# Seniors, Are You Still Doing All the Chores Around Your Home and Garden?



## SeaBreeze

We still do all of our chores around the house and outside lawn areas.  This week, after being away on our camping trip, the grass (and weeds) were overgrown, also the hedges in the front.

No House and Garden showcase home here, lol, but you have to do the basic maintenance so things don't get out of control.  So, the past few days, along with cleaning out the camper and catching up on laundry, I've been out mowing, trimming hedges and pulling weeds.  Still some to go, but will wait a few days and give my back a rest.

We also clean out our own gutters (ranch-style house), which are always filled with leaves and large pine needles from the Austrian Pines.  Hubby does a lot of the maintenance on the house and vehicles.

How about you?  Do you do all the work to maintain your home and property by yourself in your golden years?


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## Falcon

Oh sure, but it takes twice as long.


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## Vivjen

I still do everything myself; painting, gardening, cleaning; but I use neighbours for electrics and a garage for the car; except oil, water, and tyres; not in my skill set!


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## i_am_Lois

We do everything ourselves. But like Falcon says, it takes twice as long.


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## Ina

We still take care of the house, surrounding area, and much of the car maintenance. The rest of the land will just have to go. We might need to sell.


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## hollydolly

Absolutely everything ourselves..electrics, plumbing, car, house and garden maintenance ...


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## Bee

I am waiting for that 'nice' Mr. Cameron to give me a raise so I can afford a cleaner and gardener:bigwink:

.............meanwhile I will plod on and do the jobs myself.:grin:


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## Pappy

I do about everything that I still can. My lawns are taken care of by our community agreement. Anything to do with heights is strictly out. Knees don't like ladders. I do painting jobs inside, like rooms and doors, etc. Bending over for any length of time is a no-no. Arthritis in back won't let me or I'll pay for it next day.
Yea, inside I'm still pretty handy, out side work is kinda out.


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## Raven

We do all of the outside and inside work ourselves so far.  We have a large lot, 1/34 acres.  There is a lot of mowing
and shrubs to be trimmed. The house has cedar shingles, not siding, so a lot of painting and other work for hubby.
I do all the inside cleaning but I have to take breaks to save my back.  As all women know there is no end of housework
because it needs to done over and over.
We consider ourselves fortunate to be able to do it but for how long will depend on  our health.


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## rkunsaw

We do everything ourselves. For the past few days and several days to come I've been rebuilding a bridge in addition to the garden, mowing and such. Brooke's been helping with the weeding and doing lots of canning.


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## Jillaroo

_Due to all my injuries i am struggling so organising for some home care, just a bit of housework and take me shopping, i have just done 3 days dishes and now suffering more Grrr gets very frustrating not being able to do what i always found easy._


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## Ina

Jillaroo, I sorry to hear that you have such injuries. Is it just you, or are you married? If you are alone, maybe a room mate would benefit you. You could give the roommate a good discounted rent. That way your cost is nill, and you would also have a friend.
I'm in a wheelchair 75% of the time, so if I didn't have Michael, I too would need to do something for help.
Get better soon, is my hope for you. raying::fingerscrossed:


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## Jackie22

I do what yard work that I can myself, mostly mowing, I hire the really hard jobs out.  I really dread the mowing in the Texas heat come August.


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## Vivjen

Doesn't your grass die down in August ; therefore no mowing needed?


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## Ina

Vivjen, It depends on what part of Texas your from. East Texas stays green most of the year. West Texas is more on the dry side. We are in the east, so we mow year Round, unless we a freeze in the winter.


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## Jackie22

Yes, it does to some extent, Vivjen, but there are times that it does have to be mowed.


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## Capt Lightning

We still do most of the work at home, but not at the car or motorhome.  Things have become too complicated and I no longer feel like getting covered in oil. Fortunately there is a very good garage near us that can fix just about anything.  It just pains me to have to pay!


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## JustBonee

I do about 90% of everything around the home and yard by myself.   
 Outside work is brutal in the Texas heat, but I plan that work for early in the day during the summer.  It does seem to take me so much longer these days.  My garden is okay, but not great... cucumbers/ tomatoes/peppers like the heat.  Everything else wilts.  

Before my husband died last year, I remember telling him that I would probably sell and leave, but I'm managing on my own so far, with help from family when needed. Have accomplished much more than I thought I could do.  It's a good feeling. 
But if I had to give up general maintenance, I think I would seriously have thoughts about selling. 
 It hasn't overwhelmed me _yet._


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## Lon

Sold the house several months ago and now rent a great two bedroom, two bath apartment in a 55 or older complex with pool/spa/fitness center and other amenities. I steamed the tile floors, washed some clothes/made the bed/cleaned the toilets, tub and shower/did the breakfast dishes/ did some dusting then took out chicken breasts for the stir fry dinner that I will do for this evenings meal. These little chores only took about one hour. When I had a house I hired all outside work done, since I don't enjoy outside chores.


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## Fern

We do all the work ourselves. I spent an hour yesterday getting some of the grass mown, even though the frosts have slowed down the growth.It's good exercise.


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## Jillaroo

Ina said:


> Jillaroo, I sorry to hear that you have such injuries. Is it just you, or are you married? If you are alone, maybe a room mate would benefit you. You could give the roommate a good discounted rent. That way your cost is nill, and you would also have a friend.
> I'm in a wheelchair 75% of the time, so if I didn't have Michael, I too would need to do something for help.
> Get better soon, is my hope for you. raying::fingerscrossed:



_*Hi Ina, Not possible to have a room mate where i live, i lost my husband in 1994 and it's only since i moved here 5 years ago that my health has declined, i am seeing the Doctor today who is new and hopefully she will have some good advice and avenues for relief from this pain. Thanks for your concern.
             I am always asking when i go to the shops if they have any new Bodies, but alas they all say they are out of stock*_:bigwink:


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## Harley

_*I do it myself..although, I did break down and hire someone to mow for me this year. The ole back is thanking me. Oh and the inside I do myself as well..I've been painting one room now for months..I did not like the color of one wall, and don't like the new color either.  so it will get done, later on..


Just a small portion, from last year..its a work in progress.. 
*_


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## SeaBreeze

Absolutely lovely lawn and garden area Vixen, like out of a magazine! :sunglass:


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## Harley

Thank you, Seabreeze. My hubby and I built the arbor, bldgs, back porch and garden boxes. We did that in a three and half years. He died in 04, so I have kept it up and planted more things.. Oh, we hauled all the rocks too..Some days I swear at him when weeding around the rocks.. 

When we moved in there was one tree in front and 1 one in back..It had been his moms home..


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## Jackie22

Vixen, your yard is lovely, the rocks give it a nice look.  A beautiful yard is always a work in progress, add something every year.

I understand the maintenance job taking longer and longer to finish...lol, I've painted my metal fence before, I only get a section or two painted each day, but I guess these small jobs keep us moving.


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## Ina

Vixen, Whay a lovely yard! We can see the love and time you put into your graden.  :wave:


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## Harley

Thank you, Ina and Jackie, it keeps me sane ( well, a bit ) ..and busy..


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## MaryB

Hi, I'm new here hope you don't mind me joining in, we live in a  ground floor flat which is much easier for us now than having stairs to climb. We do all our own chores and gardening but not car maintenance!


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## Harley

_*Mary..*_


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## MaryB

Thank you Vixen


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## Harley

I'm new myself..So far, it seems like a very nice place, with nice people..


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## MaryB

Yes it certainly does


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## SeaBreeze

MaryB said:


> Hi, I'm new here hope you don't mind me joining in, we live in a  ground floor flat which is much easier for us now than having stairs to climb. We do all our own chores and gardening but not car maintenance!



Stairs can be a chore in itself at our age, I have a basement where I do my laundry, and tend to the cat's litter box, and that's enough, especially if I'm carrying things.  We live in a ranch style home, so no upstairs rooms thankfully, lol.  When I was a child we lived in an apartment on the third floor, so two flights of stairs.  Only now do I realize what my mother went through pulling up the grocery cart, etc.


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## Harley

SeaBreeze said:


> Stairs can be a chore in itself at our age, I have a basement where I do my laundry, and tend to the cat's litter box, and that's enough, especially if I'm carrying things.  We live in a ranch style home, so no upstairs rooms thankfully, lol.  When I was a child we lived in an apartment on the third floor, so two flights of stairs.  Only now do I realize what my mother went through pulling up the grocery cart, etc.



SeaBreeze, that is the same here with the basement laundry and kitty box..Oh and all my Christmas decor, which is a chore at Christmas, and after. Also live in a rancher.


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## peppermint

Hi everyone...I'm new around here...want to start posting......

We do all of the chores around the house....Hubby helps pretty much...not laundry, though....LOL.....We take care of the front lawn...we do get a weed and bug control company in the summer....we have a lot of bushes and our backyard consists of cement around the pool and stones in the whole yard....I plant the flowers and keep everything clean in the yard....but mosquitos in the summer are awful after 6 PM....We do have a screened gazebo...my favorite place to be in the summertime....sometimes I take my puter out there or my reader...I made it look comphy in there....

My hubby will be power washing the house this week and he cleaned the gutters in May.....We have a pool that I maintain....of course we are retired, I have time to do this....when I worked I had a cleaning lady every 2 weeks....Not anymore....it get's very expensive...and we have a 3 bedroom ranch which is not a mansion....

So nice to be here....Look forward to getting to know everyone......♥ peppermint....


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## Kaya

Yep. Hubby and I do it all. Takes us some time, like you Seabreeze, but it does get done. Eventually.


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## SeaBreeze

Vixen said:


> SeaBreeze, that is the same here with the basement laundry and kitty box..Oh and all my Christmas decor, which is a chore at Christmas, and after. Also live in a rancher.



Not much Christmas stuff here, lol...just a tiny plug in ceramic tree that I get out of the garage once a year.  As a running joke, I always complain to hubby that I have to put up the tree _again_. 



peppermint said:


> Hi everyone...I'm new around here...want to start posting......
> 
> We do all of the chores around the house....Hubby helps pretty much...not laundry, though....LOL.....We take care of the front lawn...we do get a weed and bug control company in the summer....we have a lot of bushes and our backyard consists of cement around the pool and stones in the whole yard....I plant the flowers and keep everything clean in the yard....but mosquitos in the summer are awful after 6 PM....We do have a screened gazebo...my favorite place to be in the summertime....sometimes I take my puter out there or my reader...I made it look comphy in there....
> 
> My hubby will be power washing the house this week and he cleaned the gutters in May.....We have a pool that I maintain....of course we are retired, I have time to do this....when I worked I had a cleaning lady every 2 weeks....Not anymore....it get's very expensive...and we have a 3 bedroom ranch which is not a mansion....
> 
> So nice to be here....Look forward to getting to know everyone......♥ peppermint....



Glad to see you're posting Peppermint!   My husband does some of the cooking, he's a much better cook than I am, and he helps with the dishes too sometimes.  I like to do certain things like laundry and vacuuming.  The skeeters have been really bad this year, I just went out before to turn on my lawn sprinkler, and came back in scratching the skin off my arms...hate that itching! 

We both do the gutters, depending on who's in the mood, and we have vinyl siding, so I just hose that down when I want to play with some water, with the little power nozzle.  I was always the cleaning lady here, lol, and I just do what's needed...no white glove tests in my house, I'd fail each and every time. 



Kaya said:


> Yep. Hubby and I do it all. Takes us some time, like you Seabreeze, but it does get done. Eventually.



I hear ya Kaya, I wasn't in a hurry for that stuff when I was working, sure ain't gonna get in a hurry now.


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## rkunsaw

In addition to the mowing ( about 7 or 8 acres ), gardening, canning, etc.  right now I'm rebuilding a bridge. It's about to wear me out, stripping off the old timbers, painting and crawling on my knees putting on new boards, drilling holes and bolting them down. I'm less than halfway across right now. Once finished I should never have to bother with it again though.


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## BlunderWoman

vixen your yard is gorgeous! I putter around with gardening when it's not hot outside, but I have a lawnmower guy do the rest.


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## SeaBreeze

rkunsaw said:


> In addition to the mowing ( about 7 or 8 acres ), gardening, canning, etc.  right now I'm rebuilding a bridge. It's about to wear me out, stripping off the old timbers, painting and crawling on my knees putting on new boards, drilling holes and bolting them down. I'm less than halfway across right now. Once finished I should never have to bother with it again though.



You and your wife are very hard working there!  I admire you, I couldn't keep up with all that every day.


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## Harley

BlunderWoman said:


> vixen your yard is gorgeous! I putter around with gardening when it's not hot outside, but I have a lawnmower guy do the rest.



Thank you! I've been off tending to family, so haven't had time to be here....But have to share a pic..Waiting for the other dahlias to bloom..


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## SeaBreeze

That is sweet Vixen, beautiful flowers! :sunglass:


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## Meanderer

Vixen said:


> Thank you! I've been off tending to family, so haven't had time to be here....But have to share a pic..Waiting for the other dahlias to bloom..
> 
> 
> View attachment 8735



Hello dahlias!  I like the rocks Vixen...they anchor your beautiful flowers!


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## Meanderer




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## rkunsaw

I've got a load of manure in my truck. I've got to put it on my garden this morning. I've got extra shovels if anyone wants to come over. Anyone?


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## SeaBreeze

Thanks, but no thanks Rkunsaw.


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## Meanderer




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## Ina

I would too if I was immersed in it and spitting it out. :holymoly:


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## Aunt Marg

Dear husband and I have always had a good working relationship as far as household chores and duties go.

Being the fulltime homemaker that I have always been, I tackle all inside, with the exception of gardening, being that gardening is my passion, otherwise, anything related to maintenance, in addition to outside work, dear husband handles.

It's been like that since day one, and we've always found a happy balance in it.

I like it, because it reminds me of how things were when I was growing up and in my childhood home. Women's work was in the house, and a man's, outside.


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## Kathleen’s Place

We live in an apartment so don’t have to worry about lawn, but we wash our own windows inside and out, do 99%of any inside maintenance ourselves, trim the bushes and trees because they only do it once a year and it gets messy looking. We also have a flower garden area that we plant ourselves...but the way my back and knees feel right now, we may be doing the planting lying down next spring


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## Autumn

I notice that a majority of the posts on this thread start with the word "we".  When my husband was alive, he did absolutely everything himself  (with a little help from me)and helped out the neighbors too.

I use a grocery delivery service and have my laundry picked up and then delivered back all nice and clean.  I have a cleaning lady that comes in twice a week and use a handyman and a landscaper as needed.  I'm grateful to have this help, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live alone.


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## Kathleen’s Place

Aunt Marg said:


> Dear husband and I have always had a good working relationship as far as household chores and duties go.
> 
> Being the fulltime homemaker that I have always been, I tackle all inside, with the exception of gardening, being that gardening is my passion, otherwise, anything related to maintenance, in addition to outside work, dear husband handles.
> 
> It's been like that since day one, and we've always found a happy balance in it.
> 
> I like it, because it reminds me of how things were when I was growing up and in my childhood home. Women's work was in the house, and a man's, outside.


I was never a full time homemaker except for when the boys were wee little. And my husband is the 2nd oldest of 10 so he was and is, very good at housecleaning and cooking, so we share that. He LOVES to grocery shop and I hate it so that is usually all his. Outside stuff we like to do together too. (By that I mean when “we” wash the windows, he does the washing and I point out spots he missed, or when “we” plant flowers, he does 90%of the planting but I point to where they should go! ). Gotta love teamwork


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## MarciKS

the bare minimum but i haven't felt well since the infection i had in march.


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## Kathleen’s Place

Autumn said:


> I notice that a majority of the posts on this thread start with the word "we".  When my husband was alive, he did absolutely everything himself  (with a little help from me)and helped out the neighbors too.
> 
> I use a grocery delivery service and have my laundry picked up and then delivered back all nice and clean.  I have a cleaning lady that comes in twice a week and use a handyman and a landscaper as needed.  I'm grateful to have this help, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live alone.


I’m so sorry about the loss of your husband 
But I am happy you have those services available to you...especially the laundry part !!!!  Hugs to you


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## Jules

Inside the house, DH does most of the cleaning.  Same goes for the outside.  We have gardeners as part of the complex.  Last year I finally convinced him it was time to let a pro do the outside washing and windows.  It also took a while to convince him that he didn’t need to change the oil or tires.  I can drive to those places and get them done just as easily as he can.  I was a single mother for a few years so had to be adaptable.  

If anything happened to him, I do know that I’d have to find a handyman.  There could be decent money made by someone who likes to putter around.  Sometimes seniors centres have recommendation.  It’s imperative that you check their insurance!!!


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## Gaer

Wow!  I cannot relate to any of this.  I live alone and do all my own everything, including plumbing,electrical, painting, staining,  carpentry, cleaning, handyman, weedeating, outdoor and indoor maintenence.  If my finances were higher, I'd probably hire help at times. 
Can't do automotive repair though!  I'm pretty self-sufficient but I do admit, it would be nice to have a man around the house at times!


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## Aunt Marg

Kathleen’s Place said:


> I was never a full time homemaker except for when the boys were wee little. And my husband is the 2nd oldest of 10 so he was and is, very good at housecleaning and cooking, so we share that. He LOVES to grocery shop and I hate it so that is usually all his. Outside stuff we like to do together too. (By that I mean when “we” wash the windows, he does the washing and I point out spots he missed, or when “we” plant flowers, he does 90%of the planting but I point to where they should go! ). Gotta love teamwork


Now that's what I call having a good thing going, Kathleen! LOL!


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## Aunt Marg

Gaer said:


> Wow!  I cannot relate to any of this.  I live alone and do all my own everything, including plumbing,electrical, painting, staining,  carpentry, cleaning, handyman, weedeating, outdoor and indoor maintenence.  If my finances were higher, I'd probably hire help at times.
> Can't do automotive repair though!  I'm pretty self-sufficient but I do admit, it would be nice to have a man around the house at times!


I admire you, Gaer, for being able to perform such things as plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and other handyman, I mean handywoman things.


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## Ruthanne

I do all the cleaning here and at my own pace which seems to get slower and slower these days.  I get most of my groceries delivered--I do get a few myself at the store.  I am in an apt. so thank God there is no yard work for me to do.  There are nice grounds here and the manager takes care of them nicely.  As for repairs, the manager sees to that, too.  

If I could hire someone to do just the dusting I would--I am behind on that a bit.  I also despise dusting!


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## hollydolly

Autumn said:


> I notice that a majority of the posts on this thread start with the word "we".  When my husband was alive, he did absolutely everything himself  (with a little help from me)and helped out the neighbors too.
> 
> I use a grocery delivery service and have my laundry picked up and then delivered back all nice and clean.  I have a cleaning lady that comes in twice a week and use a handyman and a landscaper as needed.  I'm grateful to have this help, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live alone.


...well thank goodness you do, it gives you more time to spend with us.... ..I'm only half joking, I know you have some serious health issues... and rely on that outside help


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## hollydolly

Gaer said:


> Wow!  I cannot relate to any of this.  I live alone and do all my own everything, including plumbing,electrical, painting, staining,  carpentry, cleaning, handyman, weedeating, outdoor and indoor maintenence.  If my finances were higher, I'd probably hire help at times.
> Can't do automotive repair though!  I'm pretty self-sufficient but I do admit, it would be nice to have a man around the house at times!


I used to be like that between my first and second husbands.. could do most things myself, but car repairs were beyond me.. thank goodness , my second husband although not a manual worker, is superb at all manual jobs in  and outside the home

We do everything that's possible to share.. I mow the lawns and do must of the gardening overall... he cuts the trees down when they get too tall, and manages all the heavier stuff .. He  repairs the cars if needed.. he rebuilt his own camper van from the bottom up.... he re plumbed my house when we married, and sorted out all the  electrics which needed doing.

He re-tiled walls, and floors, he installed almost a whole new bathroom, and all the tiling as well as the toilets...

he decorated right throughout the house, and hung all new blinds...

he laid new flooring and installed lighting in what was a dark attic...

He installed an electric power shower when all the time I'd been doing with a shower on a tap over a bath... and so many other things I'd bore you telling you... but I had 16 years of doing what I could  myself before he came along.. ...

...and during all this he worked and still works,  sometimes  anything up to 80 hours per week


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## Gaer

hollydolly said:


> I used to be like that between my first and second husbands.. could do most things myself, but car repairs were beyond me.. thank goodness , my second husband although not a manual worker, is superb at all manual jobs in  and outside the home
> 
> We do everything that's possible to share.. I mow the lawns and do must of the gardening overall... he cuts the trees down when they get too tall, and manages all the heavier stuff .. He  repairs the cars if needed.. he rebuilt his own camper van from the bottom up.... he re plumbed my house when we married, and sorted out all the  electrics which needed doing.
> 
> He re-tiled walls, and floors, he installed almost a whole new bathroom, and all the tiling as well as the toilets...
> 
> he decorated right throughout the house, and hung all new blinds...
> 
> he laid new flooring and installed lighting in what was a dark attic...
> 
> He installed an electric power shower when all the time I'd been doing with a shower on a tap over a bath... and so many other things I'd bore you telling you... but I had 16 years of doing what I could  myself before he came along.. ...
> 
> ...and during all this he worked and still works sometimes  anything up to 80 hours per week


Holy Cow, Holly, Hang on to HIM!!!!


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## Knight

Yes but at 80 it takes a little longer.


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## hollydolly

Gaer said:


> Holy Cow, Holly, Hang on to HIM!!!!


LOL...well I've been married to him for 20 years now.... so I think I'll be keeping him


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## old medic

We have always done everything possible around the homestead. My work history includes a running a plumbing heating & electrical business, general construction, tree business and ran my own auto shop for a few years.


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## Liberty

For many, many years we've had a groundsman that mows about 6 acres and keeps up whatever part of the landscaping we want him to do...cut down small trees, trim Crepe Myrtles, etc.  Found out we weren't going to live long enough to have hub mow all the time...he isn't great with keeping up "gasoline powered mowers", disliked it and it took him a long time.  Pedro & Company come and do it in one day!  He's a great guy and had his father before him.

Other than that, we do a lot of projects ourselves like cutting trees, clearing out gardens or preparing the soil. Hub just scrubbed the upper outside deck walkway this week. Hey, I washed some big windows...twice, because he didn't mention he was going to clean the deck...lol.  Inside we share the work pretty much...not an issue, as the house is big, but just doesn't seem to get dusty much.  Probably where we live.  We don't live at the end of the world, but we can see it from here...lol.  Nice part is its close to about everything.


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## RadishRose

My ex built our house. So, he did all the maintenance.

I did the flower gardens, and we shared mowing. After awhile we had a lawn service for the grass.

Now, I have a condo so the association does all the outside maintenance.


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## Don M.

I do all the outside work, and any repairs on the house or vehicles.  My wife does the inside work.  I keep about 1.5 acres mowed, and a walking trail though the forest.  So far, working outdoors every day the weather permits has kept me in fairly good shape....hope that lasts for several more years.


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## MickaC

I do everything myself.......indoor......cleaning, windows, minor repairs and maintenance.......no big plumbing.......no electrical.
Outdoor.......mowing, snow shoveling unless the driveway is too heavy, there's a business that does snow removal so i pay them to do it.
Any landscaping since i bought my house in town, i've done myself.........i think i've spread about 37 yards of stones for my projects here.........
set up 1/2 barrels for front and back for planting.......spray weeds.......pull weeds.......have put down patio blocks.......the heavy stuff is coming to an end......my body doesn't like that anymore.........Set up 3 raised gardens this past summer, halded soil in, myself........my theory is, i never create projects for someone else to do........i do them myself.
There's some pictures in some posts here of my achievements.

I hope to do all i can here for a lot of years to come.

On the farm.
I laid 8ft railroad ties.......made walkways.
Laid 24in x 30in blocks......30in x 30in blocks........some smaller ones........16 x 16, 18 x 18.
set up about 60 1/2 barrels for flowers.
Planting trees, shrubs, perennials, gardens, shelter belt trees.......kept up all the tilling in these areas with one of those arm breaking front tyne tillers......did all the mowing in the main yard, with a ride on mower.

I loved doing every bit of these things.......mostly by myself.
But........
I am paying the price with my wrecked joints and arms.

One event on the farm was........the house yard was chosen for garden tours one year......for two days.
That made it all worthwhile for me.


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## squatting dog

Don M. said:


> I do all the outside work, and any repairs on the house or vehicles.  My wife does the inside work.  I keep about 1.5 acres mowed, and a walking trail though the forest.  So far, working outdoors every day the weather permits has kept me in fairly good shape....hope that lasts for several more years.



Likewise.


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## Ken N Tx

Don M. said:


> I do all the outside work, and any repairs on the house or vehicles.  My wife does the inside work.  I keep about 1.5 acres mowed, and a walking trail though the forest.  So far, working outdoors every day the weather permits has kept me in fairly good shape....hope that lasts for several more years.


....No one else to do it this cheap...


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## Aunt Marg

MickaC said:


> I do everything myself.......indoor......cleaning, windows, minor repairs and maintenance.......no big plumbing.......no electrical.
> Outdoor.......mowing, snow shoveling unless the driveway is too heavy, there's a business that does snow removal so i pay them to do it.
> Any landscaping since i bought my house in town, i've done myself.........i think i've spread about 37 yards of stones for my projects here.........
> set up 1/2 barrels for front and back for planting.......spray weeds.......pull weeds.......have put down patio blocks.......the heavy stuff is coming to an end......my body doesn't like that anymore.........Set up 3 raised gardens this past summer, halded soil in, myself........my theory is, i never create projects for someone else to do........i do them myself.
> There's some pictures in some posts here of my achievements.
> 
> I hope to do all i can here for a lot of years to come.
> 
> On the farm.
> I laid 8ft railroad ties.......made walkways.
> Laid 24in x 30in blocks......30in x 30in blocks........some smaller ones........16 x 16, 18 x 18.
> set up about 60 1/2 barrels for flowers.
> Planting trees, shrubs, perennials, gardens, shelter belt trees.......kept up all the tilling in these areas with one of those arm breaking front tyne tillers......did all the mowing in the main yard, with a ride on mower.
> 
> I loved doing every bit of these things.......mostly by myself.
> But........
> I am paying the price with my wrecked joints and arms.
> 
> One event on the farm was........the house yard was chosen for garden tours one year......for two days.
> *That made it all worthwhile for me.*


That's how my husband and I always feel after a long, tiring, and back-breaking job, you reflect on it afterwards and thank yourself for persevering and seeing the job through.

One thing I find, and it's easy to distinguish within neighborhoods, is the amount of pride and effort people put into doing projects. Projects that are smacked-out on a weekend, look just like that, a slap-happy job, but jobs where you see a homeowner take months to do, almost always trumps that of weekend warriors.


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## katlupe

I tried to use an aide for cleaning but changed my mind and am doing it myself. I am particular I guess and like the way I do it better. Living in a senior living apartment building means I have a maintenance man for anything that breaks or needs to be put in. No yard work and without a car I don't have to do snow clean up either. I did a lot of physical work as well as house work and cooking and gardening up until a year before I moved here. Once I could not do it anymore, I knew it was time to move on.


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## Ronni

I do most of the inside stuff ... running laundry, cooking, cleaning, floors etc but only because I usually get to it first.  Ron will run the vacuum, fold laundry, unload the dishwasher...whatever he sees that needs to be done he’ll just do. He’s also a great cook!! The only thing he doesn’t take care of inside is the houseplants. We have a lot and they’re my babies.

He does most of the maintenance too, though if I know how to do or can figure it out it I’ll take care of it. . The other day the washer door wouldn’t close..I took it apart so I could figure out what was wrong, ordered the right part, then installed it and put everything back together again.

He does all the outside maintenance and tends the vegetable garden. I take care of the back porch and tend the flowers.


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## Tish

Absolutely, I do the lot.


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## Phoenix

Only when necessary.  Living in a rural setting some of the yard maintanence isn't necessary.   Most of the plumbing is done by the plumber who lives across the street.  When we need a new roof, we will hire someone to do it.  I still do the painting.  My husband can only help a little because of his scoliosis.


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## Damaged Goods

Yeah, but I'm absolutely finished with mowing and worried that I'll be unable to find someone who will offer a contract for 2021.  My last full mowing is usually mid-October with continued mowing of leaves until mid-November.

In 2020, I quit in September after completing 1/4 of the job.  Hopped off the tractor.  Pain in the upper extremities due to structural damage finally beat me.  Turning the wheel frequently even with the one tractor that has power steering is impossible.

Place is not an easy mow; it's hilly, requires frequent turns to scoot around tree roots, and there are several depressions where trees once stood.

Anybody have experience or advice about dealing with contractors in this regard?  When to start contacting them?  I put out two feelers so far but no serious discussions.


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## Phoenix

Damaged Goods said:


> Yeah, but I'm absolutely finished with mowing and worried that I'll be unable to find someone who will offer a contract for 2021.  My last full mowing is usually mid-October with continued mowing of leaves until mid-November.
> 
> In 2020, I quit in September after completing 1/4 of the job.  Hopped off the tractor.  Pain in the upper extremities due to structural damage finally beat me.  Turning the wheel frequently even with the one tractor that has power steering is impossible.
> 
> Place is not an easy mow; it's hilly, requires frequent turns to scoot around tree roots, and there are several depressions where trees once stood.
> 
> Anybody have experience or advice about dealing with contractors in this regard?  When to start contacting them?  I put out two feelers so far but no serious discussions.


The people we employed here turned out to be unreliable.  They didn't do what they said they were going to do.  They didn't finish the jobs.  We found one of them on an online site.  Supposedly our neighbors had used them and gave them good reviews, but apparently the neighbors were afraid to be honest.


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