What Can You Do that you could always do? (beach, move, single)
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The only thing we've hired out is lawn care. Only because we travel for up to 6 weeks at a time and the lawn needs to be mowed weekly in the summer. If we didn't have that travel bug, we'd simply buy a riding mower and do it ourselves on this 10K sq. ft. lot. Our last pre-retirement home was 5 acres and I loved mowing it with the tractor...this when working 50 to 60 hour weeks.
We did everything ourselves when we moved into this home two years ago (at ages 62 and 63), packed and moved our stuff ourselves from AZ to FL. After we moved, we painted many rooms; added/replaced ceiling fans; lots of new landscaping; changed out kitchen sink (wow was that heavy!); updated kitchen/bath faucet fixtures.
Husband cleans gutters and other maintenance. We've always been neatniks and continue to do our own house-cleaning. On a few occasions both recently and when we were still working, I tried cleaning companies and found they didn't clean as well as we did! With no kids or pets in the house, and being tidy by nature, we orefer doing this ourselves. Also, we downsized since retirement from a 3500 sq. ft. 2-story house, to a one story 1800 sq. foot house, which makes housecleaning easier.
Last edited by dothetwist; 09-26-2016 at 06:48 AM..
Lawn care and snow removal. I probably could still do the lawn care, but I never liked doing it, but I doubt I could still shovel snow. Shoveling anything REALLY aggravates my lower back pain.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by wit-nit
Vehicle oil changes, $19.95 w/coupon, cheaper, cleaner, and quicker to let someone else do it for you.
I stopped changing oil too, when I discovered that the dealer only charges $29.95 which includes several other services. With the price of oil and filter, time spent doing the work and then driving back to the parts store to get rid of the old oil, it just isn't worth it. I still do some repairs though, on cars and other things. Most recently I did some welding on the riding mower to repair a broken pulley on the blade drive, and installed LED footwell lighting in one of the cars. The oil changes and brake jobs are about the only thing I pay for that I used to do myself.
Getting my nails done. I used to work in a salon back in the late 70's and was taught how to do manicures & pedicures. While I do my own pedicures most of the time (occasionally I splurge) I finally got tired of trying to keep my fingernails done with the deep ridges. It was becoming quite the chore and barely lasted a week. I started getting acrylics about 6 weeks ago and it's so nice not to have to worry about chips, polish peeling, etc.
I can't see my eyebrows well enough to pluck them so I get them done every few months.
Also get manicures and pedicures, I will train to maintain between visits but again, not my strong point.
I actually think I save more than the delivery fee by not making any impulse buys.
You might be on to something here. I'm pretty good at sticking to my list, but I won't deny I'll pick up an item or two that's not on the list.
We don't have that service here, and I don't know if I would use it. I actually enjoy going grocery shopping. I've done it since my partner and I have been together, 34 years now.
I pay for manicure, pedicure, waxing, hair color/cut, housecleaning, yard care, house repair, car wash/repair.
I do shop for my groceries and pump my own gas. I also buy many things online at Amazon.
I love to cook and enjoy big holiday meals. Last year at a gathering a woman introduced her companion as a woman she'd hired several years ago to help her with holiday cooking, they've now become friends. That idea stuck with me for the future when preparing holiday meals becomes too much I will hire someone to come in to help me so I can still have the holiday dinners at my home without too much fuss.
I can still do everything that I could do many years ago. But as someone else mentioned, it takes a bit longer now.
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