OUTSOURCING YOUR ERRANDS
By Kate Poole
Wall Street Journal Magazine | December 29, 2011
Not Bad: Luxury Dry Cleaning
Go ahead -- spill that wine. Luxury dry cleaning services offer freedom from the tyranny of laundry, promising to revive everything from crystal-encrusted gowns to draperies. The New York City outpost of Jeeves International will launder a shirt ($11) or tackle the interior of a yacht (around $40,000), and offers free local pickup and delivery. It also ships anywhere in the country -- though clients pick up the bill.
Getting Fancy Now: Personal Assistant
Of course, laundry is only the tip of the chore iceberg. Those looking to fob off a few more to-dos could try a personal assistant. New York- and Los Angeles-based Lambent Services provides part-time, full-time and per-project helpers for up to $50 an hour. The company says its assistants have a range of backgrounds (one is a former assistant to Oscar-nominated director Alfonso Cuaron) and will do anything from household repairs to cracking the whip at the gym.
Life-Changing: Household Management
Ever wish you lived in a hotel? Bringing in a home manager (typically $50,000 to $125,000 a year) could be the next best thing. Household managers act as chief operating officer of your property, says Mark Tollison, director of admissions at Denver's Starkey International Institute for Household Management, overseeing supplies, expenses and the rest of the staff. Plus, he says, many also bring expertise from past jobs as chefs or sommeliers.