Reasonable amount to pay a kid to cut your lawn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never understood why people will pay more to have their lawn cut than to have their child babysat. If the lawnmower screws up, you have a cruddy looking lawn for a few weeks. If your babysitter screws up, you could have a dead child. The stakes are so much higher. I can only assume it's because lawnmowing is "men's work" and childminding is "women's work."

+1,000,000 - Someone pls explain this.

Ok, I will explain it:

There are a lot more people (male or female) willing to spend a couple of hours sitting next to a kid who is playing on a screen, than are willing to do the dirty and tiring job of mowing grass -- especially when it is like 90 degrees out. Additionally, mowing requires equipment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it is your kid, zero. That’s an expectation. If it’s a stranger, maybe $40. They are not trained, after all.

Yes, find out where he went to Lawn Mower University, and where he graduated within his class. If it's not the top 10% from one of the top ten LM U's, pay less.

DP You owe me a fresh martini now. Mine is all over the table.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never understood why people will pay more to have their lawn cut than to have their child babysat. If the lawnmower screws up, you have a cruddy looking lawn for a few weeks. If your babysitter screws up, you could have a dead child. The stakes are so much higher. I can only assume it's because lawnmowing is "men's work" and childminding is "women's work."

+1,000,000 - Someone pls explain this.

Doesn't apply to us, but I think it's just an issue of time vs amount of money being worth it. No one is going to come out and mow your lawn for $10/hr. And most people can't afford to play their sitter $50/hr for 4+hrs. So when a low amount of hours are needed, they have to pay a higher amount per hour to get people to want to do it.

This is why several PT babysitting gigs can be so much more profitable than one FT child, if you know how to keep a full schedule. Ladies need to up their rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never understood why people will pay more to have their lawn cut than to have their child babysat. If the lawnmower screws up, you have a cruddy looking lawn for a few weeks. If your babysitter screws up, you could have a dead child. The stakes are so much higher. I can only assume it's because lawnmowing is "men's work" and childminding is "women's work."

+1,000,000 - Someone pls explain this.

Ok, I will explain it:

There are a lot more people (male or female) willing to spend a couple of hours sitting next to a kid who is playing on a screen, than are willing to do the dirty and tiring job of mowing grass -- especially when it is like 90 degrees out. Additionally, mowing requires equipment.

Sad how even wealthy parents have such low expectations for the care of their child.

[Anonymous]

Landscaping companies around us charge $40/week.

I can’t imagine paying a kid/teen more than that.

[Anonymous]

We pay ours $30. It takes less than an hour. He doesn’t bag or edge. $30/hour tax free seems pretty good.

[Anonymous]

About 19 years ago, my kids were young (early elementary and younger) and my husband had to travel for work a lot, so we hired a local man (in his 40s, if it matters) to mow our lawn.
Our lawn was about 1/4 acre and he used his own equipment. He charged $40 per mow.

After several years, he got a different job and stopped yard work. It just so happened that about the same time, our oldest was old enough to start mowing, so we just paid him $40/mow. We have younger kids too, and our youngest was in his summer between high school/college last summer (2024.) We still just paid $40/mow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:By kid I mean a 19 year old. Takes about an hour to cut it. Push lawnmower - NOVA.

$20 w your own mower. Maybe a $5 tip if no skippers

[Anonymous]

We have Landon school teens walk over for raking or mowing with our gear: $20/hr per person cash.

[Anonymous]

We pay a high schooler $35 a week.

[Anonymous]

I’m in NOVA with a 1/4acre lot and electric mower. We pay our kid $35/mow We were previously paying a service $40/mow including edging/trimming.

[Anonymous]

$30 to mow, weed, and edge on 0.25 acre

[Anonymous]

we pay 40/mow for 3 people to take care of our yard.

[Anonymous]

50
Small yard, but includes a hill
Edges and blows but doesn’t bag
Makes mistakes , but learning. Not LMU grad

[Anonymous]

We pay $40 after tip.