hire a kid

Sometimes I save money over hiring a service by hiring a kid.  For example, I paid my teenage son to steam clean the carpets today. Sometimes my daughter cleans or handles the dishwasher.  Occasionally my 10-year-old is desperate enough for money that he will vacuum our downstairs for $2.  He thinks $5 is fair.  I told him there's no way I'm paying him the equivalent of $30 an hour! Maybe a neighbor teen would mow your lawn or take care of your pets when you're on vacation.  Depending on your comfort level and availability of willing laborers, you could be getting out of a lot of grunt work and helping a kid get some fun money at the same time.