Page 5 | To ask if you’re a higher earner, what do you outsource to give you more time?

butterpears · 2024-09-01T07:59:17+00:00

I have the opportunity to take on more consultancy work, which is quite lucrative as I am in a very specific field. I have done a smaller amount of this in the past. If I do it I will realistically need to outsource as much as possible to free up time. The costs of this would be more than worth it in terms of what I can earn. My thoughts so far are to get a cleaner (we had one in the past but not recently), get my hair blowdried once a week (I have difficult hair that takes ages). My DH does most of the cooking and food shopping, I do most of the laundry and life admin. I’m struggling to think of more that I could outsource because I tend to have a fairly frugal mindset. What do you outsource if you can use the freed up time to bring in more money?

probster · 01/09/2024 09:40

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:39

Thank you. This is EXACTLY what I was referring to and I can’t believe some people think it doesn’t exist.

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we think it exists

we think it exists for the vast majority

DrPeculiar · 01/09/2024 09:40

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:20

I don’t iron a huge amount but again I could also ask the cleaner to do some of that. It seems like a cleaner for more hours than we previously had would be helpful.

I’d love my cleaner to iron and change the beds. She’s semi retired and happy with the hours she works. I’ll definitely add this in to a new contract once she retires.

I tried a local ironing service but wasn’t massive happy with the results so we currently do that but I’d outsource it in a heartbeat.

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:39

CherryBlossomFestival · 01/09/2024 09:38

Ah, the ‘just direct debit’ response. I haven’t found a solution for life admin, so I just delegate the other stuff.

My DC need me to be on top of their newly diagnosed chronic condition, chasing, booking and attending the GP appointments around school/work, sorting out the muddled prescriptions etc. Similarly I haven’t found a way to delegate making social arrangements, booking parents evening slots before they all go, finding and buying obscure books needed for school, booking tickets for things we want to see or that the DC are in, ensuring I and DC have regular hair cuts and dentist check ups, shopping around each year so the insurance / electricity etc don’t just auto renew expensively, buying presents for birthdays and Christmas. And so on.

Thank you. This is EXACTLY what I was referring to and I can’t believe some people think it doesn’t exist.

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RufustheFactualReindeer · 01/09/2024 09:38

Im not a high earner but when i upped my working days from 2 to 3 we got a cleaner for 2 hours a week, she only does the main rooms that guests would see

some rooms i only clean once a month or if if we are having guests as they are otherwise unused, dh does all the bathrooms

We have a gardener, only shirts get ironed here so 10/15 minutes a week max so i do those

online food shop, cars cleaned and valeted at a garage when we remember

depending on hours/money i think that a housekeeper for you would be a good idea

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:38

probster · 01/09/2024 09:36

doesn’t exist

i’m a single working parent with two children

just get yourself a cleaner and deactivate mumsnet
sorted

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I was looking for other high earners to share ideas. You don’t seem to have any.

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CherryBlossomFestival · 01/09/2024 09:38

Ah, the ‘just direct debit’ response. I haven’t found a solution for life admin, so I just delegate the other stuff.

My DC need me to be on top of their newly diagnosed chronic condition, chasing, booking and attending the GP appointments around school/work, sorting out the muddled prescriptions etc. Similarly I haven’t found a way to delegate making social arrangements, booking parents evening slots before they all go, finding and buying obscure books needed for school, booking tickets for things we want to see or that the DC are in, ensuring I and DC have regular hair cuts and dentist check ups, shopping around each year so the insurance / electricity etc don’t just auto renew expensively, buying presents for birthdays and Christmas. And so on.

probster · 01/09/2024 09:36

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:35

Honestly why even comment? I don’t have just one teen and they have dyslexia. I do have pets. And as outlined above do a huge amount of life admin. Good for you if this doesn’t exist.

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doesn’t exist

i’m a single working parent with two children

just get yourself a cleaner and deactivate mumsnet
sorted

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:36

probster · 01/09/2024 09:34

we don’t need you to define life admin op

because we ALL have it and often much more than you mention

Thank you.

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CagneyAndLazy · 01/09/2024 09:35

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:32

Life admin covers things like banking, DC school related stuff, household energy providers, collating all the stuff each year for our accountant, health appointments, prescriptions. DH has dyslexia so just not his strong suit. I could automate/ get delivery for prescriptions?

The accountant doesn’t seem to save me much work. I used to do our tax returns (we both have main jobs plus some consultancy) but have started with an accountant this past year. But I still have to give him all of our invoices, expenses etc so it almost takes me more time. This is definitely a time sucking thing for me but genuinely I cannot give this one to DH.

We use Pharmacy2U for prescriptions, which certainly saves some time but looking at your list there I imagine the accountancy stuff is the real time consumer.

It's unfortunate that even having an accountant on hand isn't saving you much time!

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:35

probster · 01/09/2024 09:29

so one teen, no pets, a dh that organises everything food related and you enjoy gardening

so… just get yourself a cleaner for a few hours a week

and “life admin” 🙄

Honestly why even comment? I don’t have just one teen and they have dyslexia. I do have pets. And as outlined above do a huge amount of life admin. Good for you if this doesn’t exist.

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probster · 01/09/2024 09:34

we don’t need you to define life admin op

because we ALL have it and often much more than you mention

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:32

Life admin covers things like banking, DC school related stuff, household energy providers, collating all the stuff each year for our accountant, health appointments, prescriptions. DH has dyslexia so just not his strong suit. I could automate/ get delivery for prescriptions?

The accountant doesn’t seem to save me much work. I used to do our tax returns (we both have main jobs plus some consultancy) but have started with an accountant this past year. But I still have to give him all of our invoices, expenses etc so it almost takes me more time. This is definitely a time sucking thing for me but genuinely I cannot give this one to DH.

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HairyToity · 01/09/2024 09:31

Not much. I don't like the idea of someone else in my home (cleaner), and laundry my husband deals with. We have a window cleaner once a month and we pay someone to cut the lawns once a fortnight. My dyslexic DS has a private tutor once a week.

probster · 01/09/2024 09:29

so one teen, no pets, a dh that organises everything food related and you enjoy gardening

so… just get yourself a cleaner for a few hours a week

and “life admin” 🙄

Geneticsbunny · 01/09/2024 09:28

You could advertise for a cleaner/housekeeper. They can do loads of useful things:ironing, cooking, tidying, posting things, sorting things out, running errands. If you had them for a day a week they would get loads done.
The next most useful thing might be a odd job person for fixing household things which break but if you have a newer house this might not be any use.

Purplecatshopaholic · 01/09/2024 09:27

Gardener. Cleaner. Online food shop. I don’t iron or have kids at home so laundry isn’t really an issue.

CagneyAndLazy · 01/09/2024 09:27

What do you mean by "life admin", exactly?

The reason I ask is that often there are things you can do to automate bill paying, prescriptions, insurances, etc., if that's the sort of thing you're getting tied up with.

Andwegoroundagain · 01/09/2024 09:26

Get your cleaner to tidy, clean and Iron. Get a gardener if you have a garden.
The main thing is then you can get people to help on other stuff eg go to a nice high end travel agent to get a holiday rather than worrying about shopping around. Or if you need a new outfit then go to a department store with a personal shopper that sort of thing

MrsSkylerWhite · 01/09/2024 09:25

My husband is the high earner, I do t work so do most of the household stuff. The kids have left home but with a large, family house and gardens to maintain there’s not a lot of spare cash.

But (never begin a sentence with but, I know 😁) we’re currently downsizing, have bought our flat and selling large house. This will free up funds to allow for a cleaner. We’re also going to buy lots of nice, new bed linens and will have it professionally laundered. We want to enjoy our free time together.

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:24

I do spend time on the garden but it’s something I mostly enjoy.

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Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:24

simpledeer · 01/09/2024 09:19

Gardener
Online food shop

Its best to outsource the things you don’t like doing (hence my list)

I love walking my dog, so that would never make my list.

So probably best for you and DH to have an honest chat about the things you want to continue with, and the things you would happily see the back of. That’s going to be very subjective.

That’s a really good point. I would be glad to see the back of cleaning, doing my hair (total pain), driving!! But I don’t think I can stretch to a driver. I still feel I must be missing lots of ideas though because I was a student at one point for many years and had less earning capacity earlier in my career.

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Doggymummar · 01/09/2024 09:23

Window cleaner and food delivery

probster · 01/09/2024 09:22

do you have a garden?
do you have a car?

mynameiscalypso · 01/09/2024 09:21

I agree with a housekeeper type role or a cleaner who is happy to take on other tasks. Ours would change the sheets and do washing if we wanted. She'll also do deep cleans and sort out all the kitchen cupboards or something like that if we want her to. I love her.

Original poster

butterpears · 01/09/2024 09:20

I don’t iron a huge amount but again I could also ask the cleaner to do some of that. It seems like a cleaner for more hours than we previously had would be helpful.

OP posts: