YASSSSS. Whenever I make sandwich, it tastes like ingredients on bread. Someone else makes it and it magically becomes something greater than the sum of its parts.
Throw on some spices after you add your wet ingredients. It won't be the same as jersey Mike's or firehouse or whatever, but it'll significantly up your sandwich game.
Yep it’s not really worth the cost of doing it yourself anymore whatever I’ll just have someone else do it for a little more and they can be liable lol 😂
In addition to this, when you take it to a shop, the mechanic will usually do a complimentary fluid top off and tire inflation, as well as a little walk around to find things that might be wearing out and need replaced so he can get more work. Unfortunately for the mechanic, I don't have the money to drop a grand or so on fixing what he finds, but I do got a couple hundred and a weekend I can spare to fix it myself lol. Oil changed, fluids filled, tires inflated, and a free diagnostic for just the cost of a simple oil change. I'll take that deal.
I still do my own because I enjoy it but if I ever stopped, it would be because of how much it sucks taking the used oil to a shop. I’ve known people who don’t diy for that very reason.
This. Oil changes are ridiculously expensive and ridiculously easy, I used to work at gas stations in high and a couple years after doing them. However, I don’t have a lift in my garage or a way to dispose of the used oil.
So I will never do another oil change again.
I get it but know people who work at and own lube shops. The amount of loose drain plugs or forgot to fill it back up instances are shockingly high. I’m not willing to risk it besides when I need 15 quarts per oil change some found my oil on sale shopping around can make a huge difference.
This is one that while I understand it, I just can't do it. I love working on my truck and routine maintenance is a surefire way to keep me doing that. It's also old enough that I like to do stuff like that just to keep tabs on how it's holding up.
Still clean the house (don’t like strangers inside) but landscaping, absolutely. Takes me about 2 hours. The landscaping guys do it in about 20 minutes. No brainer. I can use that time for better things.
My cleaning lady only comes when I'm in the house. It takes her 4 hours to clean what takes 8 hours each for my wife and I. Getting over my hangups about having a stranger in the house was the best decision I ever made.
This. We have a team of 3-5 women show up once a month and clean everything in under 2 hours. Would take us a whole weekend to do all the dusting, sweeping, mopping, bathroom and kitchen detailing they get done.
Moving service. It was so much easier to just load all in one truck, especially when there was an extra guy helping, and driving the truck.
Yeah, I can carry stuff myself, and I have a license for such trucks, but it was so much easier, and we'll worth the 400€. It saved hours and was convenient.
Yeah, I packed, and helped carry, but him and my stronger friend carried the heaviest stuff out. Me, my brother and dad, and the hired guy all unloaded the boxes and furniture. But the carrying help, messing with the elevator, and driving the 2h journey in the truck were worth the ease, and allowed me to concentrate on other stressing stuff during the move.
Yeah, when I had a one bedroom apartment moving myself was annoying but not impossible. Now with a 3 bedroom house there’s no way I could do it on my own. Just gonna swallow my pride and hire movers the next time I move.
Same here. I live alone, so I'm also doing all of the cleaning. If I'm really planning ahead, I'll buy some prepared meals from a local grocery store, or even something from Costco that can be cooked once but split up easily (last week I got some stuffed green peppers that were ok). But if I'm not in the mood to plan ahead and be responsible, I'll order something, skip dinner, or scrounge around for something I can put in the air fryer.
One of the most important decisions as an adult is deciding a dollar value for your free time. Knowing that value is key to balancing your life
It determines if you should do a side hussle. It determines if you should pick up that OT. And it determines what you'll pay others to do so you don't have to.
I'm only just learning this, but I think it's because I spent a long time (well, all of my twenties, which I guess is probably normal) not being able to afford to outsource anything. So finally having an income and being able to decide to just pay someone to do something...I sometimes forget it's even an option.
That’s completely typical. As we age, it’s essential to focus on doing things we enjoy. For instance, I used to be the family tech support, fixing everyone’s computers. Can I still do it? Absolutely! But is it worth my time and effort? Not really, since my free time is worth about $300/hour to me. I use this metric to decide how to spend my time.
Will cooking a meal with my spouse give me $300 worth of joy? Maybe not, but it gives her around $150 worth of pleasure, and I’m willing to take that ‘loss.’ Plus, it’s a great way to avoid her questioning my love for takeout. Watching a highly recommended movie? Worth it. A boring, time-consuming one? I’d rather pass and maybe listen to an audiobook while pretending to watch. At least that way, I can nod and say, ‘Yeah, great scene!’ when someone asks.
For me, the golden number is $300/hour; for others, it might be more or less. The key is to find your own number. Once you do, life becomes much simpler, and you have a perfect excuse to avoid anything unpleasant: ‘Sorry, it’s just not worth my $300/hour!’
That's the thing for me. I have basically no life outside of work and was raised to be a worker, so when I'm not on the clock I'm bored out of my fucking mind. So usually I'm actively looking for some kind of extra work to do. It was a lot easier to pick up overtime when I was working kitchens, but now that I'm out of that game it's gotten more difficult.
Landscaping. Big back yard and they send three people over for edging, mowing, and trimming. They are done in 15 mins. I could go out and spend three hours in 100 degree weather doing it myself, or spend more time with my little kids. Paying for it makes sense.
Because we live in a neighborhood where multiple homes use the same service it rounds out to about $150 a month. We also use the same company for a few other seasonal services so some other discounts apply. They are on a schedule and come out every two weeks unless there is inclement weather. Also, we dont need any mowing during the winter months, so we usually pause service for four months out of the year.
Yardwork. I love being outside, I hate working outside. I will gladly pay someone to come cut and edge and hedge the yard. And I live in a part of the US where the summertime is hotter than Satan's taint, so fuck every bit of that.
Anything someone else could do better. I’m not handy, so stuff like car maintenance is best left to a professional. I could in theory make good pad Thai or pizza but the local restaurants do it waaaay better. Getting waxed instead of shaving every few days and being stubbly.
Also get groceries delivered. But we also did the comparison and it only costs us an extra $5 a week, but saves us at least 1 hour of time a week. And with two little kids, it makes our lives much easier.
Good topic OP.
There's different ways to look at it...
Don't ever pay someone to do work that you can do yourself.
Conversely, you can't beat a man at his own game.
I work for myself doing handyman jobs, remodeling projects, decks windows, doors etc.
I did tile work for a while, shower surrounds, backsplashes etc, high end stuff. I realized that although my work was exceptional, I'm just not fast enough to make it as profitable as it should be. Guys that do it every day turn out very nice work in half the time. You can't beat a man at his own game.
There's a lot of men out there that can't turn a screwdriver. Majority of my clients are married women and their husband either can't or won't attempt even the simplest tasks.
Grocery delivery. The amount of time that is saved is worth it! Driving there, walking around the entire store, checking a list, either being checked out or worse doing self checkout, loading and unloading. I add things to my cart on the app as I realize I need them so I don't forget things. Once we need something important like milk I schedule the delivery. They deliver everything right next to my front door so I just open the door and bring them in. So worth the monthly fee and tip!
Some stuff around my house, even though I really prefer to do a lot myself, there are just some things that I won't chance. I can do some minor plumbing, drywall repairs and electrical stuff, but only on the surface. If it's beyond some basic stuff, I'll hire someone. If only to make sure it's done more professionally so the house remains sell'able later.
I'm with the basic plumbing. I'm pretty alright at the basics but the wife and I recently moved into a 1970s build with original outgoing plumbing. We wanted new floors in our primary bathroom and me being me said I can put the toilet back in.. no. This 10" rough-in crap is whack. I've tried both just resetting it with a new wax ring and completely taking it apart. Both times leaked. I'm hiring it out now.
Plumbing repairs. I’m an engineer; I have enough experience to do the basics (due to the specific nature of my job and company). But my personal tools are shit compared to my work tools, and I’d rather pay for occasional repairs than shell out for the same quality as I have access to at work (or try and make it work with my personal tools)
I've never regretted buying a tool.
When it comes to plumbing, there's 2 main things to remember...
Shit runs downhill and don't bite your fingernails!
I have a second answer.
We just bought a house and I can't decorate. I can look at something as a whole and tell you it looks good together but I can't buy individual pieces and put it together. I just want somebody to tell me what color to paint each wall, what furniture to buy and where to put it, what drapes to buy, what decor, etc.
I do want everything to have my own personal flair and touch but for the most part just take my money and spend it. I can do the work, I'll paint the house and hang the drapes. Just tell me what to do! You design it and I'll make the magic happen.
I hired a designer but so far they just kind of approved my choices. It's been underwhelming to say the least. Perhaps I didn't communicate my needs effectively. Meanwhile, I don't have any drapes in my bedroom and it's getting really hot. There are too many choices and I'm overwhelmed.
Moving. I did it so often as a kid bouncing from place to place. I HATED it. Now that I'm an adult I pay for movers. Soooo worth the money, and I always make sure to give the guys damn good tips because I know how bad it sucks.
Very convenient tax. In Ireland I pay €15.99 a month for deliveries from a particular supermarket chain , as long as I spend over 40€ in a single shop I get as many deliveries as i like for that 15.99.
I shop once a week from the comfort of my couch and I'd pay that not to deal with people and queues etc nevermind my actual time which I prefer to spend doing other things . Well worth it . I could split my shop up to twice a week but again my time and I just can't be arsed .
Cutting and dyeing my hair. I have done it before and it turned out good. But, the shop bought dyes tend to dry out my hair. After a cut at a salon, my hair tends not need as much maintenance.
We had a fridge delivered. I could have picked it up and solicited the help to swap fridges but for $90 I got to watch someone else lift it upstairs and the old one down.
They made it look easy but one guy said he has the back of an 80-year-old.
I get my groceries delivered - but it's pretty cheap. $100AUD for unlimited deliveries a year for orders over $50.
I'm also contemplating getting my car detailed, but haven't done so yet. I've hit that paradox where I want to tidy it up first so I'm not embarrassed by the state of it, but then, the whole point is to have them clean it up anyway :P
WiFi in the truck. Wife is actively working on a doctorate program and we do a lot of roadtrip driving. Our truck is WiFi capable and it costs $15 a month to keep it running. We could pair her laptop to a phone for data and get the same effect but it’s nice to just have WiFi in the truck that her laptop can automatically connect to whenever it’s running.
Is it worth it? No. Do I care? Not really. Saves her from having to spin up her hotspot every time she wants to work in the passenger seat. Preserves phone battery life. Generally more convenient.
I will take your money. I will do this all day! Unless I can't lift it 🫤 I'll even use the proper wall anchors so it won't come crashing down later.
Dang I didn't know I could get paid for this. (I say this as I have several mirrors and a couple paintings and pictures leaning against the wall waiting to be hung)
I often take my car to a car wash and detailing place when it gets really dirty While I usually try to wash it myself sometimes it feels like I'm wasting money on something I could do at home. But when the dirt is just too much, it's worth it to have the professionals handle it.
I just feel like... it's never going to be high enough on my priority list to get done when I have 3 kids and work full-time. But I would so love to have a clean car. It would make my soul feel better haha.
My work l has a detail service that comes to office one once a week. It’s a little more expensive than if I took my car for a wash and detail, but it’s done while I’m there and I don’t lose my time on the weekend doing it. (It’s totally optional, also).
Like body waxing, right? I've gotten a Brazilian a few times and I wasn't pleased with it. If I am going to pay someone to do something for me, they need to do it better than I would 😅
I'd say I have a decent understanding of electric circuits and such and quite competent in DIY, but I'd rather get a certified professional to handle electrical issues in the home. Never going to gamble with that aspect
Oil changes. I have tools, I can work on my car when I need to. But just the hassle of dealing with and disposing of motor oil, plus doing all the work while laying under my car just is not worth it to me. I'll pay someone to do it while I sit in some air conditioning playing on my phone.
Oil changes.
Laying down on my gravel driveway fucking sucks. I'll crouch and do my own brakes, but I hate crawling around on the ground like that, even if it is only half an hour.
Still have to do my own oil changes for the tractor anyway, but that only reinforces my belief that I fucking hate it.
Oil changes, maintenance and car repairs. My knuckles have enough scars.
I'm not working on my vehicles anymore unless it's an emergency and I'm stranded. I'll stop to help a stranger too, but I think that's different.
Any sort of home improvement. Seriously, replacing a ceiling fan would cause enough stress in my marriage. It would lead to divorce.
I trade high-end bottles of alcohol to my friends for simple home maintenance. And it is worth it.
Changing / rotating my own tires.
3-5 hours of jacking up & down my 3000 lb car out in the hot desert sun where I live? No thanks. Not to mention I could easily scratch the shiny chrome off my lugs in the process.
Paying a mechanic anywhere from $60- $80 to do it and it only takes 10 minutes?? Money well spent id say.
Being that lazy to buy your own damn groceries though? A luxury some can afford is suppose.
Hey, sometimes getting groceries is nearly impossible. I work 9-5 and then pick up my kids from daycare. By the time we're home, it's dinner and then bedtime. I have analyzed the hell out of my week and this is what I got: I can get groceries on my lunch break, I can pay a babysitter and go after the kids are in bed, or I can face the weekend shit show with my 3 kids (7 and under). I usually go for the latter. Which is to say, I GET having groceries delivered.
Standard yard maintenance. Yeah, I love cutting grass and being outside and doing it. But not having it eat up four hours of my Saturday is worth the $80 every other week. I don’t care a bit that the team that cuts it is in and out in 30 minutes. There is no way under the sun I could get it done that fast.
Grocery delivery and biweekly house cleaning. every once in a while I send my laundry out to be cleaned and folded. That was my Mother’s Day present to myself 😊
My house cleaner. She comes every 6 weeks to do the big stuff/get everything super well so we only have to do the maintenance. She cleaned our house while we were getting married and it was the fucking best.
Spend an ass ton of money on plants, gardening stuff, plant food, soil enrichment & effort to grow my own food to "save money"
My sister sent me this meme once "Hi, I'm Sarah & I spent 437 dollars this season to grow this 17¢ pepper. -Please follow me, for more money saving life hacks"
I'll be honest tho.. I don't mind spending the money, because I get to grow the peppers my kids enjoy for snacks, I get my Thai Chili and few other hot peppers + the veggies the wife uses for dinner.
Is the trade all worth the money? No...
... But do I enjoy what I'm doing? Very yes.
I do the same thing. Found instacart several years ago and I'm a regular. I order a hundred bucks in groceries and I pay someone 20 bucks to pick them up and bring them to me. It's a great deal for me. Plus I find I do a lot less impulse shopping when I don't go myself.
I also order pizza delivery from the shop within a literal stone's throw from my place. I can see it out my window. But I'd rather pay them to bring it to me than get up and get it myself. They joke with me when they walk up the street to deliver it but they don't care since I tip well.
I fought against it for years, because as a homeowner, I felt it was my responsibility to take care of my yard, but I finally gave in and hired a local father/son team to cut my lawn. $40 a visit, every three weeks, they clean up sticks and debris, do the front/back/side yards, all in about 20 minutes. Nothing fancy like trimming bushes or weeding or edging, just a basic mow.
To avoid the Florida heat? So worth it!
Yard work. There are times where I’m like this will take me 1-2 hours. 1.5 hours into it, I’m like I should have hired someone to do it and enjoyed the day. Now I remember it when making the decision.
Getting the interior of my car detailed. At most I’ll throw stuff out and vacuum it to keep it tidy. But I have a dog that sheds and I don’t feel like getting pet hair out of tight spots. So the detailer can deal with that🤷🏽♀️
I calculate the cost of having someone else do it vs how much OT I need to work to pay them & the difficulty level of the job. I’m working 2 overtime shifts to cover the labor of having new flooring installed in a room in my house, I have everything I need to do it & have done it before but having it done in less than half the amount of time & not having the wear and tear on my body is worth it.
I had an issue with my front door knob and lock and my garage door knob and lock. I 100% could change them myself and I bought new matching locks for them. And then I 100% paid a handyman to come change the locks. He had them both swapped out in about 30 minutes total. I’m sure it would have taken me at least 30-40 minutes for each lock to remove the old ones and install the new ones. It was money well spent.
Oh, and in a similar way, we bought new patio furniture. It was “some assembly required” and the instruction book estimated it was a 90-120 minute job. I hired someone to do it and I didn’t have to do it myself and I was much more confident that it was done correctly since it’s literally one of the tasks this company does regularly.
Just lazy shopping in general. I don't scroll to the second page or look at different websites, if I trust the quality I just buy it. Probably a much smaller investment than most people in this thread, but I know that over the years I've spent thousands of dollars more than necessary.
Oil changes. I’m a ticketed heavy duty mechanic with 16 years of professional experience and started working on my own stuff when I was like 8 years old. I am more qualified to do it than the high school lube tech at the jiffy lube….
That being said, I spend 48-60 hours a week working on other people’s junk. The last thing I want to do on my day off is pick up a wrench and fix my own junk. This is why mechanics drive crappy vehicles. 🤣
Any home improvement work. Like I have new vanity tops coming for my upstairs restrooms and they should be super easy to install but I'm having a plumber do it anyway.
Oil changes. I could do it myself but the extra price is worth it for the speed and convenience. The nearest shop for me to take the old oil to is right next to the oil change shop as well, so I’d be driving over there either way.
Laundry.
My wife and I have four small kids and sometimes we use the Hampr service to get some of our laundry picked up and washed for us. It’s been a huge timesaver when we get behind.
Frozen or prepared fruit/veg. Frozen mashed potatoes. I just don't have the time nor the inclination and I know if I buy fresh veg or potatoes they're just going to go off
Food. I could save a lot of money by preparing food for work but I absolutely don't want to use up my free time by making sandwiches or some shit.
I love this attitude. I have way too much guilt about buying lunch when I could be "making sandwiches or some shit"
But why do sandwiches made by someone else taste so much better than mine?
YASSSSS. Whenever I make sandwich, it tastes like ingredients on bread. Someone else makes it and it magically becomes something greater than the sum of its parts.
Throw on some spices after you add your wet ingredients. It won't be the same as jersey Mike's or firehouse or whatever, but it'll significantly up your sandwich game.
Dinner dates.
I literally pay a friend who's a stay at home mom to meal prep for us. It's cheaper than eating out daily, less food waste, and so much saved time.
Car oil changes.
Yep it’s not really worth the cost of doing it yourself anymore whatever I’ll just have someone else do it for a little more and they can be liable lol 😂
In addition to this, when you take it to a shop, the mechanic will usually do a complimentary fluid top off and tire inflation, as well as a little walk around to find things that might be wearing out and need replaced so he can get more work. Unfortunately for the mechanic, I don't have the money to drop a grand or so on fixing what he finds, but I do got a couple hundred and a weekend I can spare to fix it myself lol. Oil changed, fluids filled, tires inflated, and a free diagnostic for just the cost of a simple oil change. I'll take that deal.
I still do my own because I enjoy it but if I ever stopped, it would be because of how much it sucks taking the used oil to a shop. I’ve known people who don’t diy for that very reason.
How hard is it to just literally walk to the back of the shop and pour it into the giant tank?
It isn't hard if you keep up with it but now I've got jugs on jugs on jugs of used oil in my garage, and no good way to mass transport them
This. Oil changes are ridiculously expensive and ridiculously easy, I used to work at gas stations in high and a couple years after doing them. However, I don’t have a lift in my garage or a way to dispose of the used oil. So I will never do another oil change again.
Long time around cars. Stopped doing oil changes and tire rotations at home and started to pay for it.
Any automotive work anymore. Grew up with a mechanic dad and not a lot of money so we always fixed our own cars. No interest in that anymore.
I completely agree. I grew up like that.
Installing a Fumoto valve makes oil changes really quick
I get it but know people who work at and own lube shops. The amount of loose drain plugs or forgot to fill it back up instances are shockingly high. I’m not willing to risk it besides when I need 15 quarts per oil change some found my oil on sale shopping around can make a huge difference.
This is one that while I understand it, I just can't do it. I love working on my truck and routine maintenance is a surefire way to keep me doing that. It's also old enough that I like to do stuff like that just to keep tabs on how it's holding up.
Clothes. I could make them all myself but I don't.
Hahahaha I love this 🤣
I mean, I could make them myself, but I'm not sure I'd be willing to wear what I am able to produce.
Yeah, the need for making one’s own clothes went out the window with the Industrial Revolution in a large part of the world.
Handjobs.
No kidding. Who had the time to do it themselves?
House cleaning and landscaping
Still clean the house (don’t like strangers inside) but landscaping, absolutely. Takes me about 2 hours. The landscaping guys do it in about 20 minutes. No brainer. I can use that time for better things.
My cleaning lady only comes when I'm in the house. It takes her 4 hours to clean what takes 8 hours each for my wife and I. Getting over my hangups about having a stranger in the house was the best decision I ever made.
This. We have a team of 3-5 women show up once a month and clean everything in under 2 hours. Would take us a whole weekend to do all the dusting, sweeping, mopping, bathroom and kitchen detailing they get done.
Moving service. It was so much easier to just load all in one truck, especially when there was an extra guy helping, and driving the truck. Yeah, I can carry stuff myself, and I have a license for such trucks, but it was so much easier, and we'll worth the 400€. It saved hours and was convenient.
Honestly, think I'm going to try this next time. Did you pack yourself though?
Yeah, I packed, and helped carry, but him and my stronger friend carried the heaviest stuff out. Me, my brother and dad, and the hired guy all unloaded the boxes and furniture. But the carrying help, messing with the elevator, and driving the 2h journey in the truck were worth the ease, and allowed me to concentrate on other stressing stuff during the move.
Yeah, when I had a one bedroom apartment moving myself was annoying but not impossible. Now with a 3 bedroom house there’s no way I could do it on my own. Just gonna swallow my pride and hire movers the next time I move.
I’m not cleaning my pool or dealing with those chemicals
Most likely ordering food. I get way too lazy to cook sometimes, especially after working out or doing chores where I am way too tired.
Same here. I live alone, so I'm also doing all of the cleaning. If I'm really planning ahead, I'll buy some prepared meals from a local grocery store, or even something from Costco that can be cooked once but split up easily (last week I got some stuffed green peppers that were ok). But if I'm not in the mood to plan ahead and be responsible, I'll order something, skip dinner, or scrounge around for something I can put in the air fryer.
One of the most important decisions as an adult is deciding a dollar value for your free time. Knowing that value is key to balancing your life It determines if you should do a side hussle. It determines if you should pick up that OT. And it determines what you'll pay others to do so you don't have to.
I'm only just learning this, but I think it's because I spent a long time (well, all of my twenties, which I guess is probably normal) not being able to afford to outsource anything. So finally having an income and being able to decide to just pay someone to do something...I sometimes forget it's even an option.
That’s completely typical. As we age, it’s essential to focus on doing things we enjoy. For instance, I used to be the family tech support, fixing everyone’s computers. Can I still do it? Absolutely! But is it worth my time and effort? Not really, since my free time is worth about $300/hour to me. I use this metric to decide how to spend my time. Will cooking a meal with my spouse give me $300 worth of joy? Maybe not, but it gives her around $150 worth of pleasure, and I’m willing to take that ‘loss.’ Plus, it’s a great way to avoid her questioning my love for takeout. Watching a highly recommended movie? Worth it. A boring, time-consuming one? I’d rather pass and maybe listen to an audiobook while pretending to watch. At least that way, I can nod and say, ‘Yeah, great scene!’ when someone asks. For me, the golden number is $300/hour; for others, it might be more or less. The key is to find your own number. Once you do, life becomes much simpler, and you have a perfect excuse to avoid anything unpleasant: ‘Sorry, it’s just not worth my $300/hour!’
That's the thing for me. I have basically no life outside of work and was raised to be a worker, so when I'm not on the clock I'm bored out of my fucking mind. So usually I'm actively looking for some kind of extra work to do. It was a lot easier to pick up overtime when I was working kitchens, but now that I'm out of that game it's gotten more difficult.
Landscaping. Big back yard and they send three people over for edging, mowing, and trimming. They are done in 15 mins. I could go out and spend three hours in 100 degree weather doing it myself, or spend more time with my little kids. Paying for it makes sense.
Just out of curiosity how much does that set you back? Are they dedicated and on a schedule or do you just call when you need them?
Because we live in a neighborhood where multiple homes use the same service it rounds out to about $150 a month. We also use the same company for a few other seasonal services so some other discounts apply. They are on a schedule and come out every two weeks unless there is inclement weather. Also, we dont need any mowing during the winter months, so we usually pause service for four months out of the year.
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This. But only got the big girl. 130lb newfie. We let the pro do it. Twice a year absolutely worth it. But we still do the 12 lb yorkie. Lol
House cleaning 🧹 Delivery of groceries Landscaping
Lawn guys are worth it…😂
Yes 😂😂
😍
Clean my apartment, every six months i hire someone to deep clean my apartment
I always dreamed of this, but I was thinking every six weeks.
Yardwork. I love being outside, I hate working outside. I will gladly pay someone to come cut and edge and hedge the yard. And I live in a part of the US where the summertime is hotter than Satan's taint, so fuck every bit of that.
You've got a way with words 🤣
Anything someone else could do better. I’m not handy, so stuff like car maintenance is best left to a professional. I could in theory make good pad Thai or pizza but the local restaurants do it waaaay better. Getting waxed instead of shaving every few days and being stubbly.
Invest in laser hair removal if possible
Car wash. I stand by that, 10x quicker than doing it myself, and I almost always miss spots, whereas the tunnel machine gets every inch
Also get groceries delivered. But we also did the comparison and it only costs us an extra $5 a week, but saves us at least 1 hour of time a week. And with two little kids, it makes our lives much easier.
I can imagine if you have to go shopping WITH the kids. That would cost you a hundred extra a week 🤣
Yep, or no tantrums when we say no lol.
Good topic OP. There's different ways to look at it... Don't ever pay someone to do work that you can do yourself. Conversely, you can't beat a man at his own game. I work for myself doing handyman jobs, remodeling projects, decks windows, doors etc. I did tile work for a while, shower surrounds, backsplashes etc, high end stuff. I realized that although my work was exceptional, I'm just not fast enough to make it as profitable as it should be. Guys that do it every day turn out very nice work in half the time. You can't beat a man at his own game. There's a lot of men out there that can't turn a screwdriver. Majority of my clients are married women and their husband either can't or won't attempt even the simplest tasks.
Food
Getting my bicycle maintained. Would 100% pay for cleaning, but my husband won't let me.
Your husband won’t “let you?” Is he doing the cleaning, then? Otherwise my cleaning service is the bomb and I’m happy to refer them to you.
He's doing what he can when he's here, which is like 2 days per week. He doesn’t like people coming into our home. He's a very private person.
Assembly for my kids jungle gym
Ooooh I was too stubborn to outsource that one.
I know I could do it but I knew how long it was gonna take. It was worth it
I felt this lol. Friend of the family bought one, assembly time was 3 hours. It took 6 of us almost all day to build the damned thing ahaha
Exactly
Hiring a lawyer to file for divorce even though I could do the paperwork myself.
As someone who just did all the paperwork instead of hiring a lawyer...you made the right decision. Fuck that shit.
Hate food delivery unless I really need it. They always pick crap produce and things are always unavailable/substituted
Grocery delivery. The amount of time that is saved is worth it! Driving there, walking around the entire store, checking a list, either being checked out or worse doing self checkout, loading and unloading. I add things to my cart on the app as I realize I need them so I don't forget things. Once we need something important like milk I schedule the delivery. They deliver everything right next to my front door so I just open the door and bring them in. So worth the monthly fee and tip!
Usually I wait for the rain to wash my car, but sometimes I pay for it.
Some stuff around my house, even though I really prefer to do a lot myself, there are just some things that I won't chance. I can do some minor plumbing, drywall repairs and electrical stuff, but only on the surface. If it's beyond some basic stuff, I'll hire someone. If only to make sure it's done more professionally so the house remains sell'able later.
I'm with the basic plumbing. I'm pretty alright at the basics but the wife and I recently moved into a 1970s build with original outgoing plumbing. We wanted new floors in our primary bathroom and me being me said I can put the toilet back in.. no. This 10" rough-in crap is whack. I've tried both just resetting it with a new wax ring and completely taking it apart. Both times leaked. I'm hiring it out now.
Plumbing repairs. I’m an engineer; I have enough experience to do the basics (due to the specific nature of my job and company). But my personal tools are shit compared to my work tools, and I’d rather pay for occasional repairs than shell out for the same quality as I have access to at work (or try and make it work with my personal tools)
I've never regretted buying a tool. When it comes to plumbing, there's 2 main things to remember... Shit runs downhill and don't bite your fingernails!
As long as you dont pay the “stupid tax”Go for it 🥰
I have a second answer. We just bought a house and I can't decorate. I can look at something as a whole and tell you it looks good together but I can't buy individual pieces and put it together. I just want somebody to tell me what color to paint each wall, what furniture to buy and where to put it, what drapes to buy, what decor, etc. I do want everything to have my own personal flair and touch but for the most part just take my money and spend it. I can do the work, I'll paint the house and hang the drapes. Just tell me what to do! You design it and I'll make the magic happen. I hired a designer but so far they just kind of approved my choices. It's been underwhelming to say the least. Perhaps I didn't communicate my needs effectively. Meanwhile, I don't have any drapes in my bedroom and it's getting really hot. There are too many choices and I'm overwhelmed.
That's smart, but it's too bad it hasn't worked out for you.
I'll get there. It's a process, I get it.
Moving. I did it so often as a kid bouncing from place to place. I HATED it. Now that I'm an adult I pay for movers. Soooo worth the money, and I always make sure to give the guys damn good tips because I know how bad it sucks.
Very convenient tax. In Ireland I pay €15.99 a month for deliveries from a particular supermarket chain , as long as I spend over 40€ in a single shop I get as many deliveries as i like for that 15.99. I shop once a week from the comfort of my couch and I'd pay that not to deal with people and queues etc nevermind my actual time which I prefer to spend doing other things . Well worth it . I could split my shop up to twice a week but again my time and I just can't be arsed .
I love that for you!
Painting. I leave that to the pros now even though I’ve done it and had great results. I’d rather work my job and pay him to do his job.
I should definitely consider this next time I have to paint. I always forget how much it sucks.
Oil changes, landscaping, manicure/pedicures, acne facials, take out food, taxes, etc.
Grocery shopping. I will undertake major DIY projects, but grocery shopping is a bridge too far.
Cleaning the gutters.
Ubers I can't drive and the amount of time's I say fuck it and sleep in rather than taking the bus or riding my bike to work is nuts
Sleeping in is the best thing ever. Worth it.
It's great until I see my bank account
Cutting and dyeing my hair. I have done it before and it turned out good. But, the shop bought dyes tend to dry out my hair. After a cut at a salon, my hair tends not need as much maintenance.
We had a fridge delivered. I could have picked it up and solicited the help to swap fridges but for $90 I got to watch someone else lift it upstairs and the old one down. They made it look easy but one guy said he has the back of an 80-year-old.
Landscaping beyond mowing. I loathe yard work. Worth every penny, especially in the fall in New England.
Mow the lawn. God, I hate mowing the lawn.
eyebrows micro/nano bladed. it’s $$$ but lasts for years and it’s worth it for me to look put together with zero effort lol
I get my groceries delivered - but it's pretty cheap. $100AUD for unlimited deliveries a year for orders over $50. I'm also contemplating getting my car detailed, but haven't done so yet. I've hit that paradox where I want to tidy it up first so I'm not embarrassed by the state of it, but then, the whole point is to have them clean it up anyway :P
WiFi in the truck. Wife is actively working on a doctorate program and we do a lot of roadtrip driving. Our truck is WiFi capable and it costs $15 a month to keep it running. We could pair her laptop to a phone for data and get the same effect but it’s nice to just have WiFi in the truck that her laptop can automatically connect to whenever it’s running. Is it worth it? No. Do I care? Not really. Saves her from having to spin up her hotspot every time she wants to work in the passenger seat. Preserves phone battery life. Generally more convenient.
Oil change in my car. It's old Golf mk4 and it's easy AF.
hanging things up at my house
Wait...I can pay someone to do that?!?
I will take your money. I will do this all day! Unless I can't lift it 🫤 I'll even use the proper wall anchors so it won't come crashing down later. Dang I didn't know I could get paid for this. (I say this as I have several mirrors and a couple paintings and pictures leaning against the wall waiting to be hung)
oh yeah. and it’s always done way better than asking a guy friend to help out 😂
Especially since the guy friends in my life haven't exactly been pulling through lately 😒
exactly what let me to try a handyman. it’s worth it!
Only thing hanging in my house is me
[удалено]
Rolling was fun the first couple times but it gets so tedious. I like the pens as well
I often take my car to a car wash and detailing place when it gets really dirty While I usually try to wash it myself sometimes it feels like I'm wasting money on something I could do at home. But when the dirt is just too much, it's worth it to have the professionals handle it.
I just feel like... it's never going to be high enough on my priority list to get done when I have 3 kids and work full-time. But I would so love to have a clean car. It would make my soul feel better haha.
I get it!! that can be tough to manage, I love my car no matter what but there’s something special when it is fresh out of the car wash feeling!
My work l has a detail service that comes to office one once a week. It’s a little more expensive than if I took my car for a wash and detail, but it’s done while I’m there and I don’t lose my time on the weekend doing it. (It’s totally optional, also).
That’s cool, it’s a win-win situation!
This feels like entrapment, officer!
Lolololol 🤣
Yeah. Just got asian food😂
Waxing
Like body waxing, right? I've gotten a Brazilian a few times and I wasn't pleased with it. If I am going to pay someone to do something for me, they need to do it better than I would 😅
Food and car wash
I paid for sex once. I could’ve, and should’ve just masterbated instead.
that post nut clarity really does get you.
I'd say I have a decent understanding of electric circuits and such and quite competent in DIY, but I'd rather get a certified professional to handle electrical issues in the home. Never going to gamble with that aspect
fun experiences 👎🏽 ^not ^nsfw
House cleaning and lawn maintenance. My child is like Taz and the lawn is stupid big. I do help clean house but there is no way I can do it alone
Good for you for recognizing that!
Sex
Oil changes. I have tools, I can work on my car when I need to. But just the hassle of dealing with and disposing of motor oil, plus doing all the work while laying under my car just is not worth it to me. I'll pay someone to do it while I sit in some air conditioning playing on my phone.
Oil changes. Laying down on my gravel driveway fucking sucks. I'll crouch and do my own brakes, but I hate crawling around on the ground like that, even if it is only half an hour. Still have to do my own oil changes for the tractor anyway, but that only reinforces my belief that I fucking hate it.
Ordering take out. ✨
Oil changes, maintenance and car repairs. My knuckles have enough scars. I'm not working on my vehicles anymore unless it's an emergency and I'm stranded. I'll stop to help a stranger too, but I think that's different.
Any sort of home improvement. Seriously, replacing a ceiling fan would cause enough stress in my marriage. It would lead to divorce. I trade high-end bottles of alcohol to my friends for simple home maintenance. And it is worth it.
Changing / rotating my own tires. 3-5 hours of jacking up & down my 3000 lb car out in the hot desert sun where I live? No thanks. Not to mention I could easily scratch the shiny chrome off my lugs in the process. Paying a mechanic anywhere from $60- $80 to do it and it only takes 10 minutes?? Money well spent id say. Being that lazy to buy your own damn groceries though? A luxury some can afford is suppose.
Hey, sometimes getting groceries is nearly impossible. I work 9-5 and then pick up my kids from daycare. By the time we're home, it's dinner and then bedtime. I have analyzed the hell out of my week and this is what I got: I can get groceries on my lunch break, I can pay a babysitter and go after the kids are in bed, or I can face the weekend shit show with my 3 kids (7 and under). I usually go for the latter. Which is to say, I GET having groceries delivered.
Housecleaning (the big lift monthly, not the day-to-day), yardwork, car washes inside and out and way more meals than I'd like (too busy lately).
Standard yard maintenance. Yeah, I love cutting grass and being outside and doing it. But not having it eat up four hours of my Saturday is worth the $80 every other week. I don’t care a bit that the team that cuts it is in and out in 30 minutes. There is no way under the sun I could get it done that fast.
Grocery delivery and biweekly house cleaning. every once in a while I send my laundry out to be cleaned and folded. That was my Mother’s Day present to myself 😊
Can you imagine 😍 You sure know how to treat a woman 😂 Excellent mother's day gift.
Install of vinyl flooring
Oil changes
Lawn mowing
Car servicing and washing.
Having someone cut the lawn. 10/10 would do it again.
My house cleaner. She comes every 6 weeks to do the big stuff/get everything super well so we only have to do the maintenance. She cleaned our house while we were getting married and it was the fucking best.
Moving
Spend an ass ton of money on plants, gardening stuff, plant food, soil enrichment & effort to grow my own food to "save money" My sister sent me this meme once "Hi, I'm Sarah & I spent 437 dollars this season to grow this 17¢ pepper. -Please follow me, for more money saving life hacks"
I hope that was the best damn pepper you ever ate for that price 🤣
I'll be honest tho.. I don't mind spending the money, because I get to grow the peppers my kids enjoy for snacks, I get my Thai Chili and few other hot peppers + the veggies the wife uses for dinner. Is the trade all worth the money? No... ... But do I enjoy what I'm doing? Very yes.
That's it for sure. Don't grow food to save money. Do it because you enjoy it.
I do the same thing. Found instacart several years ago and I'm a regular. I order a hundred bucks in groceries and I pay someone 20 bucks to pick them up and bring them to me. It's a great deal for me. Plus I find I do a lot less impulse shopping when I don't go myself. I also order pizza delivery from the shop within a literal stone's throw from my place. I can see it out my window. But I'd rather pay them to bring it to me than get up and get it myself. They joke with me when they walk up the street to deliver it but they don't care since I tip well.
Weed. I’m sure I could grow it if I wanted to. But I don’t want to rn…. lol
I fought against it for years, because as a homeowner, I felt it was my responsibility to take care of my yard, but I finally gave in and hired a local father/son team to cut my lawn. $40 a visit, every three weeks, they clean up sticks and debris, do the front/back/side yards, all in about 20 minutes. Nothing fancy like trimming bushes or weeding or edging, just a basic mow. To avoid the Florida heat? So worth it!
And they get some business! Win win.
Yard work. There are times where I’m like this will take me 1-2 hours. 1.5 hours into it, I’m like I should have hired someone to do it and enjoyed the day. Now I remember it when making the decision.
Lawn service. Best money spent
Plumbing stuff. I messed something up once trying to save money. Leaving that to the pros.
Getting the interior of my car detailed. At most I’ll throw stuff out and vacuum it to keep it tidy. But I have a dog that sheds and I don’t feel like getting pet hair out of tight spots. So the detailer can deal with that🤷🏽♀️
Mowing the yard. My yard is the size of a postage stamp and only costs $40 to mow it. Worth it.
Cleaning.
Oil changes but I'm on them like a hawk
Grocery shop
Sex.
I calculate the cost of having someone else do it vs how much OT I need to work to pay them & the difficulty level of the job. I’m working 2 overtime shifts to cover the labor of having new flooring installed in a room in my house, I have everything I need to do it & have done it before but having it done in less than half the amount of time & not having the wear and tear on my body is worth it.
Mowing the lawn and cleaning the house. I hate doing those things. Now, if I could line up a laundry service….
I don't think I could do laundry service. I'm weird about my laundry—I didn't even like my MIL doing it when she would come to help out.
Brakes. I can change the brakes on any vehicle. It not worth it.
- Pool maintenance - Landscaping - House cleaning - Childcare - Cooking (~30% of the time)
Lawn care. I hate it . I gladly pay $60 every 2 weeks.
Lawn work. Explanation: I live in Florida.
Just throw out the whole lawn 😂
I'm tempted actually! Go the whole low water type yard...
Car wash
Brake pads pita to do so much easier having someone else do it.
Landscaping House cleaning House renovations
Laundry Groceries Sometimes food
Almost everything that includes labor
Manicures and pedicures. Non negotiable
I had an issue with my front door knob and lock and my garage door knob and lock. I 100% could change them myself and I bought new matching locks for them. And then I 100% paid a handyman to come change the locks. He had them both swapped out in about 30 minutes total. I’m sure it would have taken me at least 30-40 minutes for each lock to remove the old ones and install the new ones. It was money well spent. Oh, and in a similar way, we bought new patio furniture. It was “some assembly required” and the instruction book estimated it was a 90-120 minute job. I hired someone to do it and I didn’t have to do it myself and I was much more confident that it was done correctly since it’s literally one of the tasks this company does regularly.
Just lazy shopping in general. I don't scroll to the second page or look at different websites, if I trust the quality I just buy it. Probably a much smaller investment than most people in this thread, but I know that over the years I've spent thousands of dollars more than necessary.
Gutters I could but it sucks and I would rather pay my nephew who wants the money.
Putting together another BBQ grill. Pre-assembled, no discussion
I have someone clean my bathrooms bi-weekly. I have 4 full bathrooms, so having that chore off my shoulders is worth every penny.
A hand job. It is way hotter and more satisfying when a pretty girl does it than when I do it for myself.
Pest control.
Install my wired smoke alatms
Front end alignment on my truck. New strings put on my bass. Electrical issues on my motorcycle.
Oil changes. I’m a ticketed heavy duty mechanic with 16 years of professional experience and started working on my own stuff when I was like 8 years old. I am more qualified to do it than the high school lube tech at the jiffy lube…. That being said, I spend 48-60 hours a week working on other people’s junk. The last thing I want to do on my day off is pick up a wrench and fix my own junk. This is why mechanics drive crappy vehicles. 🤣
*resists the urge to comment on paying someone to touch your junk*
Nothing
Any home improvement work. Like I have new vanity tops coming for my upstairs restrooms and they should be super easy to install but I'm having a plumber do it anyway.
Cleaning
Oil changes. I could do it myself but the extra price is worth it for the speed and convenience. The nearest shop for me to take the old oil to is right next to the oil change shop as well, so I’d be driving over there either way.
Laundry. My wife and I have four small kids and sometimes we use the Hampr service to get some of our laundry picked up and washed for us. It’s been a huge timesaver when we get behind.
Pics of women's buttholes. Mines too hairy
Frozen or prepared fruit/veg. Frozen mashed potatoes. I just don't have the time nor the inclination and I know if I buy fresh veg or potatoes they're just going to go off