What can I outsource?

[Merryoldgoat]

Ok. Brief background
DH, me and DS9 & DS4 at home (both children have ASD)
We both work in busy jobs, I’ve recently reduced hours to manage pick up/drop off better.

We have a cleaner.

We find ourselves burned out with all the ‘stuff’ - appointments, homework, laundry, cooking, shopping and meal planning, house needs decorating and maintenance etc - that we spend hardly any quality time together or with the boys.

What can we outsource or buy to claw back time?

By the weekend I’m exhausted and I hate that I have no time or energy to exercise or be a fun parent.

We’re no swimming in money but do have the ability to buy in more.

I’m also hoping the two days I stop work at 2.30 I might have a more relaxed time at home as it won’t be full on getting dinner and baths done.

Get them settled and do a couples of tasks maybe…

[quote ShamelessPoster]@MayMorris your spreadsheets and matching the terms to tesco etc is absolutely genius. Would you be willing to share? I know you don't know me from Adam but I'm just a normal mum looking for ways to save time too. I'd happily give you my email address to send it over if you'd be willing? Totally understand if you say no!!

OP We personally found Gousto (agree with others I didn't like hello fresh as much) a game changer, its fantastic and stops us spending loads on takeaways etc as we always have something ready to cook and eat most nights. We also have a cleaner. I do not iron anything except my daughters school polo shirts (my husband wears overalls but I guess if yours wears shirts etc you or he would need to do those too) I wash daily, so morning and evening I'm putting a wash on and the tumble dryer on to keep on top of it. I have a heated airer too. We pay for a decorator as and when needed. Lots of handymen on Facebook etc (do get personal recommendations though - I'm lucky my husband loves and is good at DIY)

Thats all I have to add but I'm finding this thread so helpful![/quote]
I would share…but that was 5 years ago…kids left home, divorced and now retired! No longer have them 😳

[quote Merryoldgoat]@TeddyTonks

Thank you - I will DM you - that’s so kind.

@MayMorris - er… can we be friends please?! That spreadsheet sounds like an amazing idea. I know what I’m doing with my day off next week!![/quote]
🤣🤣🤣🤣
It did take an age to set up ..but saved sooooo much time and emotional labour in the end

Ask cleaner to:

• Iron. We only iron DH work shirts, and our cleaner does those
• Change beds & put linen on to wash
• Empty/run dishwasher as needed
• Empty bins

More use of ready meals - we have a charlie bighams most weeks, bought soup, stuffed pasta etc. It costs more but not as much as eg a takeaway. Or Gousto.

Cook something at the weekend that’s big enough to give you leftovers for the week - at least enough for one kids’ tea or two wfh lunches, say.

Shared electronic calendar, we use the apple one. I put all appointments in it and various reminders, but also what kit the DC need on which school days.

Online food shop definitely, ideally a regular slot as it makes planning easier and means you can’t forget.

You will all be pleased to know I have bought 21 pairs of new knickers.

Currently planning tomorrow and how to make the best use of the day.

Ask the cleaner if they'll stay an extra hour to fold laundry

I’m in a similar position to you and I think it’s a great idea to ask your cleaner if she could do another half day to so. And then find an arrangement with her and a list of jobs that works - say she comes in a Monday and a Friday. On a Monday, she could strip beds and wash and dry those sheets and make up the beds. On a Friday she could iron that bedding. So you’re creating a system that takes the entire job off your hands. Do your food shopping online, and organise for the delivery to come when she is there and she could put it away for you. So that is the end of that - you don’t have any more to do with it.

Our cleaner does ironing, but if she didn’t, I know a local company that collects it and returns it on the same day. Some have keys for properties too, so you don’t even have to be in when they come.

Some gardeners come monthly, if yours just needs regular maintenance. Or some just take one off jobs if you need to get it under control.

I often cook double and freeze, or make multiple portions of sauces (eg katsu or pestos) so that means easier dinners. I hate cooking on a Friday night, I like to sit down earlier on a Friday, so that suits us well.

Work out what takes up your time or what you like doing the least and go from there!

Gardener! That’s going to be an essential soon - good reminder.

DH and I just did a cook order - our local store is 5 mins away in the car so we might go see one day. But we’ve got 6 dinners and 4 lunches so we’re very excited.

Cleaner will be doing extra hour from next week and I’m going to write a list of jobs I’d like her to do in the extra time.

I am doing a meal schedule for the week and an online shop is booked for Saturday evening.

I have tomorrow off so I’m going to have a bath with a book.

This thread has been amazing - thanks so much everyone

Honestly - not a single nasty comment about my being lazy or indolent - it’s amazing how you can internalise those thoughts and it stops you asking for help.

DH is also grateful for all of the suggestions which we talked through over dinner.

Online shop with meal planning and batch cooking if it's your thing, but the meal planning saves waste and money
A pressure cooker - my only regret is not getting one sooner. You can bung in all your ingredients and you've a meal all ready in no time at all.
Up your cleaners hours if you think that would help

A brief update to all the kind people who gave me ideas for trying to claw back so time.

Our COOK delivery arrived yesterday and both dinners and lunches have been delicious so far - looking forward to the rest of the week!

I thinned out all of my clothes and the kids’ too on the weekend.

I decluttered older sons bedroom which will make cleaning much easier. I’ll do the younger ones this weekend.

I’ve sorted all my laundry and will be getting a pick up on Thursday from a service.

Got some tradesmen to quote for some of the bigger jobs which I’ll be scheduling in over the next few weeks.

I’ve got Thursday off work and I’m going to have my nails done.

I’ve found a really fun free activity for me and DS9 which I’ve booked and I’m super excited about.

Still a lot to get through but I’m feeling a lot better.

Thank you again for your advice

I agree with minipie good quality ready meals are much easier than Gousto or Hello Fresh. I hate having to unpack meal delivery boxes, then sort all the packages, get my head around a new recipe and then cook the bloody thing.
We are being sold a lie, they are lovely meals but, after a long day at work they are not the easy option.

For me, getting rid of the dishwasher helped. Now we just wash up together after eating and put it all away immediately. Much less of a faff.

Holidays can be outsourced! We have a local travel agent, you just tell her your budget and a rough idea of what you want and she does everything else. Saves hours.

I love my slow cooker, but it's not a time saver; it just shifts the prep time to earlier in the day. So I get up a six, have a coffee, do a few jobs and then start prepping dinner for the slow cooker while the kids have their breakfast/ I test them on their spellings etc. It then sits there all day cooking so that dinner is ready when we need it.

Top tip if you get a slow cooker is to get one with a cooking dish that can go on the hob - makes prep quicker as you can brown meat, onions etc in it before dropping it into the cooker and less washing up.

I just wanted to suggest a slow cooker/instant pot and an hour a fortnight prepping meals for it. You can Google recipes or buy a cookbook, but the basic idea is that you chop and freeze the meat with the herbs & spices in labelled freezer bags, then just put in the slow cooker with liquid/passata etc adding fresh or frozen veg (I always use frozen as speed is the whole point for me)
Do get the specific recipes as slow cooking from frozen is different and a normal recipe from the hob won't be as nice.
Also if you use a butcher for meat they will usually chop for you if you ask when your buying it.