Most people I know have someone else to clean their homes and wash their cars. They bring in food a lot and go out to eat often. They tell me that since I work full-time, I am wasting my precious free time. They also think I'm cheap.
As long as I am physically able to perform these tasks, I will continue to do so. I will save my money for jobs that are beyond my expertise.
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I agree.
All very good reasons. Hang in there, Girl!
Sounds like a good way to live.
I agree with you. When you clean your home you see things that need attention. Would a paid house cleaner say something? I would hope so but? Much more fun and relaxing to make dinner at home, especially if you had it in a crock pot waiting.
I agree with you 110%. I am retired but even when I worked I put the "ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" principle into play. By letting things go, you just make it a larger job than it has to be. I can't afford anyone to do what I can do so there is no one else anyway. But I think even if I had the money, I would donate it to the local food bank or animal shelter.
You be proud that you are cheap. While they might lose their jobs tomorrow, you have not squandered your paycheck on things you can do for yourself.
I'm with you, Judy.
Marg from England.
Let me add this, though. While all of what has been mentioned is valid, over my course of 81 years, I have learned that we are not all alike in how our minds work. While I like a well-maintained house, keeping one up is not an automatic response for me. For my husband, it is automatic; for me, it's hard work. He is predictable and systematic and organized. I am spontaneous and creative and adventurous (and distractible). For me, tidiness, while valuable, uses up a lot of my limited precious energy. (I wish I had more of his automatic without having to give up my spontaneity. And, at the same time, I am thankful that I don't have to pick up after him, although he doesnt think he has to pick up after me either; he just maintains his own space. Ever meet anybody who just makes one side of the bed?)
Having said that, I have learned to weigh how I want to use my limited energy. One thing I value highly is free time to exchange thoughts and ideas with someone I enjoy, and to read, and to exercise my brain by working puzzles. Thus, I derive value from the free time I get from hiring someone else to do some of the things I can do, but choose not to. Not sure where that fits with the virtue of frugality. Does that mean we have different value systems? Doesn't hiring someone else pour value into our economic system? For some people, that is how they earn their income.
Must say, my life is far more interesting, thought provoking, and less stressful than when I strived to have a perfect house, believing I had to do it myself. All this to say: hiring what I can to give me free time is well worth it to me. Who wants to clean up the kitchen anyway after you've already done the cooking? I'm just glad I can afford to hire someone else to do a few of the things that I find tedious and unfulfilling.
Just another way to look at it.
BTW, I don't do $4 lattes either, or eat out extravagantly, but I do have someone come in periodically and vacuum and scrub bathroom and kitchen.
I believe that I agree with both "versions" and choose to see each ones point of view. Maybe, even health-wise, if you can easily afford to pay someone to do some of the things you would rather not do, it might seem prudent to share your good fortune with someone that may need the job/income.
I enjoy the capacity to do things myself as well and cherish the opportunity. Not that it isn't fun to take a break every now and again, but there is more than financial gain in a good DIY
I totally agree with this article! Some family and friends make comments about all the things I do for myself. Cook, clean, groom my dogs (including cutting nails), wash cars, shovel snow/yard work, paint house/inside and out, sew hems on pants, simple repairs on clothing, make home decorations and simple repairs, use the library. My husband does car repairs, minor house repairs (that I don't have the expertise or knowledge to do). I love and live a very simple life which brings me great joy and feeling content. I saved so much money living like this from a low $30,000 a year income, that I am able to stay home this summer with my grandkids, while their mom works and not have to pay childcare or summer camp rates. I love the feeling of not having debt and the peace of knowing all my bills are taken care of.
I agree. The funds that are saved by doing things ourselves are available to use for helping others or for an occasional splurge! Thanks for the post!
I agree. Plus you know what is in your food when you make it yourself. My family gets ill a lot less often than my friends who eat out a lot. I chalk it up to not being exposed to contagious illnesses and bad food handling practices from restaurant workers. I know my ingredients are fresh when I cook at home also.
I absolutely agree with you. If I had a cleaning person, if I ate out all the time, if I went to the carwash, if I didn't shop second hand, I would not have been able to spend two weeks in Europe!
Your coworkers or "friends" are rude, do not value money. Have never had a cleaning person nor had my parents and my married children. Wash my car?? In California we can't unless you go to car wash, just get some rags wipe car down and clean your own windows. More fun to make meals with your family helping. Teaches your kids about nutrition and cooking. Your not cheap your watching your savings grow. Next vacation you can show pictures of family cruise or whatever.
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