What do you outsource to make your life easier? We have a cleaning lady that does general cleaning. DH and I are treading water at this point because our daily lives out so demanding and we need to get some help but don't know how to go about it.
I don't feel like We can really do prepared meals or eat out more because of food allergies. We don't live in an urban enough area for personal shoppers or laundry services. I'm just at a loss and we need help.
persimmon / 1431 posts
We have someone come to clean the house every 3 weeks. That's about the only thing we outsource at the moment, but we're also looking at having some kind of meal service.
How old is your LO, and which tasks do you need help with the most? I feel like I have a pretty good system that has worked for us.
papaya / 10570 posts
We don't currently outsource anything except childcare, and are in much the same situation as you. But some suggestions:
Laundry/ ironing
Dog walking
Gardening
Buy ready chopped veggies
Ahh, I just saw that there is no laundry service. Sorry!
honeydew / 7303 posts
We had someone take care of our lawn all summer and it was a godsend. I really really want to hire a housekeeper but I need to declultter first.
I would LOVE for someone to come do laundry. Omg. Is there someone that does that!? Lol they would be here every day
cherry / 157 posts
We outsource dog walking (3x per week) and snow shovelling. Have thought about a cleaning person for a while but haven't done it yet.
nectarine / 2400 posts
@yellowbird: yes! We pay a high schooler $10/hr to fold and put away! It's the best.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
We also have a cleaning lady, she comes twice a month. Other than that, there is really nothing else we can outsource, other than yard work. We do errands on the weekend, which I don't love, but we don't have another way to do it.
The only other thing I can think of is using a grocery store delivery service, would that help at all?
nectarine / 2797 posts
Cleaning lady and lawn service, and most big home improvement projects even though we used to enjoy DIYing that stuff. I take all DHs dress shirt to the dry cleaner, used to iron them. I got a clothes steamer which is faster than ironing for other stuff. We also didn't outsource but super simplified meal planning and grocery shopping by eating similar meals the same day every week (i.e. taco Tuesday) and having a master grocery list that's the same every week.
pomelo / 5258 posts
Childcare and cleaning lady every month - 6 weeks. We hired a crew to clean up our yard once in fall but we need a regular yard guy. We're doing birthday at a playplace and I'm buying their decoration package. I'd like to hire someone to help with organization of our house. I like grocery shopping or else I would do a delivery service.
At this point we're outsourcing any odd jobs: pest control for a rat issue, sump pump help, and planning to find a handyman for a grout issue.
eggplant / 11824 posts
Just lawn service (basic mowing, weeding, etc), snow plowing and general handyman services.
nectarine / 2115 posts
Surely you could hire someone to come by and do your shopping or laundry, even if a service isn't available?
honeydew / 7235 posts
Cleaning lady & childcare, and we paid this past year for fall maintenance (we just couldn't)...
Do you have peapod or similar to grocery shop online and have it delivered?? I do it sometimes, used to do ordering on train commute.
Personal chefs are actually sometimes more affordable than you think.... They will cook and divvy up meals and deliver them one day for the whole week(some frozen).... If that kind of thing is in your budget that would be huge.
Can your cleaning people do the laundry?
honeydew / 7667 posts
@Pumpkin Pie: we have a 23 month old and a five month old. Pretty much anything. There just isn't time/energy after work to cook, shop, launder, parent, and be a good spouse 
honeydew / 7667 posts
@looch: maybe? I know the local chain will do curbside pickup but I've heard complaints that they give curbside almost expired dairy/fruit.
There is an organic fruit/veggie delivery box we can get but that wouldn't eliminate the shopping.
honeydew / 7667 posts
@mrsrain: aside from care.com I'm not sure how to find one. I searched Angie's list and there was no one.
@simplyfelicity: do you like blue apron? Is it a lot of prep work? Do you know if they accommodate food allergies?
honeydew / 7667 posts
@hellobeeboston: no grocery service - we don't live in that major of a city. I'll have to google personal chefs in my area!
cantaloupe / 6885 posts
Cleaning lady is my sanity saver. We also have someone to snow plow our driveway
nectarine / 2400 posts
@MrsH: get a high school kid! Do you go to church? Ask cashiers at the grocery store! So cheap and I've had great luck having them do wash yard work erc
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
We both WOH full time and the only thing we "outsource" is child care. I would be up for hiring someone to snow plow and cut our lawns! I feel like DH spends SO much time mowing The lawn in the summer. It's so inexpensive and way worth it for more family time.
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
Cleaning and food. I buy healthy meals packaged for lunches, boiled eggs sometimes, and things like those tiny packages of carrots. Sometimes I totally buy for convenience and speed! Healthy Fit Meals are a lifesaver lately
cantaloupe / 6634 posts
@MrsH: I think plated would be your best bet because you have more meals to choose from.
bananas / 9229 posts
We have a cleaning person come every 3 weeks, send out laundry and order groceries. We're in a condo so no landscaping or snow removal to deal with but we would outsource those too.
Do you have Peapod? I know some areas of the Midwest get it. What about a dry cleaner that offers wash/fold services?
pomegranate / 3355 posts
Only childcare at the moment. But we plan to hire landscapers next spring and from that point on and also a house cleaner two times a month. I can't wait!!! I think it'll be life changing. I'm just treading water now....
nectarine / 2243 posts
So a chef could take care of the grocery shopping and prep. I feel like that would/could be huge. Grocery shop once a week for you, prep meals say on a Sunday and deliver them and the groceries. You'd have something to throw in the oven and maybe minimal assembly of a side or veg. In my view that would be huge. And could cater to allergies as well
Maybe a cleaning person (not a service) could do laundry as well. You would have to up he frequency to weekly. All of these things seem totally doable.
honeydew / 7303 posts
@regberadaisy: lawn service seriously changed my life this summer! It would take Dh 2-3 hours on the weekend and to have that time back was WELL worth the money. We found a college kid who did a 3 month deal for us. It was great!
nectarine / 2400 posts
@yellowbird: every week - she'll also help me with other stuff if I ask vacuuming etc. teenagers are great for this - cheap labor, they want the money and they won't say no if you ask for extra help with things.
@MrsH: you know I'm really not either but the girl who does our wash started because she cashiers at a grocery store on the weekend and a lady in her line asked her if she would be interested! That lady recommended her to me and it's awesome
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
@MrsH: Perfect Fit Meals, sorry! http://perfectfitmeals.com/locations/
papaya / 10343 posts
We just do childcare and house cleaning. But (especially since I JUST went back to work 2 weeks ago and am still adjusting) I am giving myself a lot of grace when it comes to our food right now. I'm still feeding LO healthy but I've cooked for us literally one time in the last two weeks.
Given your location, I would wonder if you could maybe put an ad out on craigslist? Or if not that, maybe put an ad at a local college, trade school, or even high school? Or a church, if you know anyone who goes to church. Like you just need a warm body to do some shit, right? I feel like there are SO many people who would be thrilled to do basic labor for $10/hr and anyone can fold clothes and chop veggies, ya know? Prob just 2-4 hours every saturday morning would be life changing for you.
kiwi / 506 posts
For laundry maybe you can see if a coin laundry mat has a drop off laundry service. My great aunt used to own one and her drop off laundry kept her busy while she oversaw the laundry mat.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@yellowbird: where did you find him?
But seriously, between working and rainy days, sometimes it's almost two weeks before he can get to the lawn. Then we feel like the deadbeats of the neighborhood. Also, our neighbor two doors down (who's neighborhood gossip!) is also landscaper. I'm afraid he'll be offended if we got a college kid. But I feel like since he has a business, it would be more than DH would be willing to pay.
nectarine / 2987 posts
Maybe you need a nanny or a housekeeper? When I was a nanny I coordinated with the cleaning lady, did the grocery and Target shopping, rotated laundry, prepped meals, managed daily tidying...obviously childcare came first and there were days none of that got done because of a cranky baby who needed to be held all day or whatever. But for the most part it got managed so when Mom and Dad got home they could enjoy their kids as much as possible. Some households just need three people to keep them running!
pear / 1750 posts
We have a "nanny" that comes usually 2 days per week and she also helps with the dishes and laundry. Those are my 2 most time consuming chores so on the days that she is here, I come home from work and have some time to unwind. She's amazing, she keeps the baby fed, makes sure he naps on time, and he's always a happy camper when I get home.
I also try not to feel bad about eating out and buying quick/frozen meals. It's an extra cost but sometimes there just isn't time to cook and clean up.
If I'm busy during the week, I totally cheat and don't fold the laundry for a couple days, or I'll leave a load for the nanny to fold the next day.
I used to pay my neighbor's kid to mow the lawn, too. We're going to chip in and hire a service cause he's too busy to mow.
grapefruit / 4545 posts
@MrsH: do you have dream dinners? Or something similar? I think it could easily cater to allergies/sensitivities...since you go and "prep" the meal there. Basically they provide the recipe, all the ingredients and tools to prep and you make as many meals as you want...you could go once a month and freeze a bunch! I have never done it myself bc I meal prep at home but I know m&ms that LOVE it! Try googling it!
persimmon / 1427 posts
Check to see if your neighborhood is on Nextdoor.com (social media for neighborhoods). I've found some awesome suggestions for local resources.
cantaloupe / 6131 posts
We have a lawn/landscape guy, childcare, use a handyman and a tree service for maintenance around the house, and are in the process of getting a cleaning service (need to declutter a bit first). We do laundry pretty constantly - it's become a habit when we walk past the washer to just throw in a load. It helps make up for the hell no days when the house is just a wreck. We just dump the dry clothes on our bed and one or both of us folds before we go to sleep. We lean a little more on prepackaged foods from Costco when things are busy - individually portioned hummus, easy to eat fruit and veggies like bananas, clementines, baby carrots. We buy the prepackaged salads sometimes and bars and I almost bought some of those Sargento fast breaks and hard boiled eggs last night. Maybe next week.
| Today | Monthly Record | |
|---|---|---|
| Topics | 0 | 1 |
| Posts | 1 | 3 |
Ask for Help
Make a Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
Bee Levels
Acronyms
Most Viewed Posts
Hellobee Gold
Hellobee Recipes
Hellobee Features
Hellobee Contests
Baby-led Weaning
Bento Boxes
Breastfeeding
Newborn Essentials
Parties
Postpartum Care Essentials
Sensory Play Activities
Sleep Training
Starting Solids Gear
Transitioning to Toddler Bed
All Series
Who We Are
About the Bloggers
About the Hostesses
Contributing Bloggers
Apply to Blog
Apply to Hostess
Submit a Guest Blog
Hellobee Buttons
How We Make Money
Community Policies
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
61 comments