Today is Black Friday.
The biggest consumer purchasing day of the year. People stand in line for hours (sometimes days) to get the biggest deal at major retailers. Other people flood amazon.com and other websites to get additional deals.
It is consumerism at its finest.This is not a blog post lamenting the evils of consumerism. I think consumerism is necessary.
I wanted to touch on a different way to spend your money. Spending your money to save time.
Time is the one resource we will never get back. Even those of us that realize this don't fully appreciate the magnitude of wisdom behind it. I believe people should be frugal with their time, not their money.
We live in a world where it is easy to free up your time. Everyday task you waste hours every week doing yourself can be outsourced for cheaper than you think.
Grocery Shopping
If you are a busy person there is no reason to be doing your own grocery shopping. It may seem strange to have someone else shop for you, but get over it. Websites like taskrabbit.com or wegoshop.com will shop for you and drop the items off at your door.
Many grocery stores now offer curbside pick up. You can order online and schedule a pick up time at the store. They bring your groceries right out to your car and charge only $5 an order.
Cooking
Even if you are single you spend a lot of time cooking or eating out. Food preparation takes time. And eating pop tarts and ramen gets old for everyone.
People have a hard time justifying spending money on a personal chef. But it is not that expensive. Websites like thumbtack.com can set you up with a local chef in your area who will deliver meal right to your house. Most meals will be about $20 depending on the chef and specifications you have.
The average person spends 10-12 hours cooking a week. How much is that time worth to you?
Laundry
Nobody likes laundry.
Sure, putting clothes washer and dryer is simple. But folding? No thanks.
Most people never realize they can outsource their laundry. You can try websites like angieslist.com or just google laundry in your area. Normally you will pay by the pound of clothes. Expect to pay about $50 a month depending on how much dirty clothes you have. You bring them your clothes in a massive pile and they return them clean and folded.
Trust me on this one. Try it once. You will never go back to doing your own laundry.
Cleaning
It may seem pretentious, but having a maid was one of the smartest moves I’ve ever made. I’m a clean person, but there is no way I’m going to take the time to dust, scrub the floor, and complete the other task to have a spotless house.
Hire a maid. Have them come once a week. It will only cost you $100 a week, but your quality of life will improve greatly.
Not everyone can afford to outsource every part of their life. But if you are at a point in your life where you are making good money you need to consider it. Your time is too valuable spending it on task you don’t enjoy.
Instead of buying a TV you don’t need or a clothes you won’t wear. Spend your money to save your time.