When I was fifteen years old, my first job was landscaping for an elderly couple. It was a difficult yard, with low tree branches and a deep ditch that made mowing and weeding particularly rough. It took 3 hours and paid $20 an hour. My dad would drive me, because I didn’t have a license, nearly half an hour each way. Looking back, it probably drove him nuts. At the same time, it was almost more community service than job–both the husband and wife had trouble walking, and I seem to remember at least one prosthetic limb.
That said, I hated the job. Hard work aside, I was allergic to something in their yard and would sneeze my way through the hours. They also had me use an electric weedeater that only worked if it was plugged in. Maneuvering the chord so it could reach far enough around the yard meant unplugging and replugging into every outlet available around the house. In case you were wondering, there were five.
Once I was even attacked by a wild peacock while weeding in the backyard. Yes, you read that right–the neighborhood had wild peacocks. They were absolutely beautiful birds, but they could also be surly, honky, and territorial. Coming out of the brambles, it sounded like a feral tricycle complete with horn attachment was upon you.
Today, you won’t find me landscaping. While many of my good friends and clients find joy and relaxation in the wonders of gardening and landscaping, I do not. And it is not about the effort–you will find me pushing my physical limits and looking like I came out of a swimming pool from sweaty workouts on a regular basis. I simply don’t like landscaping.
Fortunately, I can pay someone to do it for me. And oh, that money is so incredibly well spent.
This is also where a large number of conversations land with clients. Many of our clients are hardworking, successful people. They have often saved well, built burgeoning businesses, and raised wonderful families. They are used to putting on their metaphorical (or literal) boots and doing the hard things in life–even if they don’t feel like it.
Yet somewhere along the way, they crossed over an invisible line. They stepped past the threshold where theyhadto keep doing many of the things they disliked. They had accumulated enough wealth to choose their own adventure.
One of my all-time favorite things to do is show clients that they don’t have to do the things they dislike anymore. They have earned the right to outsource.
Landscaping is only the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes I convince clients they can redo the old kitchen they’ve had for twenty years that is tight and keeps them from interacting with friends and family. I have convinced someone to buy a new car that has heated seats. I cajoled someone to take the whole family on a vacation to Europe instead of settling on a little outing to the classic camp site they would always come back complaining about. I showed a man (who was 6 and a half feet tall) that he could fly first class instead of coach every planned flight for the rest of his life and it wouldn’t affect his financial plan.
And sometimes it isn’t a glamorous event, but the joy or relief is immense. Like the client I urged to hire help for her aging mother. She was convinced that only she could do those things for her mom, but looking back it was probably one of the best decisions she ever made. It likely saved her physical and mental health, her marriage, and possibly even her mother’s life a couple times. Originally she couldn’t justify the expense in her own mind, but today she would affirm that it has been worth every penny.
We personally did something similar in our own lives: our daughter Belle is one of the most medically complex children I know, with all kinds of issues and special circumstances thanks to her Phelan McDermid Syndrome. Hiring someone to help care for her has been a fantastic decision for everyone involved. It has taken some of the strain off of Brooke when we already juggle constant g-tube feedings and medication schedules.
Looking over all my clients and where they increased the joy in their life the most from spending, hiring service ranks near the top of the list.That service takes all sorts of shapes and sizes. It could be hiring an executive assistant at work to free you up from all the clutter that distracts you from the key elements of your business. It might be hiring someone for property management for your rentals, paying for a business coach or program to take you to the next level, or paying for golf lessons to finally get good enough to enjoy swinging a club with your friends.
I hired my brother in law (who is anexcellentelectrician–let me know if you need his number) to install a heater in our garage so when winter hits the PNW, Brooke and I can still work out without being chilled to the bone. Had I done it myself, it would have been a dinky little space heater. Instead, we wound up with a professionally crafted electrical piece of art that saved space, took hardly any of my time, will last forever, and heats the whole space in a couple minutes.
Now, I don’t think you should always do this. Even people with means should still keep doing some things themselves. Here is how I think about it:
If something is easy, low stakes, or brings you joy, you should probably keep doing it.
If you believe the task helps you become or remain the person you want to be, keep doing it.
If you dislike doing something and it costs less than what your time is worth, strongly consider paying for the service.
If you aren’t good at something, keep in mind that your end-product may take longer and still be worse than if you had a service or person with a specialty take care of it for you.
I grew up watching my dad as the quintessential Do-It-Yourself-er. He fixed his own cars, built his own house (mostly), fixed the washer, rejiggered the refrigerator, and in general disliked paying anybody to do anything he could do himself. Dozens of times he would come from the garage, swearing and sweaty and frustrated that something wasn’t “working the way it was supposed to!”
Today, Brooke and my entire family frequently tell me I’m not a handy person. They claim I take forever to put furniture together, don’t know the difference between a flathead and a Phillips screwdriver, and in general suggest I am mechanically disinclined.
Of course, the high achieving, argumentative, “prove ‘em wrong” part of my personality bubbles. But the calmer, more reasonable side of me lets the good-natured jabs bounce off, smiles, and allows someone else to do it instead.
I don’t mean to suggest being self-sufficient is in any way wrong, either. For my dad, doing things himself was about taking care of his family, doing things properly, and being proud of his stubborn work ethic. It was (and continues to be) the expression of who he is. There are things I choose to retain and keep doing myself for those same reasons.
I have also met people who outsource things when they shouldn’t. Like high powered business owners who outsourced parenting to nannies. Or retirees who outsourced every physical task only to discover that comfort can quietly erode independence. Use it or lose it.
Some things should remain ours, even if we could pay someone else to do them.
I would rather pick my battles, be world class at a handful of things, and allow others to shine in the places where I don’t.
Thank goodness our clients generally feel the same way–it’s frankly what keeps us in business.
If you have something in your life that you want to consider outsourcing–whether that’s a service, a project, or simply a daily source of frustration–we can help you evaluate it within the context of your financial plan.
After all, sometimes the best use of money isn’t growing it. Sometimes the best use of money is getting a piece of your life back.
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