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TheRightMedication

TheRightMedication

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I have a dilemma. I do my best to hire services to maximize my time. As a nickel-squeezing Scottsman, this has been an area of extremely painful but productive personal growth.

Landscapers, however, charge about what I take home in a day to do a day's work. Even for basic hedge trimming and tidying up.

When you add the 30 percent the government would take if I earn income to pay them, I do believe I'm better off spending the day in my yard and not the clinic.

I'm curious if anyone else has this dilemma or any wisdom on how to address it.
 
You aren't multiple people, so it's very much an apple to multiple apples comparison. In terms of how to fix this for you personally, I recommend a yard redesign with significantly lower maintenance plants. Cause if they're charging you $1000 (average net psychiatrist salary) for basic yard maintenance in a given day, your yard is well, something next to an English castle.
 
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comp1 said:
You aren't multiple people, so it's very much an apple to multiple apples comparison. In terms of how to fix this for you personally, I recommend a yard redesign with significantly lower maintenance plants. Cause if they're charging you $1500 (average gross psychiatrist salary) for basic yard maintenance in a given day, your yard is well, something next to an English castle.
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No kidding. I pay $400 per month which covers one day of yardwork per week, so $100 per week.
 
You need a new lawn service. I get lawn mowing, basic trimming, and cleanup for $200/month. Though, I think they're bumping to $250/month this year. Only like .75 acre, though. I do most of my general landscaping stuff, but mostly because I like being outside doing it + gardening.
 
I had a house that I sold, when I was in Blue Country - dream home type - once in a life time type - place I thought I was going to die at.
$540/month and that was the cheapest I could get with 'just good enough.'
To be done well, would have been ~$1000/month. Just to do another new application of bark dust in beds ~17k. 1acre plus of lush grass. 18+ sprinkler zones, 4 hour cycle.
The manicured foot print for that home was just too much.
The amount of time I was spending on a manicured landscape just irked me.
If I'm going to bust my rear outside, I want it to yield more than just 'beauty' I want a pig, chickens, cow, goat, something I can harvest.
Sort of a blessing, the blue state politics ran us out, at least when looking through the lens of landscape costs.
Once I get locked into acreage and start building up a ranch, the house foot print will be minimal. The pastures maximal.

Now I get to lament the price of tractor implements, costs of haying equipment new vs old, even looking at antiquated pull type harvesters for various grains to produce my own animal feed. Chicken butchering building, with assembly line, on small scale, etc. But any day I'd rather dump money into these things than .... landscaping.
 
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Yeah, 1 acre of lawn is English castle size. I could see that and its surroundings being $1k a month. It also shouldn't exist...that is 43,000 square feet. That should be a city park.
 
1) Change your landscaping. Maybe add flower bed, switch to a clover lawn.

2) Find some kid to do it for you. Offer to buy him/her a lawnmower, so he can start doing it for money elsewhere.

3) Or, if you're AWESOME: Make your entire lawn a hedge maze, in the shape of a famous rat experiment. Say it is a cognitive test, and charge insurance for it.
 
My property is very small but dense with bushes to trim which I think drives up the cost.

The quotes I get are about 1000 for maintenance work from reputable companies. I can do much lower from more informal contractors but that hasn't given me good results.

My neighborhood is full of wealthy, elderly people - perhaps this impacts the market.

Well, my takeaway is that I can do much better on pricing. Thank you all for the frame of reference.
 
PsyDr said:
1) Change your landscaping. Maybe add flower bed, switch to a clover lawn.

2) Find some kid to do it for you. Offer to buy him/her a lawnmower, so he can start doing it for money elsewhere.

3) Or, if you're AWESOME: Make your entire lawn a hedge maze, in the shape of a famous rat experiment. Say it is a cognitive test, and charge insurance for it.
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1. Can't do clover, my kids are young enough that all the bee stings would be sad - maybe when they're teenagers.

2. I have a hard time finding kids who want to work but I like the idea of starting them off with a little capital.

3. Yards to small otherwise I'd be proposing this to my spouse tonight. Or maybe surprising them.
 
I recommend asking any friends you have in the area. We moved into a new home in the past year and their current cleaning lady was asking $250 per clean every 2 weeks. Asked our neighbors and got someone to do it at $120 (she does a great job, 4 hours of non-stop work).

Same thing with lawns, one of our neighbors pays almost 2x what we pay and our lots are virtually identical in size.
 
Merovinge said:
I recommend asking any friends you have in the area. We moved into a new home in the past year and their current cleaning lady was asking $250 per clean every 2 weeks. Asked our neighbors and got someone to do it at $120 (she does a great job, 4 hours of non-stop work).

Same thing with lawns, one of our neighbors pays almost 2x what we pay and our lots are virtually identical in size.
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120 for a good housecleaning is quite low, I joyfully pay my lady just under 300. She does deep cleaning of various items every time though so that's a bit exceptional.

I will consider asking neighbors as advised, I've avoided that as the crews I see do not look cheap but it can't hurt.
 
TheRightMedication said:
1. Can't do clover, my kids are young enough that all the bee stings would be sad - maybe when they're teenagers.

2. I have a hard time finding kids who want to work but I like the idea of starting them off with a little capital.

3. Yards to small otherwise I'd be proposing this to my spouse tonight. Or maybe surprising them.
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1) Why are your kids hanging out in your office's lawn? Are you treating people at your house?
3) Come on... Tell the family its a movie night, show them The Rats Of NIMH to butter them up, then tell them the idea.
 
BTW, there seems to be a good chance a number of workers who do stuff in and around your house as part of their day laborer/itinerant job (landscape, paint, roofing, construction, food delivery, etc.) have been psychiatrically hospitalized, have substance issues, and/or a criminal background. I once had a patient go back to one such job after posting bail for murder.

So, it's no different from the asylum days of old where patients worked in and around the psychiatrist's house and grounds, except it's not free now.
 
TheRightMedication said:
I have a dilemma. I do my best to hire services to maximize my time. As a nickel-squeezing Scottsman, this has been an area of extremely painful but productive personal growth.

Landscapers, however, charge about what I take home in a day to do a day's work. Even for basic hedge trimming and tidying up.

When you add the 30 percent the government would take if I earn income to pay them, I do believe I'm better off spending the day in my yard and not the clinic.

I'm curious if anyone else has this dilemma or any wisdom on how to address it.
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Isn't a relevant variable in this decision whether you LIKE working in your yard?
 
Celexa said:
Isn't a relevant variable in this decision whether you LIKE working in your yard?
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True. I don't particularly like it, nor do I dislike it. But I like efficiency, and efficiency is the core of my dilemma.
 
TheRightMedication said:
I would consider paying a psychiatrist his or her hourly rate to do some yard work to spite the contractors. Course, that could be my own self.
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I’d rather mow a lawn and trim some hedges than deal with drug seekers and treatment resistant depression. Maybe I should start a landscaping company 🤔
 
Merovinge said:
I recommend asking any friends you have in the area. We moved into a new home in the past year and their current cleaning lady was asking $250 per clean every 2 weeks. Asked our neighbors and got someone to do it at $120 (she does a great job, 4 hours of non-stop work).

Same thing with lawns, one of our neighbors pays almost 2x what we pay and our lots are virtually identical in size.
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I have a cleaner, and was found similarly through a friend in the area and she charges $100 for a three bedroom (1 bedroom really doesn't need clearning) every 3 weeks. So $125 is what I pay her figure in tip since its just her no company or anything. She does a great job.
 
It should not take a whole day to mow a lawn and trim some hedges in a regular size yard….buy a hedge trimmer for 100-200 and hell use a push mower and get some extra exercise in the sun.
 
calvnandhobbs68 said:
It should not take a whole day to mow a lawn and trim some hedges in a regular size yard….buy a hedge trimmer for 100-200 and hell use a push mower and get some extra exercise in the sun.
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A defense: I have a very textured little property - stone walls to weed and repair, tons of trees and bushes, rose bushes which I despise but respect and won't take out, and steep hills and other interesting features that make it all especially challenging. All of it done around the inconvenient gardens and decorations my spouse has placed, which I despise but respect and won't take out.

The grass is a minor part, I have a few patches of maybe 100 sq feet for which I do use a reel mower.

One of my larger bushes overhangs a steep hill. I have yet to find a good ladder position for half of it and everyone I've tried to hire either says they aren't doing it, or just ignores it and doesn't do it.

Not uncommon in my region, by the way. I have memories as a boy of basically repelling down hills tree by tree, lowering a 2 cycle mower as I go.

Maybe I should move.
 
TheRightMedication said:
A defense: I have a very textured little property - stone walls to weed and repair, tons of trees and bushes, rose bushes which I despise but respect and won't take out, and steep hills and other interesting features that make it all especially challenging. All of it done around the inconvenient gardens and decorations my spouse has placed, which I despise but respect and won't take out.

The grass is a minor part, I have a few patches of maybe 100 sq feet for which I do use a reel mower.

One of my larger bushes overhangs a steep hill. I have yet to find a good ladder position for half of it and everyone I've tried to hire either says they aren't doing it, or just ignores it and doesn't do it.

Not uncommon in my region, by the way. I have memories as a boy of basically repelling down hills tree by tree, lowering a 2 cycle mower as I go.

Maybe I should move.
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We bought a home with 1 tree on the whole lot and a few shrubs, 1 set of rose bushes. Absolutely love less vegetation and very low maintenance yard setup. I live very close to parks, river trails, and a botanical garden if I want that part of nature, I do not need it in my backyard.
 
Sushirolls said:
I had a house that I sold, when I was in Blue Country - dream home type - once in a life time type - place I thought I was going to die at.
$540/month and that was the cheapest I could get with 'just good enough.'
To be done well, would have been ~$1000/month. Just to do another new application of bark dust in beds ~17k. 1acre plus of lush grass. 18+ sprinkler zones, 4 hour cycle.
The manicured foot print for that home was just too much.
The amount of time I was spending on a manicured landscape just irked me.
If I'm going to bust my rear outside, I want it to yield more than just 'beauty' I want a pig, chickens, cow, goat, something I can harvest.
Sort of a blessing, the blue state politics ran us out, at least when looking through the lens of landscape costs.
Once I get locked into acreage and start building up a ranch, the house foot print will be minimal. The pastures maximal.

Now I get to lament the price of tractor implements, costs of haying equipment new vs old, even looking at antiquated pull type harvesters for various grains to produce my own animal feed. Chicken butchering building, with assembly line, on small scale, etc. But any day I'd rather dump money into these things than .... landscaping.
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I have never lamented the cost of tractor implements. I have only lamented my wife's reaction.
 
I pay $80/month for them to cut my grass twice. House is on small land (0.2 acre).

You guys have big house and yard.
 
Merovinge said:
I recommend asking any friends you have in the area. We moved into a new home in the past year and their current cleaning lady was asking $250 per clean every 2 weeks. Asked our neighbors and got someone to do it at $120 (she does a great job, 4 hours of non-stop work).

Same thing with lawns, one of our neighbors pays almost 2x what we pay and our lots are virtually identical in size.
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I don't know how big is your home, but $120 to clean a house of 2000+ sqft is not fair market rate. I don't think anyone should exploit the misfortune of others.
 
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I have an acre of land and no grass. It is all forested and the only thing I have to do is clean up the leaf debris a few times a year. I bought this property because I am kind of anti-lawn as they tend to be very negative on the environmentally friendly scale.
 
Splenda88 said:
I don't know how big is your home, but $120 to clean a house of 2000+ sqft is not fair market rate. I don't think anyone should exploit the misfortune of others.
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$30/hour is exploiting someone to clean a home? She's free to charge more if the market supports it.
 
Splenda88 said:
I don't know how big is your home, but $120 to clean a house of 2000+ sqft is not fair market rate. I don't think anyone should exploit the misfortune of others.
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I'm not sure where you live, but around me making $30/hour is a very solid go for someone without any training/credentials. I do not live in Manhattan or Cali, here $30/hour is a very livable wage. We provide all the cleaning supplies and equipment, she provides the labor. Beyond all that, she is the one who set the rate, we didn't bargain with her at all. Honestly, it's pretty messed up that you feel this is exploitation of others, I spend my days seeing what real exploitation of other's looks like and it's certainly not paying someone a living wage that they asked for...
 
Merovinge said:
I'm not sure where you live, but around me making $30/hour is a very solid go for someone without any training/credentials. I do not live in Manhattan or Cali, here $30/hour is a very livable wage. We provide all the cleaning supplies and equipment, she provides the labor. Beyond all that, she is the one who set the rate, we didn't bargain with her at all. Honestly, it's pretty messed up that you feel this is exploitation of others, I spend my days seeing what real exploitation of other's looks like and it's certainly not paying someone a living wage that they asked for...
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I live in a LCOL area. Good that you are saving a few bucks, but I won't pay anyone < $50/hr to clean my place. $30/hr is not the market rate almost anywhere in the US. Will not engage any further in this discussion.
 
Splenda88 said:
I live in a LCOL area. Good that you are saving a few bucks, but I won't pay anyone < $50/hr to clean my place. $30/hr is not the market rate almost anywhere in the US. Will not engage any further in this discussion.
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We got several names and figures around here when we bought our home, all around that figure. If you want to pay someone more, go nuts. But 30/hr is pretty good for unskilled labor.
 
R. Matey said:
Do this if you want to give your children nightmares. The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a far better family film.
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I thought bringing up a rat maze would be easiest following a movie named after the National Institute of Mental Health.
 
PsyDr said:
I thought bringing up a rat maze would be easiest following a movie named after the National Institute of Mental Health.
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Fair enough, I just don't know what target audience Don Bluth what shooting for. We're finding that those old 80s flicks did not age well.

Edit: apologies for the thread hijack. We watched this one recently and I couldn't let go. I mow my lawn and my wife would rather eat a 22oz steak off the side of the road than let anyone (including me) near her garden.
 
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It's a light hearted thread, no worries, hijack away.

Since I'm posting I might as well comment that 30 bucks an hour for cleaning is low but it's a far cry from exploitation. Not so long ago I made 5 bucks an hour stocking shelves. I charged a man 15 whole dollars an hour to dig a footer for his retaining wall and thought I was a negotiation genius.

Don't we make about 30 bucks an hour during residency?

Update - Ziprecruiter says 26 an hour.
 
Splenda88 said:
I live in a LCOL area. Good that you are saving a few bucks, but I won't pay anyone < $50/hr to clean my place. $30/hr is not the market rate almost anywhere in the US. Will not engage any further in this discussion.
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With regular clients, that is $60,000/year at $30/hr. Clients that pay in cash probably leads to under-report income and paying lower taxes. Most college graduates near me aren’t earning $60k.

That said I would be willing to pay more to convince my spouse to get regular help. Someone entering our home regularly is a sticking point sadly.
 
TheRightMedication said:
It's a light hearted thread, no worries, hijack away.

Since I'm posting I might as well comment that 30 bucks an hour for cleaning is low but it's a far cry from exploitation. Not so long ago I made 5 bucks an hour stocking shelves. I charged a man 15 whole dollars an hour to dig a footer for his retaining wall and thought I was a negotiation genius.

Don't we make about 30 bucks an hour during residency?

Update - Ziprecruiter says 26 an hour.
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Agree, average EMT pay in the US is <$20/hr and when I was an EMT (circa 2010ish) I made less than $10/hr.

A psych resident working 50hr/wk and making $60k/yr is making $25/hr.

$30/hr to clean a house when everything is supplied to you is not exploitation. I feel like some people on this site either have bizarre perspectives or live on a completely different planet than most of us...

To the original question, my wife does all the gardening and I just bought a ride-on mower to cut the grass. At least all the COVID era plant-mom energy has been focused into something more tolerable for me, lol.
 
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TexasPhysician said:
With regular clients, that is $60,000/year at $30/hr. Clients that pay in cash probably leads to under-report income and paying lower taxes. Most college graduates near me aren’t earning $60k.

That said I would be willing to pay more to convince my spouse to get regular help. Someone entering our home regularly is a sticking point sadly.
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We don't know if these people have regular clients. This is speculation. These people usually have something on their background that prevent from getting a regular job. It's amazing a bunch of rich doctors are taking advantage of their situation. I am really getting upset discussing this.
 
Splenda88 said:
We don't know if these people have regular clients. This is speculation. These people usually have something on their background that prevent from getting a regular job. It's amazing a bunch of rich doctors are taking advantage of their situation. I am really getting upset discussing this.
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Not agreeing or disagreeing with you. But is there a certain hourly rate that you feel would change the whole "taking advantage" dynamic?
 
jbomba said:
Not agreeing or disagreeing with you. But is there a certain hourly rate that you feel would change the whole "taking advantage" dynamic?
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especially weird, they're saying $50/hour? But at the same time also saying $40 / lawn mow (they said $80/month for two mows). I think they just don't understand money or have really weird expectations for paying people to clean a house but not a yard?
 
Splenda88 said:
We don't know if these people have regular clients. This is speculation. These people usually have something on their background that prevent from getting a regular job. It's amazing a bunch of rich doctors are taking advantage of their situation. I am really getting upset discussing this.
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The presumption that people who earn a living cleaning houses must all be felons or illegals is quite insulting and frankly prejudiced.

I have several family friends who are self-employed house cleaners (by choice, none of them have anything on their background that would prevent them from pursuing other paths), and they tend to drive nicer cars and splurge on designer clothing I as a "rich doctor" cannot yet afford.
 
Stagg737 said:
$30/hr to clean a house when everything is supplied to you is not exploitation. I feel like some people on this site either have bizarre perspectives or live on a completely different planet than most of us...
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It's socialism. A cancer that is spreading in the country. Eating at the vibrant heart of American freedoms and capitalism.
 
ObsequiousAplomb said:
especially weird, they're saying $50/hour? But at the same time also saying $40 / lawn mow (they said $80/month for two mows). I think they just don't understand money or have really weird expectations for paying people to clean a house but not a yard?
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It takes 15-20 minutes to mow my lawn.
 
Splenda88 said:
We don't know if these people have regular clients. This is speculation. These people usually have something on their background that prevent from getting a regular job. It's amazing a bunch of rich doctors are taking advantage of their situation. I am really getting upset discussing this.
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You’re trolling right…
 
Splenda88 said:
I live in a LCOL area. Good that you are saving a few bucks, but I won't pay anyone < $50/hr to clean my place. $30/hr is not the market rate almost anywhere in the US. Will not engage any further in this discussion.
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Utter nonsense. I've lived in 3 different places where we had people clean our house. None of them asked for over $30/hour. LPNs aren't getting that much where I am. I didn't break that hourly pay until I was an attending physician.
 
VA Hopeful Dr said:
Utter nonsense. I've lived in 3 different places where we had people clean our house. None of them asked for over $30/hour. LPNs aren't getting that much where I am. I didn't break that hourly pay until I was an attending physician.
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Thinking about it, you might be right. I was making $35-36/hr as a RN in 2014. Yeah, $30-40/hr might be a fair wage.
 
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