Mom Hacks - Outsourcing
I think the hardest part about being a mother in 2026 is that we feel that we need to do it all. I was texting back and forth with a friend a few weeks back and I feel like that texts (while a bit unhinged) sums it up pretty well for how many of us moms feel from time to time..
“We have to do it with having no time to ourselves.. working full time.. having no help.. making sure you drop off and pick up your kid on time.. don’t bring store bought cookies.. but don’t wear too ugly of an ugly Christmas sweater at the Christmas event.. also make sure you don’t miss the Christmas event.. but also make sure you work so you can buy the things.. but don’t buy too many things, but also make sure you never run out of anything in the house.. and make sure the floors are clean.. but also.. I could go on and on.. clearly.. it’s fucking never ending.. AND THAT’S JUST THE ‘NORMAL’ DAY TO DAY SHIT”…
It’s honestly pretty surprising to me that not more of us don’t breakdown like Britney in 2007 and just do something drastic because we can… it’s a lot. Being a mom is a lot, and being a GOOD parent is even harder.. I’ve seen that saying that’s something like “you only think you’re a bad parent if your actively trying to be the best parent..” and it’s true.. if we cared a little less, it would be easier, but I also don’t want to care any less.
ANYWAYS.. all of that to say that I’ve recently looked at our household to see what I’m outsourcing and what COULD be outsourced if I wanted it to be, so I wanted to share.. Mind you, these are things that any family can do, whether you have kids or not. I understand that parents don’t have a monopoly on being overwhelmed and overworked. So, without further ado, my list of outsourcing, in list of easiest to hardest to do (IMO):
Grocery Shopping: TWO apps save my life.
Kroger - Boost next day delivery service over orders of $35, $69/year - same day option is $99/year.
Sam’s Club - Plus Membership, same day delivery for orders over $50, $110/year
These save me SOO much time and money. Kroger is really for the essentials that you don’t need in bulk, but Sam’s Club also has pre-made dinners that save me a lot too. Plus Sam’s has a ‘Scan and Go’ feature if you want to go in the store, so you can checkout through the app vs having to wait in line, and they have free pick-up for orders over $35. IMO, Costco is losing a lot of customers to Sam’s because of these three features.
House Cleaners
We’ve now had house cleaners for 1.5 years and it’s something I wish I had done sooner. I was spending half to a full day, where I should have been doing other stuff, cleaning the house. Since we’ve had cleaners, I just run the vacuum and mop (Robots!) on the off weeks to help keep the floors clean, but I no longer need to deep clean the bathroom.
Laundry Services
I haven’t gotten into this, but I do know that some people love it. I’ve learned as an adult that there are some chores that some people loathe, and other chores that they don’t like but are fine with. For me, laundry is the latter of the two. I’ve started trying to do one load every other day, or even every day if necessary, which has absolutely helped a LOT. Another things is realizing that I’m allowed to say no to playing with my son if I want to finish folding laundry, and that this is ok.. but that’s a topic for another time.
Chef Services
This is something I’ve been recently trying, but TBD on if it’s something for me. However, regardless on if a true chef service is what I want for my family I’m starting to lean into places I can buy food vs make it.. for me, cooking is in that LOATHE category for chores.. so here are some of my hacks..
Sam’s Club Dinners in the ‘prepared meals’ deli section - Enchiladas, Chicken (rosemary pre-cooked) + potatoes, Chicken (rosemary pre-cooked) + cheese manicotti
Family Meal Take-Out: some of my favorites in MetroDetroit — Woodpile BBQ Family Meal, ~$50 and was enough for dinner + 3 or so lunches (family of three, one being a toddler).. Mr Kabob’s Combo Meal, ~$40 and was enough for dinner + 2 or so lunches — may want to add a veggie
Primealete lunches — I actually haven’t tried this yet, but it’s on my list. There are a few locations around, and I plan to try a few meals ($7 each) and if I like them I’d like to get a pack of 25 ($125, so $5 each) to use this here and there for lunches or even dinners.
Alright, those are my top suggestions for things to outsource. I’m always open to suggestions on what you’ve outsourced that has made your life easier!
Thanks for reading!!
