Trading money for free time

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With the current market many of us can basically work as much as we want (and make more). My main goal is to have as much free time as possible, but enjoy my work overall. In theory, one could work more and use this money to cover tasks which they don't enjoy.

Here are ways I can think of to trade money for time (I do very few of these, just starting a list)
Paying for interior cleaning, laundry, etc
Hire home chef or pay for prepared meals
Yard service, snow service
Childcare (daycare, nanny). There are probably more but I don't have kids so can't think of anything else.
Personal assistant

How have you guys traded money for more free time. What services would you recommend?

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With the current market many of us can basically work as much as we want (and make more). My main goal is to have as much free time as possible, but enjoy my work overall. In theory, one could work more and use this money to cover tasks which they don't enjoy.

Here are ways I can think of to trade money for time (I do very few of these, just starting a list)
Paying for interior cleaning, laundry, etc
Hire home chef or pay for prepared meals
Yard service, snow service
Childcare (daycare, nanny). There are probably more but I don't have kids so can't think of anything else.
Personal assistant

How have you guys traded money for more free time. What services would you recommend?

I have really enjoyed mowing my lawn. 61" SCAG zero turn mower, some headphones and ear covers, and 2.5-3hrs and I was a happy camper mowing about 3.5-4 acres. That is, unless it's pouring rain on my post-call day or the Saturday when I was planning to mow, or something comes up that throws off my planned day, because then I have to mow after work, often splitting it into 2 days.

Then my mower broke and was in the shop for 5 weeks so the guy who mows all the neighbor's lawns mowed for me during that time. Having 2.5-3hrs of my life back every week was too good. I told him to keep mowing and sold my mower for $3200 (I had bought it for $2800 and put about 80 hours on it myself). I still do all the other yard work and I enjoy it, but those are more inconsistent and less overall work.

My wife hires someone to come help with some of the deep cleaning once or twice a month. It's phenomenal.
 
With the current market many of us can basically work as much as we want (and make more). My main goal is to have as much free time as possible, but enjoy my work overall. In theory, one could work more and use this money to cover tasks which they don't enjoy.

Here are ways I can think of to trade money for time (I do very few of these, just starting a list)
Paying for interior cleaning, laundry, etc
Hire home chef or pay for prepared meals
Yard service, snow service
Childcare (daycare, nanny). There are probably more but I don't have kids so can't think of anything else.
Personal assistant

How have you guys traded money for more free time. What services would you recommend?
I think you are approaching the wrong way. Or maybe ur ideology is different with no kids currently.

If you have no kids. And you are young. You should be hustling in this market till you reach a point where the money you make begins to work for you.

As for trading money for time. That’s where these compressed 20-30 weeks off (with average working hours of 40-45 hrs a week) jobs paying 450/500k are popping up everywhere. 6-7 (24 hr calls) every 2 weeks and than off 3 weeks.

Time and money. Those jobs afford you to have time and money.
 
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I told him to keep mowing and sold my mower for $3200 (I had bought it for $2800 and put about 80 hours on it myself). I still do all the other yard work and I enjoy it, but those are more inconsistent and less overall work.
$400/80 = $5/hr.

OP wanted to trade money for free time. Not free time for $5/hr!

Hope you're reporting the gain as income and getting taxed at your marginal tax rate! 🤣
 
Great thread!

In medical school, I started paying to have my dress shirts laundered and pressed (I think it was $1.80 per shirt at the time). Never looked back! Although, since the pandemic, I doubt I've worn a dress shirt more than a handful of times (I was doing ICU at the time, and that was the norm, pre-pandemic).

We pay for a nanny for 40 hours a week, although our kids will start (free, public) school soon.
We've always paid for cleaning help, although presently in between people now, having just moved, and my wife CLAIMS she is enjoying doing the cleaning...

I take my car to the dealer for service, which costs more, although I get a free loaner, which has been very helpful. I also have them do things like tires, which are probably cheaper elsewhere, but it requires another trip to another place and eats another day off.

Sometimes, I don't return things we've ordered by mail. Like, depending on how much it had cost and how much of a pain in the ass it is to process the return and shipping, I'll just eat it.
 
Love my gardener and housekeeper. The gardener takes care of most of my close neighbors too. Our street would look like a s***hole if it wasn’t for him and his crew. Both of them do their jobs better and faster than I could.
 
Love my gardener and housekeeper. The gardener takes care of most of my close neighbors too. Our street would look like a s***hole if it wasn’t for him and his crew. Both of them do their jobs better and faster than I could.
Forgot about the gardner, and, yes, he takes care of some of the neighbors, and this has been a huge boon. He's just kind of around a lot because he has so many clients on the block, so he notices things, and is good at managing tree/shrub issues between various neighbors.
 
$400/80 = $5/hr.

OP wanted to trade money for free time. Not free time for $5/hr!

Hope you're reporting the gain as income and getting taxed at your marginal tax rate!
I didn't mention the ~$1000 I put into it for repairs and maintenance...

And I'm talking, I drove it for 80 hours (it's how they track mower usage instead of mileage), and sold it for more, when normally one would expect to be paid less after more use.
 
I take my car to the dealer for service, which costs more, although I get a free loaner, which has been very helpful. I also have them do things like tires, which are probably cheaper elsewhere, but it requires another trip to another place and eats another day off.
I have a better version: I've had a model 3 since 2019.

Haven't had to do service on a car since 2019.
 
The market is bound to correct right? If I were fortunate enough to be in your position I’d just make money and invest while I can

Trees don’t grow to the sky
 
Love my gardener and housekeeper. The gardener takes care of most of my close neighbors too. Our street would look like a s***hole if it wasn’t for him and his crew. Both of them do their jobs better and faster than I could.
lol don’t you live in Southern California too? No way will new anesthesia grads even be able to afford a nice house in LA let alone housekeeper and gardener lmao. Maybe if you want to work in Toledo
 
- Monthly unlimited member of car wash next to the hospital.

Then once a quarter take it to be cleaned inside/out at a full service place.

- Will never cut grass again.

- house cleaner.
what I wouldn't do for an unlimited car wash pass at a place I could trust (my car is a bit of a princess)... I'd be there every day.
 
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I think you are thinking about this all wrong…

I don’t think you need to work more to enjoy more free time. Roll those things like lawn mowers and house cleaners up into your monthly expenses. For me, a morning nanny isn’t a luxury, but rather a necessary expense. It’s a cost of doing business (that I don’t get to deduct because our tax code is stupid and unfair towards people who trade time and labor for money). There is simply not enough time in a week for me to work full time and maintain a home and family.

Rather than thinking about working more to pay the house cleaners or landscapers, think about how your monthly expense increase takes away from your discretionary spending…non-essential consumption sorts of things. That’s when you start to think about the time value of money. Buying the Toyota instead of the Porsche pays for those very expensive landscapers for at least 10 years…maybe closer to 20. Is the Porsche worth all those extra hours in the hospital? For some it might be.
 
Rather than thinking about working more to pay the house cleaners or landscapers, think about how your monthly expense increase takes away from your discretionary spending…non-essential consumption sorts of things. That’s when you start to think about the time value of money. Buying the Toyota instead of the Porsche pays for those very expensive landscapers for at least 10 years…maybe closer to 20. Is the Porsche worth all those extra hours in the hospital? For some it might be.
You’re 100% right, except about the Porsche. In 2019, I bought a 2008 911 (for the price of a new Toyota, FWIW), and I’m never going back.
 
I have a better version: I've had a model 3 since 2019.

Haven't had to do service on a car since 2019.
Have u done a brake fluid check? Says to do it every 4-5 years or 100k miles.

I put 100k on my 4 year old model y. So gonna to bring it in soon

I haven’t even change my windshield blades (I’ve had to change the actual windshield 4x with the Florida rocks hitting the windshield) though

Just picked up cybertruck 80k yesterday. Doing a lease hack buyout. With Tesla taking the $7500 ev business tax credit off the lease. And I buyout the lease for 72k off chase financial immediately or as soon as I get an account number to buy it out. Combined with section 179 deduction for suv and trucks over 6000 pounds. It’s massive tax deduction as well. Though I will miss the 60% bonus deprecation for 2024 as I’m out of time. I will write for 2025 tax year with 40% bonus deprecation.

 
I think you are thinking about this all wrong…

I don’t think you need to work more to enjoy more free time. Roll those things like lawn mowers and house cleaners up into your monthly expenses. For me, a morning nanny isn’t a luxury, but rather a necessary expense. It’s a cost of doing business (that I don’t get to deduct because our tax code is stupid and unfair towards people who trade time and labor for money). There is simply not enough time in a week for me to work full time and maintain a home and family.

Rather than thinking about working more to pay the house cleaners or landscapers, think about how your monthly expense increase takes away from your discretionary spending…non-essential consumption sorts of things. That’s when you start to think about the time value of money. Buying the Toyota instead of the Porsche pays for those very expensive landscapers for at least 10 years…maybe closer to 20. Is the Porsche worth all those extra hours in the hospital? For some it might be.
The 1099 docs (not me…since half the people think I’m shady but there are 10x worse guys than me at deducting expenses)

They write off their nanny expenses. They even write off their kids college education expenses when they put them on the payroll as well. It’s those very same grey areas that makes what I do look like elementary school tax schemes.

And it’s not the docs doing it. Go over to these finance forums or even Amex forums, non medical professional deduct like crazy.
 
Have u done a brake fluid check? Says to do it every 4-5 years or 100k miles.

I put 100k on my 4 year old model y. So gonna to bring it in soon

I haven’t even change my windshield blades (I’ve had to change the actual windshield 4x with the Florida rocks hitting the windshield) though

Just picked up cybertruck 80k yesterday. Doing a lease hack buyout. With Tesla taking the $7500 ev business tax credit off the lease. And I buyout the lease for 72k off chase financial immediately or as soon as I get an account number to buy it out. Combined with section 179 deduction for suv and trucks over 6000 pounds. It’s massive tax deduction as well. Though I will miss the 60% bonus deprecation for 2024 as I’m out of time. I will write for 2025 tax year with 40% bonus deprecation.


yeah but you are stick with a dipsty dumpster on wheels.
 
Everyone should read “die with zero”

Amazon product ASIN 0358099765
If you are thinking about time and money

Of course it easier said than done as we all balance life.
For those of you who won't read it, the title is a bit misleading to the content.

Bill Perkins really advocates to solve for maximum enjoyment/utilization rather than a big number at the end, very similar to the sentiment expressed in the "Enough" thread.
 
The 1099 docs (not me…since half the people think I’m shady but there are 10x worse guys than me at deducting expenses)

They write off their nanny expenses. They even write off their kids college education expenses when they put them on the payroll as well. It’s those very same grey areas that makes what I do look like elementary school tax schemes.

And it’s not the docs doing it. Go over to these finance forums or even Amex forums, non medical professional deduct like crazy.
They can write off anything they want and probably won’t ever get audited but doesn’t mean it’s legal. There is no way to legally write off a nanny.
 
yeah but you are stick with a dipsty dumpster on wheels.
4Runner delayed to April 2025. That was my first choice. Toyota having major issues with their production. Plus 4 runner will likely see huge dealer markups pushing the higher end models to the mid 70s price range ..for a 4Runner. I wasn’t impressed with the Lexus gx cousin test driving it. Lexus cut some corners and still didn’t need to discount it either.

But cybertruck is surprisingly easy to drive. It’s got a better turning radius than my model y which I'm keeping for my son to drive in 18 months. So I will drive both.

I thought about model X but the design is getting dated even with the X refresh in 2022.

I just like tech in my car and the cybertruck has all the newer tech. 240v to power heavy appliances in the back if needed.
 
4Runner delayed to April 2025. That was my first choice. Toyota having major issues with their production. Plus 4 runner will likely see huge dealer markups pushing the higher end models to the mid 70s price range ..for a 4Runner. I wasn’t impressed with the Lexus gx cousin test driving it. Lexus cut some corners and still didn’t need to discount it either.

But cybertruck is surprisingly easy to drive. It’s got a better turning radius than my model y which I'm keeping for my son to drive in 18 months. So I will drive both.

I thought about model X but the design is getting dated even with the X refresh in 2022.

I just like tech in my car and the cybertruck has all the newer tech. 240v to power heavy appliances in the back if needed.
Not to derail into a car thread (beats politics, tho), but I unexpectedly LOVE the cyber truck. I don't own one, am not a truck guy OR an EV guy, and I think Musk is a deadbeat, but the guts and vision to put a car into the marketplace that looks like that... It's just so out there, and yet it actually works. I smile every time I see one.
 
You’re 100% right, except about the Porsche. In 2019, I bought a 2008 911 (for the price of a new Toyota, FWIW), and I’m never going back.
In 2016 I bought a silver 2006 E46 M3 for a bit over $20K and I'm still driving it. It's awesome.

I bought it to replace a blue one I bought new in 2002 and crashed in 2015. My wife says I'm in a rut, driving the same car for 20+ years, but I think it's a groove.
 
Not to derail into a car thread (beats politics, tho), but I unexpectedly LOVE the cyber truck. I don't own one, am not a truck guy OR an EV guy, and I think Musk is a deadbeat, but the guts and vision to put a car into the marketplace that looks like that... It's just so out there, and yet it actually works. I smile every time I see one.
If they can hit the 60k price point on the cybertruck. It will absolutely destroy the completion. And I don’t mean the single motor/rear wheel drive 61k they had listed as available soon but took it off their website in August.

Musk has gotten even crazier over the years but agree with you. It’s the vision that makes Musk rich (helps to come from affluent family where he can afford to take risks earlier)
 
If they can hit the 60k price point on the cybertruck. It will absolutely destroy the completion. And I don’t mean the single motor/rear wheel drive 61k they had listed as available soon but took it off their website in August.

Musk has gotten even crazier over the years but agree with you. It’s the vision that makes Musk rich (helps to come from affluent family where he can afford to take risks earlier)
What's the competition though?

As a truck it lacks cargo space. Even the silly extended cab pickup they make now are better for moving stuff.

Towing? That's a hard fail for all electric vehicles. Cybertruck isn't going to beat anything if towing is part of the criteria.

Doesn't seem to have the QC or durability to really thrive off road.

Does it fit in the SUV market? Some cargo space, bigger than needed, works to move a few people around? I guess.

It's in an odd niche. I suspect if they get the QC issues figured out it'll enjoy some success. But I think it looks too different to ever really become popular, and it doesn't really do traditional truck things better, or even well.

Elon Musk staying out of his own way is another issue. 🙂
 
Pay for the things that take time but you hate doing or have no interest in. I hate cutting grass and weeding so I pay for those. I hate deep cleaning the house so I pay for that. I love cooking so will never pay for a chef or meal service. I love plowing with my Wrangler so I won’t pay for snow removal. I would also put (and this will be blasphemous to many in here) my financial advisor in this category. Proper investing takes constant time and I have very little interest in the research it takes, so I let my trusted professional do the work for a fee.
 
You guys are *******.
Cut your own grass, raise your own kids, work 40hour per week, get up 5am to train...
Wash your car the day before you sell it
LOL

There's a kernel of truth here.

At some point in the task outsourcing optimization process you're paying other people to live your life.
 
Not too long ago this forum was worried about the price of eggs smh
 
I would also put (and this will be blasphemous to many in here) my financial advisor in this category. Proper investing takes constant time and I have very little interest in the research it takes, so I let my trusted professional do the work for a fee.

I knew close to nothing about investing in residency. Now I know almost everything needed to be successful (i.e., set aside emergency funds, invest the rest into index funds, 1-5% allocation to riskier assets if desired). I unexpectedly love crunching the numbers every month.
 
The best money I ever spent was paying not just for movers, but for them to do the packing too. Expensive, but jeez, the time and stress saved is tremendous.
We moved about 500km and got a mover guy to pack the truck which was amazing cause he was like a tetris ninja with boxes but I drove it, cause I loved the adventure... ha ha. Drove there and back in under a day
 
I have a better version: I've had a model 3 since 2019.

Haven't had to do service on a car since 2019.
So I have owned a lot of cars in my day. My typical Honda or Lexus runs about $200 per year in service costs. I am not including tires or a new battery every 4 years. FWIW, this is 30 years of owning these types of cars with an average ownership of 4 years per car ( 2 cars every 4 years). I guess that is how they build brand loyalty over time. Trade-In value is also excellent.

Even better than your service costs would be driving and owning a reliable car for 10+ years or until the wheels fall off. Then your savings are truly significant to your bottom line.
 
They can write off anything they want and probably won’t ever get audited but doesn’t mean it’s legal. There is no way to legally write off a nanny.
Well I urge you to spend some time on You Tube and find out what CPAs are allowing S corps to do legally in terms of taxes. The fact is the "nanny" is an employee of the S corp or a 1099 and is listed as a consultant. The kid is also listed as employee and paid a wage off $12,900 (FICA but no federal taxes) with tuition reimbursement for all employees.

I am not an S Corp but apparently the tax savings for an S corp goes beyond just the primary W-2 employee saving on FICA. I am learning daily of these tax "loopholes" that exist in the tax code which most of you are unaware of.
 
So I have owned a lot of cars in my day. My typical Honda or Lexus runs about $200 per year in service costs. I am not including tires or a new battery every 4 years. FWIW, this is 30 years of owning these types of cars with an average ownership of 4 years per car ( 2 cars every 4 years). I guess that is how they build brand loyalty over time. Trade-In value is also excellent.

Even better than your service costs would be driving and owning a reliable car for 10+ years or until the wheels fall off. Then your savings are truly significant to your bottom line.
luxury cars have high maintenance cars as they get out of warranty. $6000 in out of warranty repairs on my Range Rover sport in late 2019 as it was out of warranty for over a year. Brakes are insane maintenance costs $2000 every 20-30k miles as well. Tires while not super expensive last 20k miles. I traded my in for 24k trade in value for 80k plus I had purchased in 2014.

The Audi q7 was no better. $8000 for engine repair for my cousin. She dumped it for very low tradin (for a 75k suv) after 4 years 35k I think.
 
In 2016 I bought a silver 2006 E46 M3 for a bit over $20K and I'm still driving it. It's awesome.

I bought it to replace a blue one I bought new in 2002 and crashed in 2015. My wife says I'm in a rut, driving the same car for 20+ years, but I think it's a groove.
I have the same 2006 E46 M3. I love it, but I wish I could upgrade the stereo and install apple car play or something similar
 
Well I urge you to spend some time on You Tube and find out what CPAs are allowing S corps to do legally in terms of taxes. The fact is the "nanny" is an employee of the S corp or a 1099 and is listed as a consultant. The kid is also listed as employee and paid a wage off $12,900 (FICA but no federal taxes) with tuition reimbursement for all employees.

I am not an S Corp but apparently the tax savings for an S corp goes beyond just the primary W-2 employee saving on FICA. I am learning daily of these tax "loopholes" that exist in the tax code which most of you are unaware of.
I guess I need to look into it more. I am always willing to learn. When I did in the past it seemed some would do this but doesn’t really mean it’s legal or would survive audit.
 
With the current market many of us can basically work as much as we want (and make more). My main goal is to have as much free time as possible, but enjoy my work overall. In theory, one could work more and use this money to cover tasks which they don't enjoy.

Here are ways I can think of to trade money for time (I do very few of these, just starting a list)
Paying for interior cleaning, laundry, etc
Hire home chef or pay for prepared meals
Yard service, snow service
Childcare (daycare, nanny). There are probably more but I don't have kids so can't think of anything else.
Personal assistant

How have you guys traded money for more free time. What services would you recommend?
Rarely if ever do we go to the grocery store.
Groceries come to us.
We also abuse amazon, but the carbon foot print does annoy me.
 
I have the same 2006 E46 M3. I love it, but I wish I could upgrade the stereo and install apple car play or something similar
Such things exist!

I was looking at this one a while ago but never got around to trying it.

 
We moved about 500km and got a mover guy to pack the truck which was amazing cause he was like a tetris ninja with boxes but I drove it, cause I loved the adventure... ha ha. Drove there and back in under a day

You mow your own lawn, but you won’t move your own boxes?
 
You mow your own lawn, but you won’t move your own boxes?
I actually have lawn mower robot this year. It's amazing for 400$. I do touch it up every now and again with my gas mower.

Re the moving boxes. Movers are professionals for a reason. If you ever see them doing it, the good ones 'plan the truck' based on what you have so everything fits, and if it fits well then you get more in, plus it doesn't move or break on transit... Its actually quite cheap to just get a guy for a morning to pack the truck well, do the drive yourself with a 20 footer uhaul, have another guy @ the destination to empty it with you and you do the driving back...

I think we paid 800 in total all in, quotes were 16 to 20k. Not a single item broken

Who here makes 16k daily?
I do! Ha
 
I actually have lawn mower robot this year. It's amazing for 400$. I do touch it up every now and again with my gas mower.

Re the moving boxes. Movers are professionals for a reason. If you ever see them doing it, the good ones 'plan the truck' based on what you have so everything fits, and if it fits well then you get more in, plus it doesn't move or break on transit... Its actually quite cheap to just get a guy for a morning to pack the truck well, do the drive yourself with a 20 footer uhaul, have another guy @ the destination to empty it with you and you do the driving back...

I think we paid 800 in total all in, quotes were 16 to 20k. Not a single item broken

Who here makes 16k daily?
I do! Ha

Also have done this before it's so key.
For a long distance move we've used a truck where you pay for how much of the truck you fill up. The mover was so good at stacking boxes well that we were just under the smallest allotment and we paid very little comparatively. I think the rest of the truck was filled with commercial items. I think we also spent around a thousand,. My friend paid for a similar distance move but was asked for something like 10k and then they had the audacity to ask for more upon delivery because "it was more stuff than in the estimate." We heard those stories and decided we don't want to get played like that.
 
I actually have lawn mower robot this year. It's amazing for 400$. I do touch it up every now and again with my gas mower.

Re the moving boxes. Movers are professionals for a reason. If you ever see them doing it, the good ones 'plan the truck' based on what you have so everything fits, and if it fits well then you get more in, plus it doesn't move or break on transit... Its actually quite cheap to just get a guy for a morning to pack the truck well, do the drive yourself with a 20 footer uhaul, have another guy @ the destination to empty it with you and you do the driving back...

I think we paid 800 in total all in, quotes were 16 to 20k. Not a single item broken

Who here makes 16k daily?
I do! Ha
That’s quite literally what I do.
 
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