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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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I don't have anyone to help when I'm here. But apparently when I'm deployed for more than a week or two my wife hires someone to come over and provide some service. He's not cutting the grass or pulling weeks, so I'm not sure what he does.

My wife and I do all the work around our house. Years ago we hired someone to clean when the kids were young and we both had full schedules - but their quality of work was lacking and it wasn't worth the money. I'm sure there are people who would do a better job, but we decided to just keep doing it ourselves.

My kids are going to college but living at home, so their responsibilities include doing dishes, laundry, cleaning and cutting part of the yard.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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25 years in SoCal: nanny, Chinese tutor, gardener, house cleaner, pool guy, and dog walker/sitter as needed. Kids were 0-8. Nanny was hourly ($14-20 cash), tutor same, gardener $250/mo, pool guy $180/mo (2x a week), house cleaner $250 a week...dog sitter was the most expensive at about $100-120 per day (overnights).

Now Michigan: took a while to find the right help (previous owner of our house spent $18k just on gardening the year before we bought........).
1. I did the mowing (zero turn rider) first two years but no longer this year now that we have cleared and planted grass in adjacent lot (we are on two acres) have a service that does lawn for $60/per, and another service that does the fertilizing/weed control for $50 a visit (4x a year).
2. I spent all last summer tearing out railroad tie retaining wall + about 1000 SF of bluestone & installing a 300' retaining wall (blocks) & grading/installing 200+ yards of stone + slag & then 3500 SF of bluestone....that really, really sucked but bids were $100k and I did it for less than 30% of that.....but paying someone to do the mortar/tuck on the last 100' of capstone b/c I just can't/won't.
3. We took out about 20 trees, and paid pros to do that, but I'll take down the others as needed as grew up with a chainsaw & enjoy it. I spent a day last summer splitting firewood (rented splitter & had 100# maple logs.... won't do that again.
4. Pool guys here are ridiculous---$120 per visit. I use him maybe 2x a year if the pool gets away from me or if I'm traveling....and definitely once in fall when leaves just go nuts. He opens/closes the pool as well for about $600 total. I'm teaching the kids (10 & 12) to skim/vacuum the pool but the two pool vacs we have do 90% of the work.
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.
6. Sprinklers & lighting I maintain, but if it requires digging up a broken line we have a guy. He closes up the sprinkler lines for us each fall as well.
7. Koi pond I maintained last couple of years, aside from the 1x a year fall cleanout, but re-doing entire pond this summer & probably will have them do it as they are moving the skimmer/pump to a bottom well....and well life is too short.
8. Chinese tutor: 2x a week and that is about all that is the same with CA pricing..

My to-do list/fixes around the house is now down to about 4-5 hours each weekend, plus there is a full fall & spring weekend (winterizing + spring uncovering/mulching). Mulching we do on one weekend day---22 yards of mulch, 2 kids/wife & a $300 Home Depot tractor rental is 1/4 what the pro's want, and I get to drive the tractor all day. Fall I'll still do the leaf pickup---with quotes at $1k per visit....I bought a tow-behind leaf shredder for $3k when we moved here & its paid for itself about 4x over. That being said my summer to-do list is still about 30 items, with some joy-joy items like gutter clean-out & gutter guard install come September......

Midwest definitely has a MUCH higher maintenance rate than CA. Getting competent pros to show up is $$$$ here.....CA was much, much easier & cheaper.

I also try and do more here myself, as my wife has a tendency to go down the "while you are here" rabbit hole....

____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers
Last edited by: mopdahl: Jun 25, 19 14:38
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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My wife baby sits grandkids four days a week and I work about 60-65 hours per week. We do everything ourselves.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [SallyShortyPnts] [ In reply to ]
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SallyShortyPnts wrote:
A service mows the yard; other than that, nothing.

Wait, don't you have four young kids? Or am I confusing you with another poster?

If so... How in the hell do you manage that?

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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Just hired someone to clean the house every other week for $145, so we are happy having that done and we’ll worth the money. We used to have a service cut our 3+acres for $110 but didn’t really like their work so bought a zero turn and do it myself in around 3 hours. Good time away from the bs.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [edbikebabe] [ In reply to ]
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edbikebabe wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
edbikebabe wrote:
My kids go to school/daycare (couldn't be bothered to raise them myself).


They're probably better off without you anyways ;-).

Do you have any free time?

Yup. I do all the morning routine stuff, including getting the kids to daycare/school, then I drive directly to work. My husband picks them up. I get home, do dinner/empty lunch bags etc. After supper it's play with the kids/get them to bed. By 8ish they are all settled in and then I dog walk/clean/laundry/sit on my ass and watch tv.

Weekends are a mix of family/hobby/chores - no set schedule.

I work out a lot at lunch - so that helps free up time. I feel like I have down time now - the kids are 7 and almost 3, so life is getting "easier" all the time.

Interesting. We don't get much of a lunch hour, so, our working out happens in the wee hours around 4-5am which I think contributes to our exhaustion, as 9-10pm sneaks up on us really quickly and it's hard to get everything done in the evenings before then, and then get to bed at a reasonable time, hopefully enjoying a solid 5 minutes of reading or something before passing out.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [patentattorney] [ In reply to ]
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patentattorney wrote:
I currently am at the office from around 7:30-5PM each day. I work much less now than I used to.

Back when I was working longer hours, I would just work 6 days a week. (I in NO way advocate for this lifestyle)

Prosescution or IP lit?

Me - single, live alone. I have someone come do a deep clean about once a month. The owners of the townhouse that's a VRBO (we have 2 separate buildings of 2 units) own a landscaping service so their guys mow the yard. I also have a meal service deliver meals (deliver them to work). Do the personal trainer and the personal Pilates instructor dude count?

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [Dan Os Fan] [ In reply to ]
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Dan Os Fan wrote:
Just hired someone to clean the house every other week for $145, so we are happy having that done and we’ll worth the money. We used to have a service cut our 3+acres for $110 but didn’t really like their work so bought a zero turn and do it myself in around 3 hours. Good time away from the bs.

I liked doing it for a while....zero turns are fast + a blast.....but it was the other stuff that accompany it that became a PITA. Weed whacking. Replacing the line on said weed whacker. Rebuilding the fuel unit on said weed whacker (I'm cheap & using a commercial Echo I bought 20 years ago for the annual fire clearance on our back hills in CA). Maintenance on mower. Sharpening mower blades (clearing the side acre = weekly sharpenings due to stick factor). Getting gas.....seriously I don't think the mower service is good at math b/c I was spending about 1/3 of what I'm paying them now in gas/maintenance monthly....and unlike the slow mowers of old, you have to kind of watch where you are going with a 60" Exmark.... Maybe when the kids are a couple years older I'll set them loose on it, but not at 10/12.

____________
"There are two novels that can change a bookish fourteen-year old's life: The Lord of the Rings and Atlas Shrugged. One is a childish fantasy that often engenders a lifelong obsession with its unbelievable heroes, leading to an emotionally stunted, socially crippled adulthood, unable to deal with the real world. The other, of course, involves orcs." John Rogers
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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Daycare for the kiddo, otherwise it's all the wife and I. That'll change once my wife finds a new job, she currently has half-days on Tuesday and Friday's completely off and is able to run errands/do some cleaning during that time. Once we're both full time there just won't be enough time to get the cleaning/errands done on weekends.

We do get 3 dinners a week delivered (just $38 a week, for the convenience and good meals it's worth it). But we'll also get a cleaning service and possibly lawn care. I'm out of the house from 7:45am to 7pm, my wife from 7:45 to 5 or 5:30pm, and taking care of a baby on top of everything else is downright unmanageable as it is, even with the time off she gets.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [mopdahl] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.

Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.

clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [ironclm] [ In reply to ]
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ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.

Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.

How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
Interesting. We don't get much of a lunch hour, so, our working out happens in the wee hours around 4-5am which I think contributes to our exhaustion, as 9-10pm sneaks up on us really quickly and it's hard to get everything done in the evenings before then, and then get to bed at a reasonable time, hopefully enjoying a solid 5 minutes of reading or something before passing out.

My husband leaves the house by 5am for work (and is in bed by 8/8:30pm). The only workout I'm willing to do that early is swim (which I can't do because kids). I run or bike at lunch - helps that my boss does triathlons and trains all the time at lunch. My time isn't micromanaged either, so as long as I get my work done he doesn't care if I take extra time at lunch. In the winter I ride the trainer after the boys go to bed.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [mopdahl] [ In reply to ]
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Yeah, 54 inch John Deere, that I don’t really trust the wife to use without driving over a flower bed or the septic system pipes, so I haven’t pushed her to learn how to use it. I do like having it to take water down to the garden by the road or pick up fallen branches away from the house to clean up.

The weed whacking was the reason I had the service do it but when a neighbor offered his year old mower for 40% off purchase price, we couldn’t resist. And yes, ran out of string half way around the garden fence the other evening so there is still 75 feet of fence line that needs trimming...
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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A cleaning lady that comes every other week.

That’s about it. Also Various service people as required to do jobs that I either don’t want to do or are above my skill set.

Looking for someone to replace tiles in our bathroom (above skill set) and someone to replace a ripped screen for me (I dont want to).

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.

Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.

How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.

Ours is $100 per visit as well. 4 hours work.

Maybe you should move.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.


Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.


How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.


Ours is $100 per visit as well. 4 hours work.

Maybe you should move.

But then I'd have to live somewhere else...

Do you use a pro service or random independent person?

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
BCtriguy1 wrote:
BLeP wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.


Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.


How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.


Ours is $100 per visit as well. 4 hours work.

Maybe you should move.

But then I'd have to live somewhere else...

Do you use a pro service or random independent person?

Independent. Not random, recommended.

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [rick_pcfl] [ In reply to ]
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rick_pcfl wrote:
I don't have anyone to help when I'm here. But apparently when I'm deployed for more than a week or two my wife hires someone to come over and provide some service. He's not cutting the grass or pulling weeks, so I'm not sure what he does.
.

He provides services alright
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [Brownie28] [ In reply to ]
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Brownie28 wrote:
Daycare for the kiddo, otherwise it's all the wife and I. That'll change once my wife finds a new job, she currently has half-days on Tuesday and Friday's completely off and is able to run errands/do some cleaning during that time. Once we're both full time there just won't be enough time to get the cleaning/errands done on weekends.

We do get 3 dinners a week delivered (just $38 a week, for the convenience and good meals it's worth it). But we'll also get a cleaning service and possibly lawn care. I'm out of the house from 7:45am to 7pm, my wife from 7:45 to 5 or 5:30pm, and taking care of a baby on top of everything else is downright unmanageable as it is, even with the time off she gets.

What's the dinner company?
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP wrote:
A cleaning lady that comes every other week.

That’s about it. Also Various service people as required to do jobs that I either don’t want to do or are above my skill set.

Looking for someone to replace tiles in our bathroom (above skill set) and someone to replace a ripped screen for me (I dont want to).

I can recommend a great tile guy. Travel cost might be steep...

Replacement screens are pretty cheap. Around here a patio door screen will be replaced for $75ish. So, around $40 Toronto Dollars.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.

Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.

How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.

You need to find a good Polish cleaning lady because that is bullshit
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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Cleaning lady comes every other week

Landscaping service once a week in season.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BCtriguy1] [ In reply to ]
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BCtriguy1 wrote:
BLeP wrote:
A cleaning lady that comes every other week.

That’s about it. Also Various service people as required to do jobs that I either don’t want to do or are above my skill set.

Looking for someone to replace tiles in our bathroom (above skill set) and someone to replace a ripped screen for me (I dont want to).

I can recommend a great tile guy. Travel cost might be steep...

Replacement screens are pretty cheap. Around here a patio door screen will be replaced for $75ish. So, around $40 Toronto Dollars.

Upstairs bedroom window. A raccoon was trying to get in. Did you know that those fuckers could climb brick walls? WTF is that?

How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [windywave] [ In reply to ]
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windywave wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
ironclm wrote:
Quote:
5. House cleaner here is $300 per visit.


Damn!! I pay $100 per visit.


How is that even possible.
We have gotten quotes for $250-400/visit for our house. It is 1200 sq ft. We have one bathroom.

Our downstairs 800sq ft suite costs us almost $200 if we use a professional service. Around half that if we use an independent random off Craigslist.


You need to find a good Polish cleaning lady because that is bullshit

Unfortunately, most of the Polish immigrants in our area, like my mother, are around that age and retired. In the 70's-80's there was a huge wave of Italians, Poles, Greeks and Portuguese that showed up in Western Canada. Most of the newer, younger immigrants are Asian and more wealthy than the locals.

Long Chile was a silly place.
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Re: How much help do you have around the house? [BLeP] [ In reply to ]
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BLeP wrote:
BCtriguy1 wrote:
BLeP wrote:
A cleaning lady that comes every other week.

That’s about it. Also Various service people as required to do jobs that I either don’t want to do or are above my skill set.

Looking for someone to replace tiles in our bathroom (above skill set) and someone to replace a ripped screen for me (I dont want to).


I can recommend a great tile guy. Travel cost might be steep...

Replacement screens are pretty cheap. Around here a patio door screen will be replaced for $75ish. So, around $40 Toronto Dollars.


Upstairs bedroom window. A raccoon was trying to get in. Did you know that those fuckers could climb brick walls? WTF is that?

My dog cornered a big ass raccoon in the yard the other night. The sounds that raccoon was making were terrifying. It sounded like an angry python hissing. I'm glad the dog had enough sense to not attack. Despite her being a 75 lbs german shepherd/husky cross, I would put my money on the racoon!

Long Chile was a silly place.
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