Note: Some of the codes and discounts mentioned here are affiliate links, but I will only recommend things I’ve tried and love!
We all spend money on something we know is definitely not an investment. Sometimes, we spend money for a little pick-me-up to boost our mood, right? For me, that’s usually the Target Dollar Spot — I can’t say no. But you know what? I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Sometimes, our money can do more than just come in and go out. What if we could use our money to create more joy in our lives? And what if the ways we spent money could give us more time back… so we have more time to enjoy ourselves and our family?
That’s why, today, I’m talking all about outsourcing help in your home.
Hiring help for a home management team isn’t “frivolous”
I’ve talked to a lot of people who have said what they really need help with is someone to do the laundry* (use code ABOUTTIME50 to save 50%!). Others will tell me they need someone to watch the kids after school while they finish work in their home office. Some dream about how nice it would be to have someone prep and cook dinner during the week. Those are big responsibilities and ones we often have little time for.
Ditch the guilt
Yet, most of those same people still think that spending money on a home management team is a frivolous luxury they often feel guilty for. And by people, I mean mostly women.
We have it in our heads that we have to do it all, meaning everything at home AND at work. Otherwise, we’re irresponsible or doing something wrong. But that’s just not true.
Our modern idea of work/life balance and hustle culture doesn’t leave room for much else. So hiring a home management team, even if it’s just every once in a while, can feel like a huge weight lifted off your shoulders!
What is a home management team?
A home management team are outsourced roles that help you get stuff done around the house. These can include a housekeeper, someone to do the laundry, landscapers, nannies and babysitters, chefs, concierge services, delivery services, or a night nurse.
Last year when I stepped into a full-time role with a tech company while also running my coaching business, while also being a mom to a toddler and a baby, I knew that I just couldn’t do it all and still keep my sanity. I needed help. Stat.
Scheduling a housekeeper to pop in twice a month to deep clean our home meant that I could spend my limited downtime playing with the girls and, you know, RESTING instead of wrangling dust bunnies under the sofa.
Even if you aren’t juggling parenthood, a job, and a business like I was, hiring help around the house can still be helpful — even necessary! Getting support helps you be more present in other areas of your life.
The true cost of hiring help
We trade everything for either our time or our money. It’s totally fine if you’re thinking, “Yeah, no, why would I spend money on this when I could just do it myself?” There’s nothing wrong with that!
BUT if you are looking for ways to essentially add more time to your life and have the disposable income to do so, hiring people to lend a helping hand with daily responsibilities can clear up HOURS.
If it’s something you’ve been considering, then I want you to stop and think about what you would do if you didn’t have to worry about the chores, cooking dinner, or running errands…whatever the thing may be for you.
What could you do with the time you get back?
When you’re weighing out the cost of hiring a home management team, whether that’s one role or five, I want you to weigh that up against the monetary cost. Now you decide…is it worth it? That answer will look different for everyone, but it can help you decide if it’s worth it for you and your family.
It doesn’t have to be an everyday thing either
How often you need that help to come over depends on…well…what YOU need. Start by listing everything you do around the house and how long each task takes you to do. Then, you can get a better picture of what you need and where a home management team can help.
When my working hours increased with my full-time job plus my business, my husband Scott and I looked at our budget and talked about where our family could get the most bang for our buck. What could we outsource that would have the biggest impact?
Neither of us is especially passionate about mopping or dusting, so having a housekeeper was at the top of our list. But we didn’t necessarily need someone weekly. So, every other week was the best fit for us.
Even if it’s just once a month or once per quarter, you’ll find that it makes a huge difference!
What to expect financially
Like most things in life, the true financial cost depends on a lot. Based on what responsibilities you are hoping to outsource and where you live, hiring help around the house can cost a little or a lot.
I recommend prioritizing what you’d like to outsource first. For example, is it more important to outsource your laundry or housekeeping? Lawn care or child care?
Then, ask your network for referrals. This could look like sending a text to your friends to see if they know of anyone who could fill the role or even asking for recommendations in a neighborhood or community Facebook group.
Comparing three different options based on services offered, pricing, and reviews or recommendations is usually a good rule of thumb.
Other ways to outsource
Building a home management team doesn’t mean you have to hire a PERSON to fill every role. You can use a service like InstaCart or Shipt to handle grocery shopping for you. Last time I checked, I’ve saved 91 hours by letting Shipt shop for me.*
Instead of hiring someone to do your laundry, you can use a service like Hampr* (use code ABOUTTIME50 to save 50%) to pick up your dirty laundry and bring it back fresh and clean in 24 hours. There are always creative ways to take back your time!
* These are affiliate links.
Asking for help doesn’t diminish your value
There is MAJOR value in asking for help, y’all. Just because you can’t do everything on your own doesn’t mean you’re not capable, you’re not responsible, you’re a bad mom/wife/boss/employee, whatever it may be. It just means you’re human!
There are only so many hours in the day, so of course, you are going to run out of time to do certain things. But trust me on this one, investing in a household management team can really stretch and expand those hours.
Join the It’s About Time Academy
And if you want to learn even more ways to best use your time, join me inside the It’s About Time Academy!
This one-of-a-kind experience (if I do say so myself) combines time management group coaching and an exclusive members-only podcast with the support of a community and is designed to help go-getters like YOU learn how to get more time back for the things that matter.
Learn more and join the group here!
In this episode, we talk about:
- What a home management team can help you with
- The cost of hiring one
- How to get over the need to do everything yourself so you can hand over the responsibility to someone else
Resources Mentioned In This Episode
- Use Hampr for fresh laundry* (use code ABOUTTIME50 to save 50%!)
* These are affiliate links
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