Outsourcing: where to start

[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'm the PP. Funny! I certainly do shower myself, although I tried outsourcing washing my hair by going to a blowdry bar a few times a week. I thought they didn't do a great job. If they did I would have kept it up!

We do not outsource grocery shopping or cooking. I prefer buying food in person and I enjoy cooking. We've tried a ton of meal services, including having a personal chef who comes once or twice a week and cooks several meals at once, but I don't find it to be better than just ordering from a restaurant (or just chipotle!) on nights I don't want to cook.

I'm always on the lookout for outsourcing services. I saw one recently for cars - they pick up your car from your house and take it wherever it needs to go for an oil change or repair. Also dry cleaning pick up and delivery is great. And I saw (but haven't tried yet) that Uber will now pick up packages and mail them at USPS/UPS/Fed Ex.

Our HHI is around 2M. I think services and experiences make people happier than stuff (at least, it makes me happier). I drive a very ordinary car, and I'm sure we spend less than most with our HHI on showy things. But outsourcing, plus restaurants, vacations, theater, entertainment and of course donating to causes we support - that's where our money goes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I pay my once a week $150, plus our house is 1/2 the size.

[Anonymous]

For sure, a housecleaning service is our top must-have. Ours comes every other week, though we should probably have them every week. I can manage the day-to-day pick up (mostly!) but do not have time for regular cleaning.

We also use landscaping for leave removal in the fall (we just started having our kids be responsible for cutting the grass, though I know my husband would prefer the landscapers!)

Seems obvious, but a well-run Amazon subscribe and save subscription saves $$ and time (and hassle of carrying heavy crap like kitty litter, laundry detergent, etc) around. Obviously you need to stay on top of it to ensure you don't end up with 10 boxes of foil (ask me how I know!)

I personally prefer to shop in person for food, so I've not outsourced that. We do meal delivery services from time-to-time - mostly when my husband decides he wants to chip in more with food prep. I think they can definitely be worth it for people that don't like to cook (I actually do, when I have the time).

[Anonymous]

We have a nanny who does some minimal tidying (our kids are old enough to pick up after themselves) and food prep and an agreed upon # of errands per week before the kids get picked up at school and then rushes them around to after-school activities. Nanny does kids laundry.

We have cleaning people twice a week who handles all linens laundry
Landscaping however often (DH handles this).
Twice a year a company comes to detail the car.
Twice a year we hire another cleaning crew to deep clean the house.

DH loves cooking so he makes dinner. I generally make breakfast and the kids and I prep their lunches together. DH and I do our own laundry.

[Anonymous]

We are DCUM "middle class" and outsource house cleaning (every two weeks), dog walking when one of us is on work travel and occasional landscaping (maybe 2-3 times a year). We also have hired a handyman but for smaller projects here and there.

I badly want to outsource laundry, but I am picky about taking care of clothing, stains, air drying etc and feel like it would be too much work to sort out the items I want to take care of myself.

As for home organization - I am in the same boat, OP. We have a ton of STUFF and just don't know what to do with it and I spend a lot of my weekend time trying to make it work. We got a quote for $2000 to organize our big family room/playroom area and I just couldn't stomach it. DH and I agreed to take a few days off work and to tackle it together while the kids are in school/daycare.

Other outsourcing we are going to try to build into the budget:
-stylist (the kind that go through your wardrobe and recommend ways to wear what you have...I will buy a few new pieces, but trying not to buy too much)
-meal prep/home cook or a meal delivery service
-mothers helper or au pair
-grocery delivery (we prefer to shop in person, but somethings gotta give!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are DCUM "middle class" and outsource house cleaning (every two weeks), dog walking when one of us is on work travel and occasional landscaping (maybe 2-3 times a year). We also have hired a handyman but for smaller projects here and there.

I badly want to outsource laundry, but I am picky about taking care of clothing, stains, air drying etc and feel like it would be too much work to sort out the items I want to take care of myself.

As for home organization - I am in the same boat, OP. We have a ton of STUFF and just don't know what to do with it and I spend a lot of my weekend time trying to make it work. We got a quote for $2000 to organize our big family room/playroom area and I just couldn't stomach it. DH and I agreed to take a few days off work and to tackle it together while the kids are in school/daycare.

Other outsourcing we are going to try to build into the budget:
-stylist (the kind that go through your wardrobe and recommend ways to wear what you have...I will buy a few new pieces, but trying not to buy too much)
-meal prep/home cook or a meal delivery service
-mothers helper or au pair
-grocery delivery (we prefer to shop in person, but somethings gotta give!)

You should let this go! I have been doing laundry for 25 years by dumping everything together in the washer. Zero issues ever with stains, bleeding colors, or whatever.

[Anonymous]

Poster with the long, extensive list ... I am not critical of you but curious how much it costs. Pls come back to answer!! (or do you not know...?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I pay my once a week $150, plus our house is 1/2 the size.

We pay $150 for a 2,000 SF house.