What Is Your Time Worth?

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hubs does the yard work.. complains about it nonstop. I would rather hire it done if I didnt have to listen to him crab about it.

Hire it out..

We pay $80/month for a gardner who comes weekly, and $85/month for a house cleaner to come every other week. It is way cheaper than marriage counseling. :-)

Pay the man to cut the yard. Not only are you getting less stress and a good looking yard, you are giving back to your community by supporting a local company ;) win-win!

This question got easier for me to answer when I took on a part-time business nights and weekends. Before it was sort of a specious argument - say my time at my FT job is worth $50 an hour. Well I don't work weekends at that job, so by spending a half a day or a day outside doing yard work, it wasn't like I was forfeiting income. Once I started tutoring though it literally became a matter of lost income vs. expense. If I make $35 an hour tutoring and can do 6 tutoring hours in a 10 hour day (allowing for drive time between appointments) then that's $200+. Paying a lawn crew $200 for spring clean up to come in and do in one day what it would take me 4 days to do is literally a bargain.

$25 for front and back a couple of times a month is a total bargain and I would take the guy up on it! I have to get better at planning to hire help for my busiest tutoring/teaching time periods. A $75 visit from a cleaning lady every couple of weeks would be well worth the price to not come home to a disgusting house night after night for the 6-8 weeks that I get super busy.

I guess for me it's not so much what my time is worth but what my sanity is :-)

Sounds like money well-spent to me! :)

If you can afford it--DO IT!!!! Your time is worth more! At least try it for a few months. If you miss mowing or find you can't afford it, then you can cancel!

We pay to have our yard done, it is definitely worth it. My husband's job is very hand intensive and the vibration from the mower and weed eater was aggravating his wrists. After a carpal tunnel release surgery, we decided it was FAR cheaper to pay to have someone do our yard and not cause extra stress on my husband. PLUS, our yard guy brings his own equipment and uses his own fuel and supplies. We are no longer storing and paying the upkeep on yard equipment. I still do the flower beds, it is something I enjoy doing and it does give me a feeling of satisfaction when the blooms appear. Sounds like you are getting a bargain, and just think, you are helping another family make ends meet!

Depends on the price and the job. I'm unemployed so I can't rationalize hiring anyone for any price.

BUT...in your case you got a steal of a deal. Milk it, own it and get some R&R

I think when "it" (whatever "it" is) seems like a fair deal to you.
In your example, $50 per month probably seems more reasonable and freeing up more time for inside work than maybe $150 per month for a biweekly cleaning lady, right?

I'd jump all over that with both feet! Companies here won't pull the mowers off of their trucks for under 50 bucks!

My hubby does all the yard work. All in all, it is about an 8 hr job is done correctly and he bithches the entire time. He has hired help to the tune of $200 a month on a yearly contract and they don't do it the way he wants so he does it himself and bitches.

As for the housework, I also help run the family company we own and I cannot afford to make a mistake as I am on the financial end. I do have someone come in once a month to help me stay on top of things for about $160 for a 4000 SF house. Upstairs is a no brainer, only daughter is the there with her room and bathroom so the other bedrooms, game room and library are pretty much untouched month to month. The main thing I have help with is the heavy duty once a month cleaning and I keep the rest done during the month. It is worth it to me to have a clean house and be able to stay on top of things without getting overwhelmed.

You just have to figure out what it is worth to you. My time running a company, subbing at the school and being a major volunteer in my daughter's school is more important to me.

Yes. And that's a steal. My yard company charges $190 a month.

We are still trying to sell our old hosue and my husband has been going over to cut the grass - he constantly forgets or runs out of time, etc. If I could find someone to cut my grass for $20, I'd be all over it.

I think it depends on you and your situation.

Good question. I am paying $32 a week to have my son get picked up from school by a daycare center, have a snack, and stay there for 1/2 an hour. (I needed this in order to meet my other child's bus.) This is a lifesaver! Do I look at it as over $1,000 for a bus? No. I don't have to fight the school crowds, walk out of the van with my 3 tiny kids in tow since you'd have to park a few blocks away, etc. He gets food, and 1/2 of play. And I pick him up from the center, 2 minutes from our door! I felt a little guilty paying daycare since I don't work but I simply could NOT be two places at once.

We hire a maid every 3 weeks to just do bathrooms and kitchen. She keeps up all SANE. My husband did the lawn until this year, and he is very happy to pay $20 a cut. He is gone at work all day long.

So, sometimes it's more than worth it.

growing up (yes, as a girl) i did mow lawns for family members. to me it's just a sort of rite of passage. so to me, hiring a teenager (or whoever) to mow and weed eat for $25 is no big deal at all. now it's a whole other story if you're talking landscaping, flower beds, etc....that to me is a little over the top. but just for basic necessary maintenance...well, i pay someone else to change the oil in my car, i don't do that myself. both are jobs that need done, that i don't enjoy. and for $25, to me, it's worth it. (oh, and don't forget, it's also the prep and maintenance of the mower/trimmer, and your laundry and shower afterwards, to factor in. lol)

I am cheap, so I found it hard to hire someone to do my lawn. Until it got into the 100s in June. Then I had no problem hiring it out! My first guy that I used last year charged $30 to mow and weed eat. I have a little bigger than average yard, so that is a great deal for me. He has since retired and the new person charges $25 to mow, $35 to weed eat. I've only had to have him come out about 4 times this year since we have had such a drought. I feel it is money well spent!

I think that if you could afford it, it reduces your stress and gives you more time with your kids and other things that you enjoy - Go for it, pay to have the lawn down.

Most of my neighbors and friends pay to have their lawns done. Their lawns are beautiful. On the other hand, we do our own lawn and it does'nt look that great. Lawn service in my area is much more expensive than $20.00 so we can't afford to hire someone right now. I wish we could.

I would do it, if it didn't take 1-2 times a week here. We couldn't justify the $100 or more a month, when my husband can do it fine. If I were YOU, I would definitely pay them to take care of it.

I think it mostly depends on how much spare time you have, and what your obligations are during that time. If you have 3 hours of spare time after work, but you have a family, wouldn't you rather spend that time with your family? Or would you rather save $20 bucks, have to spend your 3 hours on the yard, AND miss out on the time with your family? A lot of it depends on your priorities, and what you are willing to spend your money on. Sometimes spending that money is worth it, so you have more time for what you want/like to do, AND to save your sanity.

As far as "self satisfaction" as was mentioned in a previous post, I think most of us have other things that we get satisfaction from - raising a well rounded child, working a job you love all day, perfecting that chicken recipe, etc., etc.

I say GO FOR IT!

I used to have a guy come and do my yardwork even though I actually like being out in the yard and mowing, etc. Working so much as a single mom, however, I was too tired or didn't have time. I don't have great weather where I live so it can be hit or miss. You have to get it done as weather permits. So, I had a guy that I trusted do my yard. He was semi-retired with a wife with disabilities so it was some extra cash for him and a chance to have his mind on something else. It worked out great for both of us.

It was so nice to come home to a manicured yard. And, I could still get my yard fix by planting flowers or weeding my flower beds with the big stuff out of the way.

You got a pretty good deal. I would have them keep helping you in your yard. It's one less thing you have to do.

Just my opinion.

If you can afford it go for it. I wish we could get that kind of rate, I'd have my yard done.

You pay someone when you can't do it yourself, don't have the time or energy or can't stand doing the job and rather do other jobs and of course when you can afford it.

It would be worth it to me. It would be done, done well and no fooling around with the mower, that may or may not start, getting fuel, and 100+degree weather.

My satisfaction would be it is done, but I got that hour with my family, since we all are working full time.

When you can afford it and when they task they're doing for you is one you hate!

I had a guy come around a couple of weeks ago and ask to mow my lawn for $10.00. I thought since I hired him, he would come back but so far nothing! My lawn mower is broken so my yard looks terrible!

I live in FL too and the heat sucks! Plus working full time ... there is just no time. Because it takes me forever too. I pay 120/month and they come once per week. My grass grows like crazy - if they came 2x per month I'd still have a crappy looking yard most of the month.

No,because where is the self satifaction when you have done it yourself.

I like doing yard work but I don't always have the time. I am pregnant with number three. Next summer, I am hiring a lawn service. I may even breakdown and bring in a house cleaner every other week until baby sleeps.

After that, though, I will go back to mowing my own yard and cleaning my own house. It's great exercise, and I can't imagine wasting money on something like that. My time is worth more to me, but it's all about priorities. I'd rather spend the money on take out food ;-) I HATE doing dishes.

There are two ways of fulfilling a responsibility that has your name on it: doing it yourself, or getting someone to do it for you. Either way is legitimate.

My husband chooses to do all the yard work. Maybe when his back gets worse (it's bad now), he'll hire somebody, but right now he feels it worth his time and effort to do it himself. He takes pride in it, and I think he recognizes the value of the exercise.

I choose to hire a couple of ladies to come every two weeks to clean the house. They can do more in two hours than I can do in three days. It's a great burden-lifter to know that the house will always be reasonably sanitary. I do the everyday things (I'm not sitting around watching TV and eating candy!). Hiring out is worth it to me.

Your problem-solving in this case is somewhat subjective, but you have a few guidelines to go by, since you don't want to make an impulse decision on a regular basis. The first is whether the job is important to you. Obviously it is! The second is whether you can *afford* to hire someone. Don't just think, "I'll manage it somehow," because "somehow" isn't easily managed. The third is, when the job is done for you by someone else, do you think, "Oh, the money I spent!" or do you think, "Ahhhh!"?

Check whether the price per month is an introductory price, or the real thing. In addition, ask for references, and make use of them, before you sign any contract. Start with the neighbor where you first saw the fellow.

I also work full-time and I am a single parent as well. Most nights we don't get home till after 7pm. I pay a company to do my garden and someone to clean my house & do my ironing once a week. Do I feel guilty?? No way!!! I would much rather come home to nice surroundings and spend time with my dd than be exhausted and not getting to my bed till late o clock. lol My self worth and self esteem come from knowing I can provide for my child and spend lots of time with her. :-)

Why are you stressing over this? For the cost of 2 movie tickets, you can have a wonderful yard for 2 weeks! For popcorn and drinks, you can have a wonderful yard for a month!

It's worth it to pay someone else to do something you struggle with and/or do not like. I like washing my clothes, so it's not worth me paying someone else to do it. I HATE cleaning the bathroom, so it's VERY worth me paying someone to clean the bathroom, hands down.

My husband used to like to do the yard work, but with so much of a work schedule, he has less time to do it. What time he has at home became more about being with the kids. The ONLY reason he continued to do the yard work was because he wanted to teach his sons how to do it. When they get their own yards early in their careers, they will have to do the work themselves because they won't be able to afford someone to do it for them. Our kids are in their late teens. Your kids are much younger.

So hire the guys! If it makes you feel any better, it costs $60 per week in my area and you have to be under contract for all spring, summer and fall, out to November to get that price (which includes spring and fall cleanup, weed control and edging.)

Dawn

For that price, oh yes it is worth it!

Sounds like you've answered your own question - it's obvious that it's well worth paying someone to do a job you hate and one that takes time away from the things you like to do. Get the lawn guys in place and hire a housecleaner next. Then spend that "extra" time with your kids or on your career or on something else that energizes you.

Its ALWAYS worth it. We pay someone $200 per year to do our yard (he comes twice a year so $100 each time). All we have is solid rock, pavers and about 8 bushes total, front and back, no grass at all. lol So he trims everything way back and sprays the rocks so the weeds don't come up. Sooooo worth it.

We also pay about $93 month for pool service. We use our pool every single day in the summer and we are insurance agents, not pool service or lawncare people. lol

If we had extra money right now, I would pay for a housecleaning service to come at LEAST once a week, if not twice, to do everything, including laundry and changing all the beds. That is my goal someday.

But to answer your question, if you can afford it, I would do it. You have already seen the benefit of it. Good luck!

we pay $ 110 a month and they may be there 15 min or 20 min. There is 4 of them. we have 20 ft trees and lawn front and back. you got a great deal.