What would make you happier: spending fifty dollars to buy yourself a couple hours of free time, or spending the same amount on a material good? According to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and reported on by the New York Times, people who spend money to save time experience a boost in happiness that doesn’t occur by simply buying more stuff. So how can you save time and maximize happiness? Stop doing the chores you hate!

 

Five Chores to Outsource Right Now

1. Meal planning and preparation

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American woman spends 37 minutes per day on meal and drink preparation, while men average 17 minutes. The first takeaway is that men need to help more in the kitchen! The second is that both groups could benefit from ordering in. 

Unless cooking is genuinely enjoyable for you, consider spending a bit more money to buy yourself some time. Those same minutes that you spend in the kitchen could be spent exercising, pursuing a hobby, or playing with your kids. I would much rather watch my three-year-old ride his bike in circles on the driveway than stand at the counter chopping onions. While delivery from restaurants will save you the most time, it’s also the most expensive (and possibly least healthy) option.

Meal kits from companies like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh are a nice compromise—cheaper than take out, but more expensive than doing it on your own. These kits save you valuable planning, shopping, and prep time while still allowing you to serve up a home-cooked meal.

 

2. Laundry

Laundry is another top contender for most-time-consuming chore, costing the average American woman about two hours a week. Men spend, on average, about one fourth the amount of time, which leads me to believe that either women are doing their laundry or they are wearing dirty clothes. Assuming you are doing your own laundry and don’t particularly enjoy it, consider reclaiming that time.

In addition to the time you spend sorting, loading, folding, and (in my case) scrounging around for quarters, you may also find yourself waiting for the machines to finish or interrupting other activities to move the clothes along.

How nice would it be to forget all that and have your clean clothes delivered to your door? The cheapest way to live this dream is through a subscription laundry service like Rinse Repeat. Rinse Repeat lets you stuff your dirty clothes, towels, sheets, etc, into a bag that’s picked up and delivered to your door. While most laundry services cost upwards of $2 per pound, a Rinse Repeat subscription can cut that price in half.

 

3. Cleaning

How much time do you spend cleaning your home? Now, how much time do you spend thinking about cleaning your home or, perhaps, feeling guilty about the grime on the top of your microwave? Hiring a cleaning professional to clean your place once or twice a month is a worthwhile investment. 

First of all, you’re probably not that skilled at cleaning the grout in your shower, so why not outsource to somebody with specialized knowledge? Also, when you know that your place is in for a thorough cleaning, you can stop worrying about the dust on your bookshelves and enjoy the moment instead. 

 

4. Yard work and landscaping

I know a handful of people who get joy from tending their gardens and maintaining their yard—they are usually eager to tell me about their most recent blooms and overflowing crop of arugula. Are you one of these people? If not, it might make sense to hand your yard work over to a professional.

A weekly visit from a gardener will save you about two hours a week of yard work, and their expertise could leave your yard looking even better. With weeding and trimming out of your mind, you can enjoy your outdoor space rather than seeing it as a chore.

 

5. Furniture and other assembly

Maybe you grew up crushing lego kits in record time, but if you’re like me, and you break out in a cold sweat every time you see instructions written in 17 different languages, you need to hire a professional.

Fortunately, Amazon, IKEA, and others give customers the option to purchase assembly right in the checkout.  Alternatively, you can hire a tasker via Taskrabbit to complete the task.  Spend the time you saved doing something fun or just enjoying your magnificent new nightstand.

Pick you favorite (or rather, your least favorite) chores from the list above and outsource. Give yourself more time for the things you actually want to do!

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It seems like there are never enough hours in the day (because, frankly, there are not). That's why it's important to take advantage of the crazy age we live in with a subscription for everything and select the ones that actually make a difference.

As far as we know, no one ever looked back on their life and wished they spent more time folding laundry or walking up and down the isles of the grocery store. Life is what you make of it, and it takes discipline and planning to make room for the things that are important–spending time with loved ones, pursuing a passion that feeds your soul, and making a difference in this world for others.

That might seem like an overly heartfelt intro to a blog post about timesaving subscriptions, but when it comes down to it, that's what these are; They are a means to give you time back in your day so you can spend it on what matters!

1. Amazon Prime

First things first, Amazon Prime. If you don't already have it. Get it. If you do, you can skip ahead or read on to learn what a great decision-maker you are :)

For $12.99 per month, you can have literally anything delivered to your home within two days, for free. Depending on the item and your zip code, sometimes you have it delivered within a matter of hours via PrimePantry and PrimeNow. If you estimate about two deliveries per month, that comes to a value of about $300 per year. For $12.99 per month or $119 when you pay annually, that is a great deal, before you even consider the included streaming service, free monthly kindle download, free unlimited photo storage, free music streaming and member-only perks like access to Prime Day and discounts on things like diapers.

That’s the flat dollar value of Amazon Prime. The real reason we’ve included it on this list is that it will save you a lot of legwork taking care of errands and shopping. That time you spend searching through Bestbuy for the right cable adaptor or getting to and from the drugstore to pick up the vitamins you like is time you now have back in your day.

The Department of Labor’s most recent American Time Use Survey shows that people still spend over two and a half hours per week, on average, shopping for items they need. Three hours is the same amount of time that the Department of Health and Human Services recommends an individual exercise per week. Yes, wandering around a Target does increase your step count, but the time you’ll have for dedicated exercise will help even more.

2. Stitch Fix/Trunk Club

Unless you love to shop for clothes – in fairness, a number of us do – maintaining your wardrobe can be a true chore. Fashions change, clothes wear out, and let's be honest, body shapes fluctuate. Looking presentable and polished is a requirement of daily life, professionally and otherwise.

For keeping your wardrobe fresh, home delivery personal styling services like StitchFix and TrunkClub are lifesavers. Just fill out a questionnaire about your style, clothing requirements, and size information, and a professional stylist puts together a box of clothes for you each month – so easy! (You can often adjust the timing of how often you receive a box, if needed).

The cost of service is deducted from any purchase you make from the items sent, so if you’re finding items that you like, then the service is free. For the items that you don’t love, just send them back.

Bonus tip: For special occasions, we recommend Rent the Runway (Sorry men, currently they only provide clothes for women). You can quickly search through hundreds for dresses for the perfect outfit. Search by occasion, color, fit, and body shape and read reviews with pictures from women with your similar body type, height, and weight so you get a really clear idea of how the dress will look. You “rent” the dress, meaning they send it to you for the special occasion and then you send it back when you’re done with it. No need to worry about dry cleaning or dropping a couple hundred dollars on an outfit you’ll wear once. In terms of time and financial value, Rent The Runway is a great option.

You may be thinking, I’m a grown adult and I’m not completely fashion-blind. I can go to the store and figure this out.

No doubt! But aside from the time you spend tracking down items you like in a size that fits, you’re also spending energy and making choices. Decision fatigue is a psychological concept that explains that we have a finite amount of metal energy to devote to making decisions within a given amount of time, and as we spend that mental energy, the quality of our decision making deteriorates. It’s the reason that it's so difficult to decide where to eat after a long day at work, or why criminals get harsher sentences later in the day. It’s also the reason you shouldn’t spend your time trying to figure out what to wear. That is, if it’s not something you enjoy.

3. Rinse Repeat

Rinse is a dry cleaning and laundry delivery service that picks up, cleans, and hand delivers your clothes to your door, 7 days a week. They offer dry cleaning, wash & fold, hang dry, leather cleaning, repair services, and even donation pickup, but the service that is the best value for time and money is Rinse Repeat–an all-inclusive laundry service.

The average American household spends up to 3 hours per week dealing with laundry: Sorting, washing, folding and putting away. With Rinse Repeat, you just put your clothes in your Rinse Repeat bag, which holds 40lbs or about 4 loads of laundry, and they come and pick it up once a week. They return everything clean and neatly folded 3 days later. They do have a next-day rush option for an additional $5 fee.

The Rinse Repeat bag is what sets this service apart from others and makes it an incredible value when considering the time and money you save. You may have used Wash & Fold (sometimes called Fluff & Fold) services in the past, and know that the service can be extremely expensive. With Rinse Repeat, you just pay a flat fee each month for the bag and Rinse will wash all of the clothes that you can fit into it, rather than charging by weight as most services do. When compared to their a-la-cart Wash & Fold service (which is comparable in price to similar services), you can save up to 44% on laundry with Rinse Repeat!

You just choose your schedule – weekly or every other week – and the day of the week you’d like them to pick up your clothes and they are there. Rinse Repeat is a true time-saver! The Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity each week to stay healthy and feeling good. With 3 hours back in your week, you’re 80% there!

4. Exercise Subscriptions

The classic gym membership is, of course, a subscription. You may be thinking -- how will that save me time? Well, technically it won’t, but according to every doctor that ever lived, exercise extends life span and quality of life, so it’s making the list!

We did the research and depending on what your interests and your favorite way to break a sweat, there is an exercise option for you.

If you prefer to work out at home, then we highly recommend a workout streaming subscription. Usually, classes are prerecorded, but if you sign up for a service like Daily Burn, you can join live classes as well. Membership is usually between $10 and $30 per month, which is about what you would pay for a drop-in yoga class.

Insider tip: If you’re not sure if you’ll like exercising at home, both Amazon and Netflix have workout content for yoga and cardio. Their selection is limited, but it’s a great way to get your feet wet if you are hesitant to dive into a full exercise subscription membership.

Another option for an in-home workout is an equipment-focused membership like Peloton for cycling or running (NordicTrack also offers similar equipment connected to classes and accessible through membership), or the Concept 2 for rowing.

If you’re someone that needs to get outdoors, the classic choice is Strava, an app for runners and cyclists. Strava tracks your exercise and helps you analyze your progress, connects you to a community, and gives you trails and challenges to complete!

We like Strava and apps like it because when exercise is tracked, you do more of it. Studies have shown that just by giving someone a pedometer they walked 27% further than without it.

Give yourself a way to access and track your favorite form of exercise and you will exercise more, and in turn, feel better. That’s an investment well worth the time and money.

People are often reluctant to dry clean their clothing because it is more expensive than traditional laundry, but a professional cleaning service can be a great investment for your lifestyle and closet that saves you money in the long run. Consider these three cost-effective conveniences the next time you're headed to the laundromat.

It helps your polished pieces last longer

While there are items that you can take care of at home, certain upscale pieces such as your silk dress or structured wool blazer are best left in the care of a professional dry cleaner. Pieces that aren’t properly cleaned before being put away can carry undetectable odors that attract insects and moths. These pests can eat certain fabrics, including wool, cashmere, silk and cotton, gradually ruining your favourite items. Sensitive fabrics may also fade in color or stretch in shape in a washing machine or dryer. By using a professional cleaning service, your pieces will last much longer so you won't have to replace them as often, ultimately saving you money.

Care tip: Familiarize yourself with different fabrics and the appropriate treatment for each material. For instance, cashmere can often be hand washed with a gentle laundry soap. Before doing so, it's always good to double check the clothing label to see if hand washing is appropriate. Other fabrics like silk require professional dry cleaning.  Our guide on which pieces can be dry cleaned provides an in-depth breakdown.

It can treat stubborn stains

Besides helping your pieces maintain their color and shape, dry cleaning can help treat stubborn stains like grass, which you might not be able to remove using traditional laundry means. A professional service might be able to salvage your favorite sweater or slacks so you don't waste money on different detergents or DIY treatments just to end up with a slightly faded but still visible mark. Furthermore, if you don't pre-treat stains or if you use the wrong cleaning agent, you might actually cause further damage to your clothing. Either way you can be left having to replace these pieces altogether, and wasting money on your wardrobe.

Care tip: Food stains can affect fabrics differently than sweat residue. In some cases, you might be able to apply a DIY treatment. Know when to treat the stain yourself and when to visit a dry cleaner with our summer stains guide.

It adds professionalism to your workplace attire

First impressions are extremely important. Being smartly dressed will help you make your mark at a job interview or client meeting—which can lead to financial gain down the road. An inexpensive way to elevate your office style is to ensure that your pieces are always freshly pressed. You don't need to spend a lot to create a chic ensemble: well tailored and maintained pieces create a professional look that will help you get ahead in the workplace. To keep your business attire looking top notch, leave your suit or dress shirt with the dry cleaners. Even if you work in a creative or casual environment, a creased shirt can make you look sloppy. Unsightly wrinkles, stains or smells on worn clothing detract from your professionalism. A trusted service will help you take care of these smaller details so you can focus on the big picture and impress your boss or client.

Care tip: Besides taking care of your basic clothing maintenance needs, most modern dry cleaners provide additional options such as alterations or repairs. Take advantage of their services to ensure your office outfit is always as impressive as your portfolio.

While you save on short-term costs doing laundry at home, your finest attire requires professional care to keep them looking as fresh as the day you bought them. And that's a worthwhile investment.

Photos: DeVaul / Shutterstock.com, Chelsea Francis, Nico Beard, Benjamin Child