Running a household is hard work, no matter how much your family members pitch in. After all, you have cleaning, cooking, laundry, and everything else to tend to. While some people assume living alone would be easier, it can be even more exhausting since you don’t have other hands to help with housework. Maintaining a clean home is essential, but it’s not easy.
If you’re prone to stress and anxiety, household chores can quickly become a source of emotional distress. Studies have actually shown that doing too much housework is harmful to your health and relationships.
To avoid chore overwhelm, consider outsourcing the following household tasks:
1. House Cleaning – the Dirty, Grimy Kind
According to census data, women spend between 5-14 hours per week doing housework, while men spend less than five hours per week. A heavy load of cleaning creates a tremendous mental strain, but it’s an unavoidable task.
No matter how frequently you clean and dust, dirt and grime eventually build up in hard-to-reach places. Over time, this buildup can become a daunting thing to approach. Instead, hire a household maid service to assist you.
Light cleaning and dusting won’t hurt anyone, but if you’re the type of person who can’t think or function in a dirty house, hire someone for regular deep cleanings, so it gets done regularly, and you never have to think about it.
2. Trips to the Dump
Have you swapped out your old couch for a new one? Great! Now the only question is what you do with the original model. In some cases, you can get the city to pick up and deliver the items to the dump. Unfortunately, they usually charge outrageous hourly fees and take forever to pick up your items. Instead of taking a trip to the dump, find a local person willing to haul your junk for a flat fee. Services like TaskRabbit are excellent for this and will allow you to move your items without breaking your back.
3. Moving and Packing
No matter how small your house is, moving and packing is a pain. If you have to move, hire it out. Instead of spending all day fussing over finding the right packing materials and running to the store, hiring movers will allow you to actually enjoy your move.
No matter where you’re moving, long-distance movers will pack and move your items for you. Experienced movers know precisely how to pack valuables and breakables for optimal transport to your destination, so everything winds up safe and sound at your new place. Additionally, long-distance moving companies carry insurance, which protects your items should anything get broken or damaged.
4. Yard Maintenance
Depending on where you live, maintaining a yard can be tough. If you’re from Washington, for example, you’ll need a virtual suit of armor to chainsaw your way through blackberry bushes or reach the 6-foot-tall weeds that practically grew overnight, while dodging stinging nettle and poison ivy at the same time.
If your yard is large or especially challenging to maintain, or you don’t enjoy the task, hire out your yard maintenance. Sure, you’re capable of doing it, but why not save some time and effort? Even Frugal Dad realized the value of his time and started outsourcing his yard work.
Not sure where to start? Check out your local classifieds and get this grueling task off your plate!
Outsource Your Exhausting Tasks
Maintaining a household is hard work, but you don’t need to go it alone. By outsourcing these tasks, you can create a beautiful, calming, home space without all the sweat, blood, and tears. This, in turn, gives you more time to do the things you love, like spending quality time with your friends and family.