More Than WE Know

One way to manage time more effectively is to delegate whenever possible. That goes for your home life as well as your business life. By delegating tasks at home, you free up time and energy to focus on your business.

I’ve listed some great service ideas below. I am not affiliated with any of these services - some I’ve used while others I haven’t. I’ve included links to get you started thinking of ways you can free up more of your time from doing things you have to do, to focus on things you want to do.

Grocery Delivery - This is a real time, money and health saver. The fee is usually $5 - $9 but the store where I shop runs lots of free specials. You save on the time you would spend driving to the store and doing the shopping and the money you would have spent on extra items not on your list. Your weight might even improve without all those impulse buys!!

Prepared Meals - I love these new services that do all the meal planning, prep and clean-up for you. Again, you make your selections ahead of time on the internet and schedule an appointment.

My husband and I make a “date” out of the evening - in one hour we can prepare 12 entrees in individual containers to be loaded into our own cooler. On the way home we pick up a bottle of wine and a loaf of fresh bread. Then we pop one of our meals into the oven to heat up while we store the rest in the freezer.

Meal prices vary but average about $3.50 - $5.00 per person. Again, there is a considerable savings of shopping, planning, prep and clean-up time to factor into the cost.

House-cleaning - 3 or 4 cleaners arrive on schedule, descend upon your house and leave it sparkling in a mere hour or two. Once a week is perfect, but even once a month heavy-duty cleaning enables you to spend less time on housework and more time on your business. I dislike cleaning so much that I also factor in the saved time spent dreading the tasks as well as the actual cleaning itself. Price varies by region and size of your house - generally $75 - $150 per visit.

Pick-up and delivery Dry Cleaning - Saves on time and your gas. Often a minimal charge or even Free.

Nanny - having someone come to your house to care for your children saves enormous time and energy in getting them ready, into car seats and off to daycare. Not to mention, you don’t have to worry what to do when they are sick. I never had this option when my kids were little, but I sure would want it if I could. Salaries vary by region, as well as by ages and number of children, whether they live in, whether you provide a car, and additional duties they perform. (see costs in link)

Pool Cleaning Service - If you live in the Southwest as I have for the past twenty years, having someone else come and skim the dead leaves and bugs out of the pool and keep the water from turning green can be a real relief - especially if your job involves traveling. ($40 - $70 per month including chemicals)

Handy-man - Take care of all those little things that always need doing - painting, gutter cleaning, fixing leaks, power-washing the house, fixing doorknobs, un-sticking windows, etc. (varies by job)

Yard service - someone to mow the lawn, rake the leaves, shovel the snow. ($25 - $50 depending on the size of the yard and service provided)

Pet Cleanup - someone to clean up after your dog ($24 - $100 per month depending on frequency and number of dogs)

Pet Grooming - give Fido a bath, nail trim and a haircut ($55 - $155 depending on size of dog and extent of matting)

Dog Walking - show off that great haircut with a walk around the neighborhood $15 - $20 depending on the length of the walk

Wow! It would be great to have all that help, wouldn’t it? Even some of it would be helpful. While it all sounds expensive - don’t forget to calculate how much you own time is worth.

If you earn:

$20,000 per year, your time is worth $10 per hour

$40,000 per year, your time is worth $20 per hour

$60,000 per year, your time is worth $30 per hour

$80,000 per year, your time is worth $40 per hour

$100,000 pee year, your time is worth $50 per hour

And don’t forget to network - if you do find a great service, pass the info on to your network, and get the service to reciprocate and refer you to their customers!

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