Neighbors pay people to do EVERYTHING! - Page 2

[Catubodua]

and then there are people like me and DH - we know that no matter what we say we'll never actually do some of the stuff ourselves. for instance, we'll never paint a room, so why bother to pretend we'll get to it and then not do it when we can hire someone to come in and get it done and over with in a day vs using procrastinating or arguing about it for weeks?

[velochic]

They're certainly doing their part to stimulate the local economy. If they have the money, who really cares what they hire to do? Perhaps they have health issues and can't do for themselves.

[Literate]

We occasionally look into having a service done. The last one was edging and mulching the garden beds. When we heard the price, I said, "Wow, no way. I'll do it myself." And I did, but it was a lot of work, so it was nice to know exactly how much I was saving!

Plus, I say to myself, look at me, not spending money on a gym membership.

[wildmonkeys]

I don't care. I am not judgemental. This IS the FRUGALITY website where I thought the point was to discuss FRUGALITY. I am sorry, I am in a new neighborhood where I don't know anybody and I was feeling lonely and thought it was funny that there is a company called "Scoopers: Our Business is Picking Up". I thought some other frugal mothers might too.

I really didn't want to get anybody ruffled up or anything - I just thought it was funny and that given the usual tone of this page, I could enjoy a bit of nice cybersocialization.

[choli]

One of the reasons I like living in a condo is that landscaping, maintenance, etc is already paid for through my condo fees.

[BetsyS]

Our next door neighbor hires someone to mow his grass. We live in a blue collar neighborhood--there are several people in the neighborhood who have side businesses actually mowing grass, so it's a bit unusual.

He also NEVER leaves his house except one quick trip to get mail mid-day, and then again to catch a cab to work in the afternoon (and back 3-4 hours later). We've lived here 4 years, and we've probably spoken 10 words back and forth.

We have lots of fun making up stories about who he is and what kind of business he's running from inside his house that requires him to be so reclusive.

Just odd neighborly games.

[sh0rtchica]

Originally Posted by wildmonkeys

I don't care. I am not judgemental. This IS the FRUGALITY website where I thought the point was to discuss FRUGALITY. I am sorry, I am in a new neighborhood where I don't know anybody and I was feeling lonely and thought it was funny that there is a company called "Scoopers: Our Business is Picking Up". I thought some other frugal mothers might too.

I really didn't want to get anybody ruffled up or anything - I just thought it was funny and that given the usual tone of this page, I could enjoy a bit of nice cybersocialization.

hi mama, you're not in mclean are you? honestly, i'd probably be just as shocked as you, so don't feel bad about posting here! on the other hand, now that i think about it, i'd be down for getting services like that if i had the cash. i've chosen to live in a small apartment that costs big bucks in order to have a shorter commute, because time spent with family is more important than a big house and a yard. i'm too anal about grocery shopping to let anyone else do it for me, but even now i'm considering having someone clean my place - i think i need that for sanity!

[Delicateflower]

I've been considering grocery delivery. My youngest is at the stage where getting through five minutes in the store is close to impossible.

I think the pooper scooper business is hilarious. You wouldn't want a scheduling mishap and have them come after the lawn guy, would you?

[Purple Sage]

We lived across the street from a similar family except they had teenage children, not little ones. They did have the dog groomer come every week or two to take care of their five beautiful dogs. DH and I would notice every time they had different services come to their house...it really did boggle the mind how many things they paid for that we would do ourselves. This neighborhood was a mix of very expensive homes and much less expensive rentals (near a university), so it's not like everyone in the neighborhood had housekeepers or anything like that.

My friend's mother also hires a lot of people to come to her house to do things for her, but my friend thinks she does it because she is lonely. Maybe that's a possibility for your older neighbor, too.

[p1gg1e]

I wonder if I could move in with them

Ive been thinking of hiring my SIL's mom to come wash dishes and sweep my floors. I can't keep up with it my 2 yo is so busy the house is a mess...maybe even have her mob the floor....I can sit on the computer all day but if I get up they can see me and then the drama starts. With ODD though I never had this issue huumm...

You should see if your neighbors need anything , might be a way to earn some extra money

[Eman'smom]

New baby or not if we could afford most of those services I'd be all over them. We pay our son to scoop the poop. But other than that I do it all and it gets really tiring. If I could have some help like that it would be wonderful.

My sister has a groomer come to the house often. They have an eldery cat that can't self groom and one of their dogs goes crazy in the car so while it's a stretch on their budget it's something they still find the money to do.

[newbymom05]

I would hire out everything if I could, lol. My neighbor across the street is 75 and she has a cleaning service come out weekly and they spend at least three hours there. I've been in her house and it's spotless--I can't imagine how a single older lady messes it up to need a weekly service, but who knows.

We just started paying someone to cut the grass, which is unusual in this neighborhood when there's a SAHP, but I couldn't stand DH wasting half his day cutting the lawn.

Pooper scooper service, though, I've always thought that was completely insane. That's a job I would keep--if I let it go a week, ewwwwwww.

[choli]

Originally Posted by p1gg1e

You should see if your neighbors need anything , might be a way to earn some extra money

That's what I was thinking! Check out if they need a dog walker, dressmaker, etc. People who outsource small services are great for those who need some extra money, but can't work fulltime for whatever reason.

[mommaof3boz]

If I could right now I'd call every single company on that list and tell em "line up outside". LOL. Will I ever have that luxury? Heck no. But I'd do it if I could. I love a clean house. And a house someone else had cleaned that I get to live in....ohh yeahh! But it is interesting to see how much help some get and how little others get. I would also like to pick up the phone and call a travel agent, tell them where I want to go and just get the tickets in the mail and take off. Everything planned and arranged. Someone to pick me up at the airport, carry luggage, wait on me hand and foot. Spoil me.

OK now off to do laundry/dishes and pick up doggie poo lol

[inkedmamajama]

Originally Posted by choli

That's what I was thinking! Check out if they need a dog walker, dressmaker, etc. People who outsource small services are great for those who need some extra money, but can't work fulltime for whatever reason.

my thoughts exactly!

[shayinme]

I am with those who suggested time is money. Back when we were in a better financial situation before the recession, it was certainly more affordable to pay for lawn maintenance than to try to fit it into our schedules. It also didn't help that dh & I are so not handy, right now we do the lawn stuff and it looks bad.

First 6 mos after my dd was born 4 years ao we had meals delivered because we have no family locally and at that point no good friends and dh was working and I could not handle cooking. I had a babe that slept in arms, not a sling but needed to be in my arms all the time. So no its not the way to a frugal lifestyle but I see why folks would choose that path. Even now if I had money again, there are things we are doing ourselves I would gladly contract out.

Shay

[wildmonkeys]

I was actually thinking that when the kids get a bit bigger, they might beable to make some money over there picking up poo or leaves or cutting grass or whatever.

I am probably not so much the person to do their work since I am also pretty busy. I have three kids whereas the two neighbors I am talking about have none and two respectively. DH and I are also responsible for cutting the grass and doing cleaning and other projects at my fils. I also do freelance work from home at a decent rate whereas neither of them work. I also volunteer at the boys school and do all the stuff they have contracted out (cooking, cleaning, dog grooming, yard work, shopping, painting, etc.) so though I don't mind and actually enjoy taking care of my own home and my family myself ---- I might get a little crabby taking care of theirs

That being said - my boys love cash and picking up poo might be lucrative

[jeliphish]

If they have the money, why not? They are contributing to society- supporting local businesses and in essence keeping some of these people employeed. I guess I see it as a positive thing. If I could afford to have all of those luxuries I sure would lol.

[StrawberryFields]

In some ways I think delivery CAN be frugal. I use disposables and sometimes I have them delivered. Since you can buy them by the case that way and use coupons, it's the same price as going to the store. And keeping me out of Target is always a good thing

[JollyGG]

I had to smile at this. I had a service come to do the dog poop for a while. My husband was out of town on buisness for six months and that one chore just ended up feeling like too much to do all on own, as well as keep up the house, work full time, take care of our two kids, and care for our two dogs. So I hired someone. It wasn't even really that expensive. I did feel a touch guilty for not doing it myself. But mostly I just felt releved and happy not to have to deal with it myself. I was shocked that I could hire someone to do it, thrilled not to have to do it myself. Hubby's home now so I don't use the service on a regular basis now. But I will probably contract them out for a one time visit next spring when the snow melts revealing all the poop I missed in the snow over the winter. Hate that core when the ground is also soggy and gross from the melting snow and theres so much to pick up at once. I thinkf or a one time spring cleaning it was only something like $35. The weekly thing was only something like $10 per week. You could also have it done 2X/week.

We've also used grocery delivery services in the past. Once again it was WAY cheaper than you would think. My husband worked long hours, we lived in an apartment where parking was a long ways from our building and I had a young child in a cold weather location. I spent the surcharge to have those groceries delivered quite happily.

If I could talk hubby into it we would use a lawn service. He's allergic to grass but won't let me take over the mowing chores or hire it out. He's afraid they will take his man badge away from him if he doesn't mow his own yard.

I'd also love someone to come in and do the floors, the bathroom, dust, and change the sheets once a week. If we had the disposable income I'd be on that service in a heartbeat.

Sounds like both wives need to stay home. How else would there be someone to coordinate and recieve all those services and delivery people?