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Here’s a hopefully fun question for today — what do you happily pay someone else to do? Have you rotated through a few different “someones” enough to offer advice on what you like or don’t like? Have you ever made the opposite decision and STOPPED paying someone else to do something?

We’ve talked a lot about this in the context of things like upgrading personal services, using a personal assistant, hiring a cleaning service — as well as discussions over on CorporetteMoms about leveling up your childcare and even hiring a housemanager.

What I Outsource

The big ones for me are home cleaning, grocery shopping, and tax preparation, but I’ve considered meal prep services. I haven’t had good experiences with travel planners thus far, but it’s the kind of thing I’d consider if a friend had a great recommendation.

Home cleaning – I have gone through a few “someones” here; we’ve worked with maybe six different services over the years… and there’s absolutely an element of fit there. There was the woman who unloaded the dishwasher without knowing where anything went, and then made weird choices like putting knives, pointy-side-up, with the spatulas. There was a service that weirded me out by walking around taking pictures… after their first clean. I could see it making sense to do with the homeowner, like “I like it when this pillow goes here…” but otherwise it creeped me out. (Maybe she had taken “before” pictures also, and that was her goal? I don’t think it was that bad, but what do I know…) There were amazing ones also, including a one-woman show where we trusted her so much we would have let her organize our closets.

Grocery shopping – I’ve used this off and on over the years, but I’ve been steadily using it for about five years now. I like being able to build my grocery list casually in the app, and then have someone else who actually knows where things are run around to find things… we also tend to make good use of prepared food from the grocery store like pre-portioned, sliced apples, mirepoix, and (sometimes) pulled rotisserie chicken.

Tax prep – Hey, I went to law school, I know that the Tax Code is extensive (and mysterious and important!)… and ever since then I’ve decided to let someone else know all that stuff! I’ve only had two accountants. The first one was a lovely old man a friend had recommended, but when he nearly missed a huge thing (a first time home buyer’s tax credit that I don’t think is available any longer), that was our last visit to him. We’ve been with our second guy for 15+ years now and I really like and trust him. (Hmmn, did I take Tax Law with Marty Ginsburg? I’m going to have to check my transcript, I truly do not remember.)

Readers, what’s on your list — what do you happily pay someone else for? Have you rotated through a few different “someones” enough to offer advice on what you like or don’t like? Have you ever made the opposite decision and STOPPED paying someone else to do something?

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

This mock-neck cardigan from Banana Republic offers something just a little different from your typical crewneck cardigan. Something about the high neck makes it look slightly more formal, and the cotton-silk knit looks really luxe.

This alabaster off-white color would go with everything in my fall wardrobe, but it also comes in black and “radicchio burgundy.” 

The sweater is $148 full price at Banana Republic — with 40% off at checkout — and comes in sizes XXS-XXL. 

Sales of note for 9/11:

Outfit Details: Saint Laurent Tank (old, similar here and less expensive here), Zimmermann Pants (dress version here), Alaia Wedges (less expensive here & here), Vanessa Bruno Bag (last seen here), Sherman Field Necklace

September is when bohemian dressing starts to feel most at home. Scarf prints, more volume, breezier silhouettes, suede accessories, a moodier palette of eggplant and burgundy and olive: it all lands right for this stretch of the year. What I keep gravitating toward is the more luxurious version of it rather than anything 70s hippie. That comes through in the drape and the color, in a slightly more languid silhouette, in satins and silks that keep even the loosest shapes feeling refined.

Outfit Details: Saint Laurent Tank (old, similar here and less expensive here), Zimmermann Pants (dress version here), Alaia Wedges (less expensive here & here), Vanessa Bruno Bag (last seen here), Sherman Field Necklace | Tresse T-Shirt, Dries Van Noten Skirt (sold out, similar here), Herbert Levine Mules, Chanel Bag

The styling is what keeps it from tipping beachy. I let one fluid piece lead, then keep everything around it cleaner: a fitted knit, a narrow shoe, a more structured bag. That contrast gives all the softness a frame. It is romantic, expressive, and exactly the kind of dressing that feels especially good once the season starts asking for more texture.

This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

As I’ve mentioned before, thanks to seasonal affective disorder my energy tends to crater in the fall… particularly with tasks I don’t like, like cooking. These are a few of my favorite products to make the task less unpleasant… what are yours?

Products to Save Time Cooking on Busy Weeknights

The Crock-Pot

The Crock-Pot is obviously the old-school answer, but it’s still a good one. Throw everything in before work, turn it on, and dinner is essentially done by the time everyone is hungry. It’s particularly great for soups, stews, pulled chicken or pork, and anything else that benefits from cooking low and slow.

(Mine is ancient but this 7-quart slow cooker looks great; it’s under $50 at Amazon.

Slow cooker-friendly recipe: Really Good Roast Beef, by Creations by Kara.

An Air Fryer

For nights when you did not think ahead, an air fryer may be the winner. It preheats quickly (if at all), cooks a lot of foods faster than a conventional oven, and is great for everything from vegetables and salmon to chicken and frozen foods. It’s also nice when you’re cooking something small and don’t want to turn on the entire oven.

The Ninja Air Fryer pictured is less than $135, at Amazon.

Air fryer-friendly recipe: Air-fryer chicken breast, by Skinnytaste.

Souper Cubes

I’ve shared my love of Souper Cubes in the past, but I particularly love them for making your own Lean Cuisine-type frozen dinners. I tend to do a lot of cooking at once and freeze things to eat for lunch and dinner all fall and winter, but you can also use them to double (or triple) whatever you’re already making for dinner and freeze the extras.

They’re essentially sturdy silicone freezer trays that let you freeze soup, chili, sauces, shredded meat, and other leftovers in individual portions; once they’re frozen, you can pop the blocks out and store them together in a freezer bag. The truly brilliant part: four 2-cup Souper Cubes fit exactly into a gallon-size freezer Ziploc.

Souper-Cube-friendly recipe (from a reader!): Dad’s Lentil Soup. I add rotisserie chicken if I have it.

Bonus: Suvie

Full disclosure: I haven’t tried this one yet, but I’ve been intrigued by ads. Suvie seems like a much more high-tech version of “set it and forget it.” You can load the ingredients ahead of time, and the machine keeps them refrigerated until it’s time to start cooking — so you can schedule dinner to be ready when you actually want to eat it. They also sell prepared meals if you want to outsource even more of the process.

A Few More Ways to Save Time Cooking

Plan ahead — at least a little. You don’t need an elaborate meal-planning system, but deciding on a handful of dinners before you grocery shop can eliminate a lot of the nightly “what are we eating?” problem. Keep the ingredients for a few reliable meals on hand, and freeze whatever you won’t use right away.

Think in components, not recipes. Not every dinner needs to be a Recipe with a capital R. A rotisserie chicken, frozen rice, bagged salad, pre-cut vegetables, good bread, or a favorite sauce can become dinner in various combinations — and they’re also useful for lunches later in the week.

Cook once, eat more than once. If you’re already making something that freezes or reheats well, make more than you need. This is particularly easy with soups, stews, chili, shredded meats, meatballs, and other slow-cooker-friendly foods.

Keep easy food around. This applies to meals and snacks. Yogurt, cheese, nuts, fruit, hard-boiled eggs, hummus, and other grab-and-go foods can keep “I’m starving and there’s nothing to eat” from turning into another cooking project.