I think one thing we can all agree upon is that time is precious and there’s not enough of it.
But what if you could make more?
Normally when money and time are in the same sentence the thought process is, are you charging enough for your time...which hopefully you are...but that’s the topic for another blog post.
So let’s look at time.
Anyone that knows me well knows that I’m an efficiency freak, which is both good and bad.
Good because I can save time with the tools and tech and services I subscribe to, bad because finding those tools and tech etc is the part that takes time.
So I’m both a researcher and an efficiency freak!
Let me give you something to think about.
When I was younger I often used time to save money, now that I’m in my forties I use money to save time.
As a person that works from home, I save time on my commute - it’s non existent, unless you count the stairs to the kitchen and back to make tea.
Many people that work from home are blessed like me, however they may also be cursed by just how much there is to do around the house on a regular basis.
I reckon anyone that has worked from home at some stage has spent at least an hour cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms etc.
In fact this can be a practical form of procrastination.
The other joy of working from home is that you have all the time in the world to cook.
Well technically this is also a good thing it can turn into a total time suck.
As a Small Business owner that works from home I understand that neither of these things is a productive use of my time.
As a Small Business owner that works from home I understand that neither of these things is a productive use of my time.
I don’t mind cleaning and I don’t mind cooking BUT I don’t love either of them enough to swap my precious time for them.
So think about and maybe start making some enquiries to find out what it would cost for you to get a cleaner, even just a once a month to start would make a big difference.
After all it’s much easier to keep a place clean than clean it!
And there are people out there who actually love cleaning, my sister is one of them -- she actually gets a thrill out of it.
And you know what, she’s a small business owner too.
So stop being selfish and keeping the cleaning to yourself 😉 especially when there are people out there also trying to make a living with their small business just like you, who actually love to clean!
Now let’s look at cooking, as time goes on there are so many meal services it can make your head spin. I often travel to Canada and over there they have a delivery service that delivers what you need to cook a specific meal - all in one bag - now that’s more efficient than having to shop but still it could be improved upon.
Then there are services where you can get ‘ready meals’, these can be amazing too - but I’ve heard they can get a bit boring over time.
Anyway after looking at some of these options I decided to find someone who loves to cook..in my kitchen and no it’s not my husband - though he does a mean spaghetti bol.
Luckily a friend of mine had already found someone to cook for her and I was able to use her services too.
So you know what? I have both a cook and a cleaner. Now don’t get me wrong I’m not rich (but I am happy).
Interestingly when I was 30 I did this exercise of what my future would look like and I thought to myself…” I want a cook and a cleaner and a pool boy” ...I’m still working on the last part 🙂
In fact when i quit my job a few years back and essentially had minimal income and was living off savings I still maintained these services. Why? Because I knew the value of my time.
So let me ask you are you paying enough for your time?
If not now is the time to change it.
So spend a bit of time researching to find someone that can give you back your most precious resource.