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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to tell those that call me lazy to piss off.

68 replies

tookoolforskool · 21/03/2011 10:13

because i did the shocking thing of hiring a gardener for all of 2 hours to dig over and weed my borders for me.

Im a lone parent. DDs dad is away at the momment, so im not getting any break.
i work 20hours
I have a dog.
I have to do everything, by myself all the time.
All the housework, all the shopping, all the errands, all the organising. everything.

two weeks ago i pressure washed my patio to within a inch of its life. i hacked back the shurbs and weeded and sorted out the herb garden bit. This weekend i painted all my fence. All 22 fence pannels. i still have the garage to do, but am waiting for paint from the landlord.

My garden is quite new, its a rented house and it was a barren wasteland when i moved in two years ago. there were no borders, i had them cut in. Its just because im constantly seeding the grass.. it goes in the borders, and the weeds... its a big job.

So i paid £30 for someone to do it for me, to clear the weeds, tidy it up and turn it all over, so all i have to do is plant veg/bedding plants.

You would not belive the amount of stick i have had from people calling me lazy and taking the piss, or asking who i think i am.

AIBU to tell them to fuck off.

OP posts:

bupcakesandcunting · 21/03/2011 10:48

Tell them to fuck off AND eat their own shit.

Chil1234 · 21/03/2011 10:50

Don't understand why people are so snotty about you employing someone. Would it be 'lazy' to hire an electrician to fix the lights or a plumber to fix the pipes? As it happens, I spent some money last month for a massively long border to be dug over and cleared. He did a fantastic job, took all the rubbish away, and it would have killed me if I'd tried to do it. Worth every penny.

Always keep your private details very close at the school gates. Some people are very bitchy and will gossip about anything.

Laquitar · 21/03/2011 10:59

Many people spend £30 for a (dirty) pizza delivery every week then they find this shocking.

Anyway it is your money, not stolen so you do what you like. YANBU and not lazy.

bupcakesandcunting · 21/03/2011 11:12

Mmmmmmmm, dirty pizza....

Ephiny · 21/03/2011 11:14

YANBU. Personally I quite enjoy pottering in the garden as a hobby, but if it's just a chore for you then why not pay someone to do it if you can afford to. I pay for a cleaner simply because I don't want to do housework, maybe this makes me lazy but I really don't care!

Don't see that it's anyone else's business really.

Original poster

tookoolforskool · 21/03/2011 11:34

pottering in the garden doing light work is fine.
heaving digging and pulling out large pricky bushes and clods of misplaced grass the size of a small dog is less fun.

hmmm. pizza.

OP posts:

thenightsky · 21/03/2011 11:36

What on earth is a 'dirty' pizza?

BaggedandTagged · 21/03/2011 11:40

"What on earth is a 'dirty' pizza?"

A Dominos, especially if you get a side of chicken wings and the free 2L bottle of fat pepsi

pookamoo · 21/03/2011 11:42

I think it sounds brilliant.

DH and I were talking about this at the weekend. We moved in to our house 2 years ago just before DD was born. The previous owner kept a beautiful garden, and with a bit of trimming and mowing it was ok for the first year. Now with a toddler and me pg again, there is a lot of weeding and digging that needs to be done, but we are a bit clueless and could do with someone who knows a bit about what they are doing to come and give it a good going over for a couple of hours. DH would help them if they would let him, and then he could learn a bit about what to do.

I'm a bit nervous to ask though in case the gardener thinks I am taking the p*ss, or in case it's really really expensive, but £30 sounds pretty reasonable to me.

Ignore the others and have a lovely summer in your garden with your DCs.

megapixels · 21/03/2011 11:43

"You would not belive the amount of stick i have had from people calling me lazy and taking the piss, or asking who i think i am."

Seems so implausible to even know people like that . I am a SAHM and never do any sort of garden work. Always hire someone to do it, and they need any job they can get at this time.

Laquitar · 21/03/2011 11:45

A dirty pizza is when you have it in bed

Seriously the kitchens in these places are filthy but i will shut up and not saying more. Back to gardening....

Sidge · 21/03/2011 11:46

Hell no.

I have 'staff'

(Well I have a bloke that comes for 1.5 hours a fortnight to mow, weed, hoe, leaf clear and trim the bushes)

I would rather eat my own toenail clippings on toast than mow the lawn and dig borders. I am in no way lazy but detest gardening.

It's all about priorities innit? I choose to spend 40 quid a month on my gardener, but don't buy much in the way of clothes, shoes, DVDs etc.

ullainga · 21/03/2011 11:50

and even if you were sitting on your arse and watching TV? I have a cleaning lady so I can sit on my arse on weekends, if I so want to, and relax. Nobody else's business what you do with your money.

Oh, and I also buy my bread instead of baking it, I don't make any of my clothes myself, I bought ready-made curtains instead of buying fabric and sewing them and true, sometimes even go to restaurants instead of cooking myself - lazy cow, obviously.

PlentyOfPrimroses · 21/03/2011 11:54

YANBU but this is really interesting. I used to earn quite a good part time income doing gardening and have been thinking of taking it up again but I didn't think anybody would be interested in hiring in the current climate. Last time around, I built up a regular client base just through word-of-mouth. I've moved since then and would be starting from scratch - where would be the best place to advertise, do you think? How did you all find your gardeners?

RueLaChesty · 21/03/2011 12:04

My sister has an ironing lady, comes for 1 hour a week and gets through a shitload of ironing!

She is a nurse and works long shifts and if she is off during the day can't do it as her youngest just pulls on the cable, very dangerous ironing with kids about IMO. She always feels bad being in when the lady comes so she takes DN to the soft play or if a nice day to the park or something!

I was always very jealous as I hate ironing so if i had spare money i'd get a someone to do my ironing.

NOW, i'd get someone to do my garden, why have i never thought of that!

Not lazy at all, your money your business.

PepsiPopcorn · 21/03/2011 12:08

YANBU. Everyone pays someone to do something for them. Building, decorating, car maintenance, cleaning, growing food, making clothes, sending mail. I don't see the difference.

jester68 · 21/03/2011 12:08

YANBU. At the end of the day you work hard and would have found it hard to do yourself so why shouldn't you get some help? I am lucky as my partner does all the garden stuff for me else I would have to rely on my brothers (who all work full time and have their own families) or pay someone to do so myself.

jester68 · 21/03/2011 12:10

Oh, and my friend does ironing for her sister who works part time as she can't stand it lol. So for once a week she does the ironing for her and gets a little money which goes into an account for day trips/holidays etc along with money she gets for delievering the papers. Just a little extra income and helps her sister out as well

shmoz · 21/03/2011 12:38

RueLa when my SIL was pregnant she didn't do any ironing , her mother and my mother did it all for her - she claimed that she couldn't stand the 'smell', made her nauseous...nice one SIL! Anyway I digress..

YADNBU. I like gardening - not heavy stuff mind, that's mans work - but this year with 3mo DS I def I won't be doing as much as before.

What you paid sounds v v reasonable btw.

Oh, most importantly - was he hot and did he take his shirt off....?

Ormirian · 21/03/2011 12:43

Lazy?

No YANBU. Tell them to piss off and then piss off some more!

Blackduck · 21/03/2011 12:43

I am about to book our gardener to do a vicious root and branch hack (including the grass) and yes, I could do it, and no, I can't be bother and he does it quicker and faster and is tidier than I am....

Morloth · 21/03/2011 12:46

Love, I am a SAHM with only one baby at home (older one at school) and I have a cleaner AND a gardener come once a week.

Who gives a fuck if someone thinks you are lazy? You may be lazy (like me!) but you are now also a person with a nice tidy garden.

There is nothing character building about doing grunt work if you can at all get someone else to do it for you, fuck that.

BaronessBomburst · 21/03/2011 12:50

Thank goodness I'm not the only one then! I'm a SAHM but struggling with the housework and a 13 mo old and a husband that does feck all. I saw an ad in the paper and am now seriously considering paying someone to come and tidy up the front garden and sort out the trees. I've no idea where to start, don't have the tools, and what would I do with DS whilst I was at it?

Original poster

tookoolforskool · 21/03/2011 12:54

he was quite hot. there was a bit of flirting :)

£30 isnt bad i dont think. i dont smoke. i dont drink a lot. im not going out at the momment ) no childcare)
No takeaways.

And he offered me some free cuttings.

I found him on yell.com.
hes very very good and by chance had done work on the house previously.

He said most of his work is older people, and he is quite busy, i had to wait 3 weeks.

I would have thought lots of people need a hand. especailly single working mothers.
I think people underestimate how hard we work and how even a tiny bit of help can make a huge difference

OP posts:

sloggies · 21/03/2011 14:14

Maybe he could give me some free cuttings Sounds great, keep him on!

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