Anonymous wrote:DH and I are both on billable hours so it just doesn’t make sense. I can pay someone $50 for something that takes 15 minutes, it would take me an hour. I bill 4x that so it’s not worth my time.

Do you make decisions in all areas of life based on this calculation? Grocery shopping? Taking your kids to soccer games? Reading a book?

My kids mow our grass, and my daughter mows a neighbor's. They like getting paid.

Anonymous wrote:Yard work is unbearable in the DMV summer with the humidity and mosquitos. There is nothing worse than pulling weeds, sweating like a pig while being devoured by Asian tiger mosquitos.

+1. It’s awful. I get bitten through my clothes all the time.

Yard work is unbearable in the DMV summer with the humidity and mosquitos. There is nothing worse than pulling weeds, sweating like a pig while being devoured by Asian tiger mosquitos.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s pretty low class to do your yourself unless you are very good at it. If you DIY mow it at least once a week, do the edging and for god’s sake, landscape and pull weeds.

This is the same reason why motor skills is deteriorating. Nobody wants to work with their hands, it's considered "low class". That's why post-surgery hospital stays are longer today than before, those med school grads can't sew, aren't nimble with their fingers inside the patient's body and patients leave surgery bruised inside because high school shop class is too "low class".

For what it’s worth, this isn’t true.

+1 That post is crazy pants.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live near downtown Bethesda, where the average home sells in the 2M range.
People are great fans of the natural lawn. Sometimes grasses get a little high, borders get messy, but nothing major, at least to my eye. My front yard is one of those, and I like it that way.

It's all part of the effort to be environmentally conscious and appreciate the beauty of nature. There's nothing more terrible than a boring single varietal lawn in a sprayed-to-death yard.

You're a hypocrite because unless you commit 100% to going all the way with that "natural lawn" of yours, and by that I mean 1) never cutting your lawn again 2) never killing one weed, ever again then that puts you essentially in the same category as those who have those boring single varietal lawns you detest so much. Go on now, you natural gal

Dp. What an ugly post. That isn't being a hypocrite. It's a good start. One doesn't have to go all the way and be intrenched in a war with their hoa. Did pp say she is still using herbicides? I'm happy anyone tries because where I live I have one controlling nut job neighbor who is working to get all of the neighbors signed up with the same crews she uses to pollute our neighborhood. I know lots of people who are trying to learn and it usually starts with small steps.

The main issue with living in an area where people hire out their lawn service is that those services tend to be LOUD. They use noisy leaf blowers and huge noisy law mowers so they can plow thru the work quickly.

I barely hear my DH when he is mowing the grass because we have an electric mower. Doesnt bother me at all. But the house five houses down that uses a law service? Loud, disturbingly so.

I moved to the west coast and it is rare for anyone to mow their own lawn. I have a neighbor down the street who does and that’s it. There are a a zillion gardeners.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s pretty low class to do your yourself unless you are very good at it. If you DIY mow it at least once a week, do the edging and for god’s sake, landscape and pull weeds.

This is the same reason why motor skills is deteriorating. Nobody wants to work with their hands, it's considered "low class". That's why post-surgery hospital stays are longer today than before, those med school grads can't sew, aren't nimble with their fingers inside the patient's body and patients leave surgery bruised inside because high school shop class is too "low class".

For what it’s worth, this isn’t true.

Anonymous wrote:We mow our lawn, rake and bag all our leaves, buy mulch and clean our beds, plant flowers in the spring and fall. We also clean our house, mop our floors, clean bathrooms. I can’t understand how people can afford $150/week for a cleaning service and $50/week mowing service. It’s sooo $$$ in this area.

Ouch, yes! Labor is super expensive in this area, but paying $$ for manual labor frees me to concentrate on whatever I am prioritizing.

As an immigrant, I think it is ridiculous that without affordable landscapers and gardners available, there still exists a iculture of huge lawns and yards in this country.

Anonymous wrote:It’s pretty low class to do your yourself unless you are very good at it. If you DIY mow it at least once a week, do the edging and for god’s sake, landscape and pull weeds.

I think your comment is low class.

Snow, not school

Kids grow up and get married and never were expected or taught how to do basic household chores. They don’t know how to sweep into a dust pan. They don’t know how to use hedge clippers. They never pruned. They never helped shovel school. They never cleaned a toilet.

Anonymous wrote:It’s pretty low class to do your yourself unless you are very good at it. If you DIY mow it at least once a week, do the edging and for god’s sake, landscape and pull weeds.

This is the same reason why motor skills is deteriorating. Nobody wants to work with their hands, it's considered "low class". That's why post-surgery hospital stays are longer today than before, those med school grads can't sew, aren't nimble with their fingers inside the patient's body and patients leave surgery bruised inside because high school shop class is too "low class".

High HHI by DCUM standards. Descended from mayflower, among other hereditary things people seem to think are important, went to fancy private schools. I even spend thousands a year on gardeners. I still mow my own lawn. It would cost me roughly 700 per month 6 months a year. I bought a big expensive mower and do it myself. I even let it grow out a bit when the yard is going gang busters.

Call me low class all you want. Oh well.