Best Personal Tasks & Errands to Outsource

As you create your daily or weekly to-do list, you may realize that all the things that you need to get done may not be possible within your timeline. The United States is considered the most overworked developed nation in the world and surveys show that the average American has less than half an hour of free time per week — making it exceedingly difficult to allocate time towards your personal to-do list. This can leave people feeling overworked and overwhelmed because they need to prioritize certain things and push others to the back-burner. Work-life balance is important, so if you are someone that is feeling the stress of a never-ending to-do list, you may want to take advantage of outsourcing tasks both at work and at home.

Virtual Assistance

A virtual assistant takes care of numerous tasks in order to free up time for other personal or work endeavors. Virtual assistants can be contractual, part-time, or full-time — it ultimately depends on the reasons you are utilizing them in the first place. The work or tasks that they can perform will vary between providers, but generally, if the work can be done online, there is a virtual assistant out there that can do it. Some examples of this work includes:

Calendar management: Managing a calendar — either for personal use or professional use — can be time-consuming. Virtual assistants can be used to coordinate and schedule calls, confirm meetings/calls, set calendar reminders, reschedule calendar events, create a waiting list, and even to let other parties know of changes to new/recurring events;
Communications: If you are buried in messages, virtual assistants can be used to screen emails, screen voicemails, create/update contacts, transcribe voicemails, and even for some lighter-style receptionist tasks;
Travel: If you are someone who travels a lot for business or pleasure, a virtual assistant can be used to search for and book flights/hotels/cars, research public transportation in an area, map out travel itineraries, set reservations, and make changes to your travel plans whenever necessary;
Business operations: There are a number of tasks that virtual assistants can perform in a business-specific setting — some include researching prospective leads, designing presentations, creating reports/taking notes, recruiting/interviewing prospective employees, creating/sending reports, converting files, conducting research, proofreading, and many other operations.

Specialized Expertise and Services

If you are inexperienced in a certain area or task, it may save you time and money to outsource the work to someone with specialized expertise. If you lack experience, the task itself could take additional time because of the learning curve. If you miss the mark, you may end up spending additional money to fix your mistake. Outsourcing this work can give you peace of mind and ensure that the job is done right. Some examples of scenarios where you could outsource to individuals or organizations with specialized expertise include:

Graphic design services;
Utilities work/maintenance (e.g. plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, etc.);
Research services;
Job hunting services;
Set-up/installation (e.g. TV mounting, furniture, security system, etc.);
House maintenance (e.g. painting, cleaning, landscaping, etc.);
Lead generation services;
Information technology services
Website management services.

In-Person Tasks and Errands

There are numerous in-person tasks and errands that can be completed by hiring out the work. For example, If you are someone who has a large number of car-specific errands, it may be helpful to hire a part-time driver in order to give you back that time. Other examples of in-person tasks and errands that could be completed by hiring them out may include:

Taking client purchases to the post office;
Taking your car for maintenance (e.g. tire rotation, oil change, etc.);
Mowing your lawn/landscaping/gardening;
Cleaning out your gutters;
Picking up office supplies;
Picking up clients from the airport;
Raking leaves;
Shoveling snow;
Laundry;
Pet care;
Dishes.

Transportation

Transportation is a part of everyday life — both personal and business — that is generally unavoidable without remote work privileges. Studies show that the average American spends 18 days per year behind the wheel. By outsourcing your transportation and hiring a driver, you can:

Use your commute as a way to get prepared for the day, respond to emails/calls, or even just refresh your mind between daily tasks;
Avoid paying for parking;
Sidestep having to leave your car at the airport when traveling;
Pick up/drop off children from daycare/school when you are unable;
Pick up/drop off clients and improve their customer experience;
Avoid wait times with ride-hailing services such as Uber or Lyft;
Make it to work or an event in the case of car issues (e.g. flat tire, dead battery, etc.).

If you are someone with a lot of transportation needs, it may be useful to look into the cost of hiring a full-time personal driver.

Grocery Shopping

According to U.S. consumers’ shopping trends, the average American makes 1.6 shopping trips per week. Not only are you spending time grocery shopping, but you are also spending time commuting to the store. An increasing amount of stores are offering home delivery or store pick-up options. You can simply shop for the items you need, pay online, and take advantage of either option available to you. Some grocery delivery options may upcharge you for this service, and other grocery stores only offer pick-up options. If you are unable to drive to the store for grocery pick-up, you can utilize driving services to pick up your groceries and bring them to you.

Meal Preparation

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) research, the average American over the age of 18 spends 37 minutes a day preparing, serving, and cleaning up after meal preparation. This number can fluctuate greatly depending on the individual and their eating habits. Whether you are trying to save time spent cooking and cleaning, attempting to eat healthier, or you are just ordering food in a pinch, there are two primary ways to outsource meal preparation — these include:

Meal delivery applications: There are apps that allow you to order food directly to your location. A few examples include UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Postmates. You can pick a restaurant from a variety of locations using the app, add the food you want, and pay a fee to have the food delivered to you;
Meal preparation services: There are different organizations that offer meal preparation. You can pay to have someone else prepare different types of food that can be frozen/refrigerated and eaten at a later day. These services typically cost a specific amount per meal, or you can order a monthly subscription.

Cleaning Services

Research shows that the average American spends a full day cleaning their house each month. A lot of businesses and households choose to take advantage of cleaning services. In doing so, you can reduce the amount of time spent cleaning and the amount of money spent on cleaning supplies. Cleaning services can be used daily, weekly, once in a while when you are unable to yourself, or for specific tasks. Cleaning service costs can fluctuate depending on the size of the building/home, the number of cleaning supplies used, and how often the cleaning services are needed.

Childcare

According to a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment summary, 64.2% of families with children have both parents employed, leaving a large need for childcare services in most cases. Aside from direct caretaking, there are other childcare services that individuals can take advantage of. For example, some children may need tutoring help with certain school subjects, and others may need child transportation arrangements (e.g. school starts/ends during your working hours, out-of-town sporting events, car troubles, etc.).

Tips and Tricks for Outsourcing Personal Tasks

The tasks that you choose to outsource depend on your personal or business situation. If your to-do list seems to continually grow without shrinking, you should consider the followings tips and tricks for outsourcing personal tasks:

Create an outsourcing budget: Set a monthly or weekly allowance for what you can use towards outsourcing certain tasks. This will help ensure that you are able to afford your outsourcing efforts. If you are outsourcing tasks to be more productive/make more money at work, this is a good way to ensure that you are saving money by outsourcing;
Find reputable outsourcing services: Look at reviews, ask for word-of-mouth recommendations, and do your due diligence when looking for services. You want to make sure that the job is getting done, and it is getting done right;
Create clear expectations: You want to make sure that your instruction is exceedingly clear so that you are not spending time fixing mistakes that stem from miscommunication. Be sure to ask the person/organization that you are outsourcing to if they have any questions or if anything is unclear;
Consolidate tasks: Try your best to pair tasks that can be completed together. Some tasks can be taken care of in one swoop by one provider. Make your outsourcing efforts as efficient as possible;
Get creative: There are endless ways that you can utilize outsourcing services. Create a list of things that you need to get done — no matter how unconventional it may appear — and check to see if there are services available to do so.