Anonymous wrote:Savings. Don’t change your lifestyle.

In fact, double down. Get rid of a luxury, like air conditioning.

Anonymous wrote:College funds for your kids
Once a month cleaning for yourself
Once a week food delivery from your favorite restaurant

I’d definitely do cleaners every two weeks over weekly take out. Cleaners really are great - a huge time saver plus it feels like I’ve gotten a gift every time I walk into my house for at least two days. Restaurant meal brings pleasure for so much less time.

As for gym, that’s a good option only if you are likely to be able to use it regularly. But something health related is great - could be gym, could be a set of weights and peloton subscriptions, could be signing up for a regular class somewhere.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

I am the wife. And I have a demanding job and a handful of kids.

We have laundry baskets in each room for clothes and laundry baskets in the 3 bathrooms where we shower.

I alternate days of clothing and towels. Sheets are done every week or so separately. We have multiple sets of back up sheets.

I do a load of something each night.

My teens/tweens have been trained to do laundry and are responsible for folding and putting away their laundry. Sometimes I do it for them, but mostly I leave it on their bed or desk for them to put away.

Laundry is only hard if you make it hard.

How much do people spend on outsourcing laundry? Regardless, I’d rather put that money towards a nice vacation.

These are all great ideas, I don’t have any new ones that would be highest priority to me, and congratulations!

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

Seriously. Laundry is the bane of my existence.

But 8-10 hours? I do laundry twice a week for myself and two kids. DH does his own. It is not 8-10 hours. But I don’t pre-sort or iron, and kids put their own laundry away once I fold it - plus I’ve stopped turning the clothes right side in. They can do that when they wear it and they do, even if they somehow can’t manage to do it before they drop it in the hamper.

+1. I can’t figure out how laundry takes 8-10 hours. Are people changing 7 times a day? We have a family of 4 and we run one white load and one color load a week. It definitely doesn’t take 8-10 hours.

There's no way this is true unless your kids are tiny. Mine are 13, 15 and 17 who play sports. Easily we can do a load a day, not counting towels and sheets.

NP. Mine are 13 and 15 doing travel sports and I agree - I am always doing laundry. BUT it is just putting it in the wash and dryer. It's not like it's that hard. I run multiple loads through the week for sure! I actually don't mind folding. I would never outsource my laundry as I do high house cleaners and use dry cleaners. I would say one thing that makes my life easier is our machines are upstairs and it's nothing to stick something in the washer or dryer as frequently as needed. When it was in the basement or if you have to constantly carry dry clothes to fold up steps, that sucks. I just take it out of my dryer and fold in my bedroom in front of the TV so it's not a big deal.

You guys have time to be in front of the TV?

You get the idea...put clothes is wash...maybe 15 mins if you are collecting it from hampers. Do anything else till the washer dings. Spend 5 mins putting it in dryer. Do anything else till dryer bings. You did not spend two hours on laundry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

Seriously. Laundry is the bane of my existence.

But 8-10 hours? I do laundry twice a week for myself and two kids. DH does his own. It is not 8-10 hours. But I don’t pre-sort or iron, and kids put their own laundry away once I fold it - plus I’ve stopped turning the clothes right side in. They can do that when they wear it and they do, even if they somehow can’t manage to do it before they drop it in the hamper.

+1. I can’t figure out how laundry takes 8-10 hours. Are people changing 7 times a day? We have a family of 4 and we run one white load and one color load a week. It definitely doesn’t take 8-10 hours.

There's no way this is true unless your kids are tiny. Mine are 13, 15 and 17 who play sports. Easily we can do a load a day, not counting towels and sheets.

NP. Mine are 13 and 15 doing travel sports and I agree - I am always doing laundry. BUT it is just putting it in the wash and dryer. It's not like it's that hard. I run multiple loads through the week for sure! I actually don't mind folding. I would never outsource my laundry as I do high house cleaners and use dry cleaners. I would say one thing that makes my life easier is our machines are upstairs and it's nothing to stick something in the washer or dryer as frequently as needed. When it was in the basement or if you have to constantly carry dry clothes to fold up steps, that sucks. I just take it out of my dryer and fold in my bedroom in front of the TV so it's not a big deal.

You guys have time to be in front of the TV?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

Seriously. Laundry is the bane of my existence.

But 8-10 hours? I do laundry twice a week for myself and two kids. DH does his own. It is not 8-10 hours. But I don’t pre-sort or iron, and kids put their own laundry away once I fold it - plus I’ve stopped turning the clothes right side in. They can do that when they wear it and they do, even if they somehow can’t manage to do it before they drop it in the hamper.

what about pillows and beddings? comforters? bath towels? kitchen linens? I send comforters and pillows out.

Once a week for all that except the comforters and pillows. Don’t wash those unless dirty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

DP. Laundry is one of the funny things people have strong opinions about here. I think prewashing sorting is the hard part. We watch TV and fold. But I don’t get the complaints. (Wife here).

You have help. It takes me an entire day to do the laundry for my family of five.

Yes, my husband and children. Why don’t yours help?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

Seriously. Laundry is the bane of my existence.

But 8-10 hours? I do laundry twice a week for myself and two kids. DH does his own. It is not 8-10 hours. But I don’t pre-sort or iron, and kids put their own laundry away once I fold it - plus I’ve stopped turning the clothes right side in. They can do that when they wear it and they do, even if they somehow can’t manage to do it before they drop it in the hamper.

+1. I can’t figure out how laundry takes 8-10 hours. Are people changing 7 times a day? We have a family of 4 and we run one white load and one color load a week. It definitely doesn’t take 8-10 hours.

There's no way this is true unless your kids are tiny. Mine are 13, 15 and 17 who play sports. Easily we can do a load a day, not counting towels and sheets.

My 15 and 17 year olds play sports. They do their own laundry.

Does the 8-10 hours count run time for the washing machine and dryer? That’s the only way I can see it add it.

If you have a car loan, I’d pay that off. Or any other debt. It will feel so freeing!

Savings. Don’t change your lifestyle.

Cleaners, for sure.

Anonymous wrote:Cleaners hand down.

+1

Congrats O0! You should be really proud of yourself.

I’m a single mom too and the best things I’ve spent on are a once a month cleaner, occasional babysitting, planet fitness membership, high quality lululemon yoga mat, occasional yoga classes, houseplant collection, and I treat myself to high end lattes.Oh and therapy when I need it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

Do you actually do the laundry in your house? Putting it in is one of many steps. Sorting, washing, drying, folding, putting away. Let me guess, your wife does all the laundry?

Seriously. Laundry is the bane of my existence.

But 8-10 hours? I do laundry twice a week for myself and two kids. DH does his own. It is not 8-10 hours. But I don’t pre-sort or iron, and kids put their own laundry away once I fold it - plus I’ve stopped turning the clothes right side in. They can do that when they wear it and they do, even if they somehow can’t manage to do it before they drop it in the hamper.

+1. I can’t figure out how laundry takes 8-10 hours. Are people changing 7 times a day? We have a family of 4 and we run one white load and one color load a week. It definitely doesn’t take 8-10 hours.

There's no way this is true unless your kids are tiny. Mine are 13, 15 and 17 who play sports. Easily we can do a load a day, not counting towels and sheets.

NP. Mine are 13 and 15 doing travel sports and I agree - I am always doing laundry. BUT it is just putting it in the wash and dryer. It's not like it's that hard. I run multiple loads through the week for sure! I actually don't mind folding. I would never outsource my laundry as I do high house cleaners and use dry cleaners. I would say one thing that makes my life easier is our machines are upstairs and it's nothing to stick something in the washer or dryer as frequently as needed. When it was in the basement or if you have to constantly carry dry clothes to fold up steps, that sucks. I just take it out of my dryer and fold in my bedroom in front of the TV so it's not a big deal.