errands

4 Ways Outsourcing Chores Can Save You Time and Money

Carrie Smith — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 11:00:20 +0000

We're busy people, with lives filled by family, work, errands, chores, and tons of other tasks that pull us in a million directions. Add all of this on top of being a self-employed business owner, and there are times when I find myself sacrificing sleep, or skipping meals, as a way to get more things checked off my list.

Two years ago I quit my day job to freelance full-time and have been in time-crunch mode ever since. As a way to become more productive, I've learned how to outsource work I don't have time for, or don't know how to do.

What if you delegated household chores so you could regain control? Here's how to outsource your life so you have more time and money.

1. Avoid Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite chores to do each week. Unless you're a personal chef (like my husband), you probably hate going to the grocery store, too. Instead of wasting your time on this chore, why not have your groceries delivered? If you live in a big city, check out services like Peapod or AmazonFresh's food service.

Just order your regular grocery items that you purchase every week, such as milk, bread, toilet paper, and other consumables, and get them delivered right to your door. No driving through traffic, or weaving in-and-out of the busy produce section.

The great thing about these services is that you can find the best prices, use coupons, and take advantage of weekly discounts, just as you would if you were going the traditional grocery shopping route.

Time saved per week: One hour or more (depending on how long you usually take to meal plan and drive to your local store).

Average monthly cost: Cost of groceries plus delivery and tip (plus $99 a year for Amazon Prime).

2. Look Stylish on a Budget

Retail therapy is a great way to unwind, score some fashionable finds, and hang out with friends, but it's not always great for your budget. Limit your regular shopping trips by outsourcing your clothing needs using services like Stitch Fix or ShoeDazzle.

A box is delivered straight to your front door that includes styles based on your personal taste. You only pay for the items you like and want to keep, otherwise you simply return any unworn clothing or shoes.

The upside is you get customized picks, from designers and professional stylists, without ever leaving the house. You'll also be able to avoid any impulse buys or unwanted purchases simply by choosing the bare essentials.

Time saved per week: One hour or more (depending on how long you usually shop).

Average monthly cost: $55 for clothing and shoes (plus $20 processing fee applied to purchase).

3. Get Help With Daily Errands

Odd jobs around the house constantly seem to stack up. From cleaning the car, to mowing the yard, to cleaning out the gutters, a resource like Task Rabbit can help. No task is too big or too small.

If you need a ride to the airport, furniture delivered on a certain day, help walking the dog, or deep housecleaning, you can use this service to find the right person. You can even pay someone to stand in line for you at the DMV! This service is currently available in 19 cities and counting, so save yourself time by outsourcing your daily errands.

Time saved per week: Two hours or more (depending on chore).

Average monthly cost: Cost of errand billed hourly.

4. Hire a Bookkeeper or Household Manager

As the breadwinner for my small family, I don't always have time to prepare reports, pay taxes, and manage the affairs of our household. If you're in the same position, you know the importance of these tasks, and how vital it is that the bills are paid on time, but you also want to spend your time with your family and friends.

One way to solve this is to hire a part-time bookkeeper or household manager. For $125 a month I work with a virtual bookkeeper who helps manage my bills, bank accounts, schedules appointments, and deals with other household projects. This allows me to spend my time at a yoga class, or going on a date with my husband.

Time saved per week: Two hours or more (depending on chore).

Average monthly cost: $100 or more depending on tasks.

You Really Can Save Time and Money With Outsourcing

Life's too short to spend a lot of time on doing household chores or trying to DIY tasks that are too complicated. Thanks to a rise in outsourcing services, you can delegate any kind of chore you don't have time to do. This will allow you time to do more important things, like spending quality time with your kids, or enjoying a weekend with friends.

Have you tried outsourcing chores? What's another way to save time and money each week?

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This article is from Carrie Smith of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Gigwalk: Get Paid While You Walk!

Darwins Money — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:24:13 +0000

Who said walking had to be boring (and unprofitable)? Now you can get paid to run simple errands while you're out and about. And it's all based on where you happen to be, whether you're inclined to take up a gig, and how much money you want to make. It's Gigwalk! The idea is so simple, yet so amazing. With the confluence of social media, explosive growth in smartphones, and people pressed for time, Gigwalk brings together people who need local information quickly and in-person with people who happen to be mulling about, interested in making a few bucks for a few minutes of easy work. (See also: Walk, Walk, Walk, Walk, Walk)

How Gigwalk Works and Common Tasks

Once you sign up as a Gigwalker, when you look at your app, you'll see a map of local gigs as you move. Some might happen to be on your route to work or the coffee shop. What the heck, why not pop in, complete a gig, and earn some money on the way? Some of the most common gigs are the following:

Menus/Daily Specials

Someone is considering dining out and would like you to take a snapshot of a menu. Who knows, maybe it's even the restaurant's competitor seeing what's being served up. Either way, it's saving the person a trip across town, and it might be worth $4-5 to them (and you as well).

What to Wear

Maybe someone's a bit self-conscious about whether they're going to be overdressed or underdressed at a new venue. They ask you to pop in and snap a shot of what people are wearing. As insipid as this might sound, I can think of many people who would utilize this option.

Is This Place Shady?

Someone's looking for a good restaurant or bar, but they're from out of town and want a snapshot or a quick written review in real time before they waste their time and head over.

How Bad's That Line for the Latest iPad?

Imagine showing up for the latest hot gadget only to find out they just sold out — or the line's wrapped around the building still. Save yourself the time! Just ask a Gigwalker to snap a shot of the line every couple hours and pop over when it dies down.

There is a bit of a meritocracy to the system. As a Gigwalker becomes more proficient and well-regarded via customer reviews, that person moves to the front of the line for new Gigwalks. Depending on the complexity of the task, some gigs can actually pay much more than just a few bucks. As odd as it sounds, there have been cases where a client wanted someone to try on an outfit and take a picture to confirm how it fit, or even more random tasks. As they increase in complexity and time required, gigs pay more.

Where Is Gigwalk Active?

According to the company, they are active with thousands of users in seven cities thus far (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and San Francisco), with plans for expansion everywhere. For that reason, I haven't been able to try the service out myself just yet. However, when Gigwalk is available in my area, I'd certainly like to try it out.

Gigwalk Complaints

Since I'm not a current user, I wanted to check out what some of the common Gigwalk complaints were around the web, but all I really came across were complaints that it's available only on the iPhone, and some people were annoyed over the meritocracy. Regarding the device issues, while the company is mum on their website, I have to imagine it's only a matter of time before the app is compatible with other smartphones; most other major apps go that direction. Next, there are complaints over having to earn "street cred" in order to start getting jobs approved more quickly. While it may be viewed as a downside to new entrants, if you think about it, it's also a competitive advantage to early adopters. It's only natural to want to protect customers from poor performers and scammers, so having to earn some street cred first seems like a reasonable constraint up front.

Once it expands to an area near me, I'm thinking of signing up on the other side for when I'm really busy and want to find something out quickly. If time is of the essence and I need to figure out why Google Maps is showing some traffic on my route, it would be nice to know if it's an accident being cleared or just a random traffic jam. Perhaps it could be used for a hot kids' toy around the holidays or even as a quasi-personal assistant for brief and low-risk tasks. There are surely millions of ideas none of us can contemplate at this time, but I suspect you'll be hearing a lot more about Gigwalk in the coming months. There are tons of ways to earn extra income, but this is one of the most convenient and innovative that I've ever come across!

Would you do gigs for cash with Gigwalk?

This article is from Darwins Money of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

15 Ways to Make the Most Out of Warm-Weather Weekdays

Mikey Rox — Fri, 20 May 2011 10:24:16 +0000

As someone who works from home all year round, I look forward to the spring and summer months.

During the wintertime, I hibernate — and that doesn’t bode well for my sanity.

But as soon as the sun starts shining and the temp starts rising, I’m out and about as much as possible. Even (and especially) after a hard day’s work.

To get you out of the house more, here are some of the things I like (and would like) to do on weekdays that allow me to soak up the rays and feel better the next day.

1. Join a Team Sport

Every city I’ve lived in has had adult rec leagues that offer team activities like kickball, dodgeball, soccer, mini golf, ultimate Frisbee, and more. I’m currently playing two sports on the NYSSC leagues. It’s a great way to keep moving and make new friends. My kickball team is currently in first place. Albeit, no thanks to me. Pssh, I'm not hurting myself for fleeting glory.

2. Cooks Meals in Advance

When it’s warm outside, I don’t want to spend my nights in front of a hot stove. To free up my time, I grill lots of chicken breasts on a Sunday morning, cut them up, and store the bite-sized pieces in a container in the fridge or freezer. When I’m ready to eat, I can pull out the container and make quick Caesar salads, quesadillas, or chicken-salad sandwiches. As I’m saving time, I’m also saving money. Heating up your home every night — especially when it’s hot out — makes your air conditioner work harder to keep it cool, which costs more money. Cooking one day a week saves you five days of unnecessary AC overdrive.

3. Grill Your Dinner

If you don’t want to spend your Sundays making a week’s worth of meals, that’s all right. I don’t always have time for that, either — and there’s nothing like food, fresh and hot. Whenever I have a chance to grill, I light it up. Burgers, shrimp, steak, baked potatoes, corn-on-the-cob… what doesn’t taste good from the grill? Quick, easy, and delicious — if you have the gas kind, that is. Charcoal grills are a waste of time and money. You can tell Weber I said that, too.

4. Exercise Outside

When May rolls around, I put my gym membership on hold. There’s no need to spend time sweating inside when I can save my monthly membership fee and sweat outside instead. Or, if you’re a true entrepreneur, you can forgo putting the membership on hold and lease it to someone who wants short-term access to your gym. I’ve done it before and it worked out beautifully.

5. Open the Blinds and Windows

Maybe you don’t have time to get outside. Fair enough. Bring the sights and sounds inside by opening the blinds and windows. Turn on some Calypso and shake your thang. (See also: 8 Tasks You Shouldn't Skip During Spring Cleaning)

6. Take Your Dogs to the Park

My dogs love going to the run. I don’t mind going either, because the one that we frequent has a bar. In my opinion, there’s no better way to chill out than having fun with my babies while sipping on a few beers.

7. Treat Yourself to Refreshments on a Patio

Sometimes, of course, I need a moment to unwind by myself. When I’m not taking my babies out, I like to visit a bistro around the corner that has outdoor seating and incredible happy hour specials like $4 glasses of house wine before 8 p.m.

8. Plan a Picnic

Turn off the TV, pack a basket, and find a shady spot at the park. The park is much less crowded during the week, so you’ll finally be able to relax. My go-to picnic dishes include chilled steamed shrimp, a fruit and cheese platter, and crusty bread with olive oil. A cool piece of lemon meringue pie helps satisfy that sweet tooth, too.

9. Catch a Free Event

Great activities are not limited to the weekends. Look at your local events calendar, and you’ll find plenty to do Monday through Friday. My all-time favorite is an outdoor movie series, which usually kicks off sometime in June, with each movie beginning at dusk once a week until mid-to-late August. Bring along a fold-up chair and a bag of snacks and you’ve got yourself a good, cheap night out that won’t leave you with a headache the next day.

10. Make Some Extra Cash

Search Craigslist for people in need of dog walkers, errand runners, or yard help. You’ll get your daily recommended allowance of vitamin D while making a few bucks in the process.

11. Run Errands Close to Home

There’s a misconception about New York City that everything is convenient. It’s not. The nearest post office is seven blocks away from me, and my bank is another five blocks away from that. That may not seem like an arduous trek, but just wait until the wind, rain, snow, and slush arrive. When it’s nice out, though, I like to walk to run my errands. I list what I need to do ahead of time then map it so I’m accomplishing my tasks efficiently. I feel even better when I break a sweat — because that’s means less time exercising. Which I hate (but have) to do.

12. Volunteer to Clean Up Your Neighborhood

Every neighborhood needs maintenance. Maybe not your own little slice of heaven, but I bet there’s something you could volunteer to beautify. Break out a broom and sweep the sidewalk. Pull the weeds out of a neighbor's potted plants. Help pick up trash near the church. All of these activities will keep your blood pumping and win you points with the old lady next door.

13. Wash Your Car

Why pay $20 to have your car washed? Unless, of course, there’s a whole bunch of home-from-college hotties doin’ the washin’. Yes, please. Barring that exception, grab your bucket, soap, and sponge and attack your Crud Mobile the old-fashioned way — with your bare hands and some elbow grease. But check the weather first. Nothing burns more than busting your hump scrubbing those hubcabs just have ‘em rained on three hours later.

14. Take Up Stargazing

I see no stars in the city — and that makes this idea all the more appealing. If you live somewhere where the halogen lights don’t keep you up at night, buy (or borrow) a telescope and search for signs of intelligent life. Lord knows I haven’t spotted any in a while.

15. Invest in a Hammock

Tie it to two trees and hop in. In your backyard. In the park. On your roof (if it comes with its own stand). Just remember that safety comes first, OK? I will not be held responsible for your silliness.

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: