re: NOT having "help" seems to be the exception to the norm these days

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I can't think of a single one that does not have some "help" in one of those areas.

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does having sons count as having "help"?

“I was happier when I was a kid,” the thread, part 87654787

Been working since I was 15 and doing yardwork at around the same time. I am 60 now and just hired a lawn service 2 years ago. Best decision I ever made. Never looking back. Fonk that noise.

I no longer employ an under butler and we are down to 3 footmen, a valet, a chauffeur, and a butler along with the cook, cook’s assistant, 2 ladies maids, 3 house maids, a scullery maid, and 2 hall boys.

I miss 1875.

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Or that these services have become more efficient. My yard guy charges me $35 a week. When I was a kid in the early 2000s, I was charging 40-50 from my neighbors to cut their grass. It would be stupid for me to cut my own grass these days. I could spend those 2-3 hours getting other things done around the house and/or spending time with the family.

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Same here. Several years ago, the neighbors two houses down from me had a yard service. My friends that lived between us and them asked them one day about a group rate. So the two of us signed up with the company, and a crew shows up every other week, parks the trailer at the house in the middle, and a crew gets out and takes care of all three yards at once. One guy is riding a zero turn, one guy is edging, one is weedeating, and when all of them are done each guy grabs a blower and cleans up. They are here maybe 1.5-2 hours tops, and it looks great. We pay $140 a month, and in the winter they still come buy to mulch leaves and blow off. And now I don't have to mow, edge, and weedeat the front yard. I still cut my backyard since there is no edging involved, but at least I know the front yard is going to look great and it doesn't depend on if I have other things going on during the weekend.

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Or you could just occupy a different socioeconomic status currently than your family did growing up

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Now don't come in here with logic and reason.

In all seriousness, yes plenty of people in the US are overspending and in hoards of debt, but just thinking on my circle here.. everyone I know with hired help (lawn, housekeeping, etc.) is higher income and presumably hitting their savings goals. I find it interesting how everyone on the internet thinks everyone spending any sort of money is up to their eyeballs in debt.

This website, I assume based on having been here a long time and met numerous posters, runs fairly middle/upper middle class on average. Is it really hard to believe people in that bracket can afford a monthly house clean or a weekly yard mow without also hitting their financial goals elsewhere?

Or maybe we want to spend our time on other things?

Im like that with my cars.

I like to clean & detail my own cars.

Put some sports talk on the radio, pull it into the garage & just relax.