Comments on: What’s Worth More: Your Time or Your Money?

By: Catherine Avery

Catherine Avery — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:03:24 +0000

Hire the help–hands down! We have nearly two acres and I would much rather the three of us spend time picking pumpkins than raking leaves. And I have a gem of a cleaning lady too. Now, if I could just find a cook…kidding, I do love to cook!
.-= Catherine Avery’s most recent blog post: If you register your site for free at =-.

By: Laura

Laura — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:02:28 +0000

It is easy for me to say “just hire someone if it makes you happy”, but I understand your dilemma. I have trouble keeping up with the house cleaning, especially the deep cleaning like base boards, windows, and ceiling fans, and would like to hire a maid. But then I feel embarrassed even thinking about shelling out money for such a luxury, and even more embarrassed admitting that I can’t keep up with my house!

By: Jen

Jen — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:14:51 +0000

We have a little over 7.5 acres. The majority of that gets majorly coated in leaves every year. A few things I’ve learned since living here:

1. Keep your lawn mowed short, then many of the leaves will blow through your yard and into your neighbors. :)

2. We only rake twice, the first time when about 3/4 of the leaves have fallen and then the second time in late november/early december after all the leaves have fallen.

3. Leaf blowers are magical things, you can only rake for so many hours, we combine the leaf blowing action with raking and we move much faster through the acreage and can last a lot longer-thus getting it done more quickly.

4. As Gerry suggested, a leaf raking party makes the work so much easier and a lot more fun. Many hands make light work!

5. We lay tarps and rake the leafs onto the tarps and then haul these to the compost-if you don’t have a compost you can also take them to the dump. This method is a lot faster than filling trash bags or trash cans.

Good luck with everything! We choose to rake rather than pay because it’s a good workout (no need to go to the gym!) and we find that it encourages us to get outside for fresh air, work as a team and makes relaxing that much sweeter for us. But growing up, I made a ton of money every fall from people who didn’t have the time to take care of their own leaves. Either way works!

By: gerry

gerry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:20:27 +0000

Have a leaf raking party. get some rakes, some warm soup/hot chocolate, invites some friends! as long as you don't have to help them with their leaves! .-= gerry's most recent blog post: A Child's Curiosity =-.

By: Buch

Buch — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:53:55 +0000

nice Posting. I just starting with Internet. My parents didn’t allow me this, before I was 16 years old. It’s very nice, becaus now can I improve my English language.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:02:18 +0000

Much to my mother's HORROR, I'm sure my husband I and, if we owned 1/2 an acre of leafy land, would hire someone to handle it. I can barely clean my TINY apartment in one day without screaming about how I need some hired help :) .-= Lauren's most recent blog post: Religioucity: Jesus — Belief Of =-.

By: Jennelle

Jennelle — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:16:57 +0000

We also have a 1/2 acre lot. The first year, we just kept mowing the grass as the leaves fell and they ended up chopped up. At the very end of the season, we ended up mowing and bagging the clippings. Last year, we hired a relative to rake, and I think that's the route we're going again this year. We both work full-time jobs and have an hour commute each way (although we do carpool), so our time at home is precious. It's hard enough to find time to clean the house, let alone rake leaves! We do mow and weed-eat the lawn ourselves, though. .-= Jennelle's most recent blog post: First Day =-.

By: PJ

PJ — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Haha, well said, Elizabeth!

By: elizabeth

elizabeth — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:46:23 +0000

Oh, what I would do to have a yard to rake at all…to be able to exercise and do yard work at the same time! To spend time with my husband outside on our own property and not a crowded public park full of dog poo and homeless people.

How’s that for perspective?

But really, I grew up with a yard and raking the leaves each fall earned me a little pocket change. Then, like you, I almost always felt it wasn’t worth the trouble. haha!

Life is short. Do what makes you happy. Who cares what anyone thinks? It’s not really their business anyway.
.-= elizabeth’s most recent blog post: You are cordially invited… =-.