Outline:
The Surprising Benefits of Outsourcing Household Chores
It turns out that love might benefit from a little less labor. Research suggests that couples who spend money on time-saving services—like getting takeout, hiring a housecleaner, or calling a dog walker—report greater relationship satisfaction, especially during stressful periods. This insight comes from Ashley Whillans, a behavioral scientist and professor at Harvard Business School, who studies the “tradeoffs people make between time and money.”
Whillans explains that when individuals spend money to save time—such as hiring an accountant, a babysitter, or a cleaner—they feel more control over their lives. This sense of autonomy can boost overall well-being.
Not everyone can afford to outsource larger household chores, but Whillans believes even small changes can make a difference. She recommends couples conduct a “time audit”—examining how they spend their hours and identifying small changes that could reclaim even a few moments.
“People underestimate how much these choices matter,” she said. “It’s not about luxury—it’s about freeing up time to connect.”
How Time-Saving Purchases Improve Relationships
Whillans’ team tracked busy, dual-income couples—partners working full-time who often report feeling time-starved—and found consistent patterns. In one six-week diary study, couples who made “time-saving purchases” on a given day were happier and more satisfied with their relationships.
However, simply outsourcing chores isn’t a magic fix. It’s about being intentional with the time you get back—using it to spend quality time together and reconnect. Whillans encourages couples to think of that half hour not as an opportunity to send more emails, but as a chance to spend time with your partner.
Targol Hasankhani, a Chicago-based marriage and family therapist, emphasizes that while outsourcing domestic labor can ease daily stress, it doesn’t replace communication. Juggling careers and kids takes a toll on families, and housework is often freighted with resentments over who is doing it.
“If conflict around chores is rooted in something deeper—like inequity or not feeling heard—hiring a cleaner won’t solve that,” she said. Couples must dig deeper to address problems with many layers. “It opens up time and space, but couples still have to know how to show up for each other in that space,” Hasankhani added.
Real-Life Examples of Time-Saving Success
Casey Mulligan Walsh, 71, a former speech pathologist and author in upstate New York, shared her experience of hiring a housecleaner once a week. The best part was that it freed up time for her and her husband to spend together. “My favorite day of the week was coming home to a clean house,” she said. “We’d go get coffee together instead of arguing about who should vacuum.”
For some couples, starting to delegate household tasks isn’t easy. Whillans notes that besides the cost, it takes time to find someone and coordinate—but the long-term payoff is real. And making such decisions together can deepen trust and a sense of teamwork.
For one Colorado couple, outsourcing started as an act of love. Melissa Jones, a 45-year-old teacher in Pueblo, shared how her now-husband noticed how hard she was working—at her job, at home, and as a single mom. His Valentine’s Day gift? A deep housecleaning. “It was truly amazing,” Jones said. “After that, I kept it up on my own for years. When my husband and I moved in together, we decided to continue.”
“We’re able to make memories with each other, our kids, and our families instead of spending weekends scrubbing floors,” she added.
Dinnertime Can Be a Stress Point
In Miami, Elizabeth Willard, 59, runs The Pickled Beet, a culinary service preparing customized meals. “Most of the people I cook for are trying to invest in their health but don’t have the time,” she said, noting that families often juggle mixed dietary needs. “Sometimes the husband’s a carnivore and the wife’s vegetarian, one child’s celiac. They’re exhausted trying to make everyone happy.”
Her clients, often families with children and two working parents, are “not fighting over what’s for dinner. It’s one less daily decision.” Whether ordering a pizza, paying a teenager to mow the lawn, or calling a car service to save 20 minutes, the outcome can be the same: Buying back time can buy peace.