bought things, the list goes on.

Things we've had / have:

1. Professional Organizer. We used Organizing Maniacs. They brought all the containers you'd need to organize, and they took away all the crap that had to be donated.
2. Daily M-F Housekeeper (if you can afford it). We found someone on care.com, she comes 30 hours a week. We *also* have biweekly cleaners, but the housekeeper does a daily tidying, will change lightbulbs, deal with people who have to come fix something, helps out with the dog, keeps things organized, etc.
3. Interior designer. Again if you can afford it. I hadn't realized before how much a designer can be a life time service. If anything every comes up with anything we've ever bought through the designer - a stain on the couch, an issue with the shades, etc - she handles it. All I have to do is text.
4. Handyman. We have someone we can text who will just come over and hang things or do small tasks around the house.
5. Dog Walker. If you have a dog. We ALSO take our dog on additional walks but just for pleasure, not because we need to or else our dog is wild from lack of exercise!
6. Personal Trainer who comes to the house
7. Personal shopper/stylist - we found someone who will basically shop for you, bring things to the house, you keep what you like and return what you don't, and she puts outfits together for you. The cost of this service is not insane btw - it was $1500, not including the clothes, which honestly is 100% worth it for us to do once or twice a year.
8. Tailor who comes to the house
9. Landscaping service that does EVERYTHING
10. Regular childcare for date nights and other events

People should outsource more than they do, IMO.

What do you do independently? Take a shower?

I simultaneously laughed but also really want much of this.

Same! I want it all too but I'd need to win the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a big believer in spending money on outsourcing. Professionals are more efficient, you're keeping money in the US economy, you're not collecting crap the way you would if you just bought things, the list goes on.

Things we've had / have:

1. Professional Organizer. We used Organizing Maniacs. They brought all the containers you'd need to organize, and they took away all the crap that had to be donated.
2. Daily M-F Housekeeper (if you can afford it). We found someone on care.com, she comes 30 hours a week. We *also* have biweekly cleaners, but the housekeeper does a daily tidying, will change lightbulbs, deal with people who have to come fix something, helps out with the dog, keeps things organized, etc.
3. Interior designer. Again if you can afford it. I hadn't realized before how much a designer can be a life time service. If anything every comes up with anything we've ever bought through the designer - a stain on the couch, an issue with the shades, etc - she handles it. All I have to do is text.
4. Handyman. We have someone we can text who will just come over and hang things or do small tasks around the house.
5. Dog Walker. If you have a dog. We ALSO take our dog on additional walks but just for pleasure, not because we need to or else our dog is wild from lack of exercise!
6. Personal Trainer who comes to the house
7. Personal shopper/stylist - we found someone who will basically shop for you, bring things to the house, you keep what you like and return what you don't, and she puts outfits together for you. The cost of this service is not insane btw - it was $1500, not including the clothes, which honestly is 100% worth it for us to do once or twice a year.
8. Tailor who comes to the house
9. Landscaping service that does EVERYTHING
10. Regular childcare for date nights and other events

People should outsource more than they do, IMO.

HHI and net worth?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a big believer in spending money on outsourcing. Professionals are more efficient, you're keeping money in the US economy, you're not collecting crap the way you would if you just bought things, the list goes on.

Things we've had / have:

1. Professional Organizer. We used Organizing Maniacs. They brought all the containers you'd need to organize, and they took away all the crap that had to be donated.
2. Daily M-F Housekeeper (if you can afford it). We found someone on care.com, she comes 30 hours a week. We *also* have biweekly cleaners, but the housekeeper does a daily tidying, will change lightbulbs, deal with people who have to come fix something, helps out with the dog, keeps things organized, etc.
3. Interior designer. Again if you can afford it. I hadn't realized before how much a designer can be a life time service. If anything every comes up with anything we've ever bought through the designer - a stain on the couch, an issue with the shades, etc - she handles it. All I have to do is text.
4. Handyman. We have someone we can text who will just come over and hang things or do small tasks around the house.
5. Dog Walker. If you have a dog. We ALSO take our dog on additional walks but just for pleasure, not because we need to or else our dog is wild from lack of exercise!
6. Personal Trainer who comes to the house
7. Personal shopper/stylist - we found someone who will basically shop for you, bring things to the house, you keep what you like and return what you don't, and she puts outfits together for you. The cost of this service is not insane btw - it was $1500, not including the clothes, which honestly is 100% worth it for us to do once or twice a year.
8. Tailor who comes to the house
9. Landscaping service that does EVERYTHING
10. Regular childcare for date nights and other events

People should outsource more than they do, IMO.

HHI and net worth?

This would be useful to know.

Also, besides a cleaning crew and landscaping crew (these seem more basic), what would be your top pick to keep? I suspect the “daily” housekeeper would be it.

[Anonymous]

- Organizers
- Part time cook
- Laundry service.

[Anonymous]

OMG - I would love that PP list of outsourcing. I thought I outsourced to the hilt!

We have a housecleaner who is independent. She only charges us $100 and does laundry but we use her every week so it's $400/month but it's prob the equiv of 2x a month for the same price. Our house is 4BR/3 floors (but she only vacuums basement every other week) and about 3000 sq ft with 3 1/2 BA.

We have 2 cats but no dogs so our 2 kids + us take turns doing litter every 2 days.

We don't have a health club membership but my husband does PT every week.

We do A LOT of take out for dinners but it's mostly Chipotle/5 Guys/Chick Fil A so we only really cook 2-3x/night. We also order out from some nicer restaurants so admittedly most of our budget goes to food. It's mainly feeding our 2 tweens v us eating - sometimes we just eat leftovers/snacks.

We make our son mow the grass and we used a cleaning service once in the Spring/Fall.

We do a lot of ordering from Amazon and other than that really don't have other outsourcing needs. Our kids are old enough to stay home for date night for us but when younger, def did use babysitters. I had a nanny for them (actually 2 - one was more a weekend nanny as needed and the other nannyshare for the week) until K for the youngest. We do a lot of carpools/making the kids bike if close enough for activities.

We make our kids empty dishwasher, take out garbage, help us cook breakfasts for dinner that kind of stuff on a regular basis. They are 11 and 13.

Had I needed it, I would def outsource prof organizer but maybe not interior dec. I would def love to find someone to drive my kids to activities because I feel that my 2nd job is driving a Taxi carpooling!

[Anonymous]

Where do you live that you’re paying a cleaner $100 for a 3000 sq ft house? Vietnam? You’re severely unde paying this person and frankly exploiting them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- Organizers
- Part time cook
- Laundry service.

Yes to these. Add someone to come in 1 - 2 times per week to tidy up.

Once the organizers are finished you will need to commit to upkeep. After that I would bring in someone for yard work.

You don't have groceries delivered?

[Anonymous]

Online grocery delivery is huge. Huge!

[Anonymous]

I have a nanny agency and we place a TON of household manager/nanny hybrid roles to dual working parent households. Most families do something like 1-7pm or 12-8pm where the person comes to the house while the kids are still at daycare/school and does things like organization, laundry, meal prep, dishwasher, errands, packing lunches for the next day, managing school calendars, booking appointments, taking cars for oil changes, watering plants, sorting mail/packages, grocery shop, pulling kids toys and small clothes for donation, seasonal tasks like addressing cards, ordering and wrapping gifts, making sure kids have appropriate weather gear for each season, taking pets to grooming or vet, etc. Then they pick the kids up from school and help with play, homework, driving to activities, dinners, baths, etc.