.

[VeloClone]

Next time tell FIL that the purchase included free delivery.

Or better still, that you haggled them into throwing in free delivery. Not only is argument averted, your star rises in FIL's eyes.

And you aren't outed when he goes in and tries to buy something with the free delivery and they tell him they don't have any deal like that going on.

 

[VeloClone]

House cleaner = marriage counselor.

I would hire a housekeeper but there would be a huge dust up (pun intended) each week where wife would be scrambling around trying to pre-clean the house and trying to get kids to clean up their stuff because, "They can't see my house looking like this!"

 

[ImJustKCClone]

Reason #3 to not have kids

Somehow, I don't think having kids would have damaged YOUR body all that much.

 

[VeloClone]

Somehow, I don't think having kids would have damaged YOUR body all that much.

 

[ImJustKCClone]

I would hire a housekeeper but there would be a huge dust up (pun intended) each week where wife would be scrambling around trying to pre-clean the house and trying to get kids to clean up their stuff because, "They can't see my house looking like this!"

My former boss hired a bi-weekly cleaning service for her house. She would leave early the day before they came to get everything picked up, and would take the day of the service off so that she could stay home & supervise. If I were the service, I would charge her triple.

 

[VeloClone]

My former boss hired a bi-weekly cleaning service for her house. She would leave early the day before they came to get everything picked up, and would take the day of the service off so that she could stay home & supervise. If I were the service, I would charge her triple.

You never know, she might have been staying home to gossip and smoke grass with her cleaning lady.

 

[wxman1]

You did the right thing. I would probably follow up his complaint with a comment along the lines of "We will keep in mind your willingness to pick something up for us in the future." If I had known before then he would have done it I would have saved the money but that wasn't known so whatevs.

I will so though that some people have a really low valuation of their free time. My FIL has been known to drive four hours round trip to DSM to pick up my SIL from the airport who had driven from LA to Vegas just to save on airfare. He also booked them a flight into Peoria coming back from Florida and rented a car to CR because Allegiant didn't fly that day and it was cheaper than a mainline.

 

[Sparkplug]

I had a situation where my check engine light came on. I asked the shop how much to get it checked and he said $100...I said **** that and did some research.

I bought a code reader for $20-$25 from Walmart. Used that on my car. The codes matched up with the issue. My gas cap would not stay tight and my car thought there was a leak. I went to O’Reilleys, bought a cap for $20, put it on my car, then used the code reader to remove the codes.

Having a mechanic do it, $100+.
Me - $40

My main point is to do some research on things. Sometimes you’ll save a bunch of money if you can do it yourself.

O'Reilly's will use there code reader and do it for you for free. When windshield wipers need changed on the pickup or truck I always go there and have them do it. Beats climbing up on the hood and doing it myself

 

[cowgirl836]

Depends on each person's wants, needs, and financial situation. My wife is 2 weeks from her due date and we have a 3 y.o. daughter. We just paid $200 to have someone clean our house last weekend. 5 years ago, I would have flipped out if my wife had spent that kind of money on something that we can do. Now, it needed to be done; I wasn't going to do it and my wife doens't have the energy. Well worth the money.

Few months in with one kid and I'm dropping hints that doing this 2x a month (not a whole house thing) would be worth it. I don't care to spend my limited time with my kid worrying about sweeping and cleaning stuff. Pre-baby it was fine. What's an couple hours or so on the weekends. Now it'd take me three times as long to do the same amount of work.

 

[VeloClone]

Few months in with one kid and I'm dropping hints that doing this 2x a month (not a whole house thing) would be worth it. I don't care to spend my limited time with my kid worrying about sweeping and cleaning stuff. Pre-baby it was fine. What's an couple hours or so on the weekends. Now it'd take me three times as long to do the same amount of work.

Get creative...

 

[cowgirl836]

Get creative...

he can't crawl yet, but as soon as he can......

plus, he starts solids soon. That means I don't have to vacuum anymore, right? He can forage on hairballs and dropped popcorn.

 

[SpokaneCY]

how does one convince another to surgically enhance themselves?

if i could make my lil'smokey into a jumbo brat i would but others in my house don't agree with such "superficial" endeavors.

You'll always be "tripod" to us.

 

[SpokaneCY]

Did father in law pay for it? If not tell him to mind his own damn business.

We just started getting a house cleaner, so I guess that answers where we land on the time vs money debate. The funny thing is I swear the preclean we do before the house keeper comes is still a lot of work, and with 4 children in the house it looks like an F5 tornado went through the living room 3 days later. Oh well.

HATE the pre-clean. I keep telling my wife that if you clean it too well the cleaner won't. Gotta leave some smack on the counters.

 

[SpokaneCY]

I hear ya. She asked if I was OK with it, which my brain went full Admiral Ackbar on, but fortunately she wasn't playing games and we were in a doctors office the following week.

My wife had it done and I was adamantly against it but it was important to her. The benefits are nice tho'.

 

[Sousaclone]

Like others have said, depends on what it is, my comfort level, and the cost. Financial situation also plays a huge role as well.

Case in point, I had two roommates while living in NY. We rented a house with a decent sized yard (for 30 min north of Manhattan). Two of us (late 20s, early 30s) whole heartedly agreed the $125/month for the lawn care company was worth every penny given the amount of landscaping this place had and the amount of hours we worked (70-80 was a normal week for us). The fresh out of school 23 yr old and had a slightly harder time accepting it. We did however take care of shoveling snow on our own.

If I think I can fix it for less than someone is going to charge me, and I'm reasonably confident that I won't break it (or make the situation worse). I'll try to do it myself. However, I also know when to cut my losses and when my time is worth more than the money I'd spend to get something done by a professional.

 

[Farnsworth]

One you can make more of, one you never get back once its gone. Pretty simple answer IMO. Time >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Money

For some reason this made me think of this Kanye lyric.

I don't know what's better, getting laid or getting paid, all I know is when I'm getting one the others getting away.

 

[kirk89gt]

Jokes on you. my wife never fills up her own tank... or cleans her car out... or washes it.....****. jokes on me, i guess.

unless i have a ton on my hyvee fuel saver card i fill up wherever and at sam's club if i'm headed past one.

Joke is on me too. I do all that car care crap.

#MeToo.....Am I doing this right?

 

[kirk89gt]

Reason #3 to not have kids

What are reasons #1 and #2. Asking for a friend?

 

[isufbcurt]

What are reasons #1 and #2. Asking for a friend?

1. expensive
2. make you give up things you enjoy

 

[kirk89gt]

1. expensive
2. make you give up things you enjoy

Sounds like an Friday OT topic. Another time vs. money discussion. What do you miss most about your pre-child life. The freedom (time) and the ability to pursue what you wanted, when you wanted (kind of a time and money thing) or being more financially stable (money). I would again have to go with the time.

It is amazing how much time gets sucked up in dealing with the kids. It seems like 90% of the time its a drag and then, every once in awhile, they surprise you with something pretty cool that gives you pause (could be good or bad....most of the time it is bad). I like to call these times....moments. The real good ones though are like gold. Kind of like a Halley's Comet. It's rare, but when it happens, it is a sight to behold.