Don’t Cut Your Own GRASS!
Figure out what you make in one hour and if you can get it done for less, don’t do it. Push this to the extreme and you’re life will change forever. I started outsourcing years ago and did not even realize it. Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made in years.
About 10 years ago my mower brook. I went to buy a new Zero Turn Radius mower due to my home at the time having 3 acres and many, many, many trees. The cost of the mower was $7000.00. I didn’t really want to spend the money on the mower and it took me almost 3 hours to mow and trim correctly. I started putting pen to paper and based upon my income, I decided to outsource the mowing of my lawn.
My son is now 18 and my daughter is 16. Neither has ever mowed our yard. Conventional wisdom would say buy the mower and teach them responsibility. My thought is that if my son started mowing at 15 years old and mowed 26 times a year at 3 hours a time, that’s 234 hours that I have been able to spend with my son due to my outsourcing my yard work. The same will hold true for my daughter when she turns 18. Think about it, what is 468 hours with your kids worth, a hell of a lot less than what I’ve paid my yard manager over the past few years.
If you take this to the extreme depending upon your income, you should not probably be doing your own dishes, laundry, or cleaning your house. I enjoy cooking and thus I don’t outsource my home meals, but I do eat out frequently with my children. When at home, I obviously do my dishes, when out, I outsource that task.
Never wash your car! Automated systems are now available that will do a far better job than you and depending on where you live for as little as $8.00 a wash. If it takes 10 minutes to wash you’re car or truck, that’s $60.00 an hour if you are using the imperial measuring system. Chances are that if you are reading this article, you make more than $60.00 an hour so don’t WASH YOUR CAR!
This is a lifestyle issue. If you love mowing your yard, cooking, or washing your car, by all means, do these things that make you happy. I think if you thought about it, there are many other things that might enhance your life vs. the above listed items.
The time you can spend with your family, friends, and the meeting of new people on a daily basis is invaluable. Begin outsourcing your lower level tasks today and begin enjoying life to its fullest extent.