Life is getting busier and busier leaving many people feeling like they don’t have enough time in the day to get mundane tasks completed or to spend quality time with their family and friends. According to Asian Efficiency, one of the best ways to fit more into your day is not to do the task at all, but to outsource it. The idea is to take things you would do in your everyday life and have someone else do it at a low cost. Everyday tasks such as shopping, gardening and laundry could all be outsourced to a company that completes these tasks for you, freeing up your time for more complex tasks or for more leisure time. The important thing to remember about personal outsourcing is that you absolutely must know how much your time is worth (usually per hour). This is the only way to find out if something is worth outsourcing or not.
Below are 10 examples of things you can outsource in order to fit more than 24 hours into your day.
1. Grocery shopping
A menial task that most of us hate doing, especially when our time could better be spent elsewhere. With most grocery stores now offering delivery and online shopping this not only saves you time but also money as you focus on things you need. Don’t have time to do online grocery shopping? You can still hire personal shoppers who will do the entire thing for you.
2. Gardening
With so many people opening franchise mowing and gardening businesses there is no better time to take advantage. Call up a few different companies for quotes and go with the option that is most affordable to you. Outsourcing your gardening saves you time and maybe some money, as you won’t have to purchase and maintain gardening equipment.
3. Laundry
According to Asian Efficiency, in most major American cities, people usually spend at least 1.5-2 hours each week doing their laundry. We all hate it but it must be done. And ironing? Don’t even bother. Put everything into a basket and ship it off to your local professional iron lady (pun intended).
4. Everyday errands
Don’t have time to make appointments, follow up on personal tasks or write that important email? Many people now hire virtual assistants to help them with simple things like general administration, emails, filing and making appointments etc. Search Craigslist and you will be sure to find someone with good credentials.
5. Cleaning
After working a 40-hour week do you really want to spend your weekend cleaning? Didn’t think so! In that case it’s time to find a professional cleaner to do all of the dirty work for you. You may be able to find some cleaners with reasonable rates via Craigslist. Alternatively, do a Google search for cleaners in your local area.
6. Pet walking
We all know exercise is good for us but sometimes you just don’t have time to go for an hour-long walk with the dog every night. There are many professional dog walkers available who are just waiting for you to call them to walk your beloved pooch.
7. Cooking
There are now so many options available for pre-made, good, healthy food. This saves you time, money and also benefits your health in the long run as it is better to come home to a cooked meal rather than buying take away food on the way home. Check out something like Premade Paleo or GenoVive for meal plans.
8. Handyman tasks
A lot of people have lists full of tasks they need to complete around the house yet never find the time to. Why not hire a professional handyman to come fix that broken light, replace worn out light-bulbs or fix that broken window in the shed. It will be a relief to finally cross off everything that you needed to do without having to lift a finger!
9. Car washing
If your kids are tired of washing the car for a lousy $2 or if you don’t even have kids to wash the car it might be time to call someone to clean it for you. Most car washing rates are low especially if they are local business owners who do it part-time. Again, do some searching and come up with an affordable option. If not maybe ask your neighbor if their kids will do it for some pocket money.
10. Moving
There is nothing worse than having to pack up everything and then unpack everything into a new house. Especially when you are time-poor as it is. Hire someone to come pack your boxes and unpack them once they are moved to the new house. You could even ask some friends if they have any teenagers who would be willing to do this for some quick cash.
