Most people have a decision to make as it pertains to their mowing needs. A lot of people like to mow their own lawns and have the time to do so, but lawn mowing services are rising in popularity every year. One is more cost-efficient than the other, while a service is hassle-free and saves you a lot of time, especially in the longterm. The natural logic then would be that only busy people should use mowing services, and people who have the time can mow their own lawns. Unfortunately, it isn’t always so simple and a decision has to be thought through even more. How do you know if you should mow your own lawn or not?
Can You Do It In The First Place?
You have to consider whether or not you even have the time to fathom mowing your own lawn. If you’re someone that leads a very busy lifestyle and works weekends or has a business, it might be too impractical to try and mow your own lawn. In such cases, it is quite obvious that your only options would really be to either hire a servicing company, or ask a friend/relative to do it for you. Sure, a friend or relative may do it once or twice, but good luck having them be your personal mower long-term.
If you can squeeze out a bit of personal time for yourself, you may consider doing it yourself. It would still be completely warranted to hire a company even if you do have the time, and it is a decision you’ll have to make based on your own personal interest and the level of practicality.
Estimate Your Costs
If you do decide to mow yourself, your main costs will be 1) the mower itself, 2) maintaining the mower longterm, and 3) gas (if using a gas-powered mower). This is generally pretty inexpensive and mower maintenance shouldn’t be much of an issue, especially in the early years of the mowers’ lifespan. You are also paying in time through your own labor, which is arguably the most expensive cost of all.
When you hire a company to do your mowing, you are mainly paying for the labour each time (which can be expensive). On top of that, the company also has to charge a little bit more so it can make a profit while also covering its operating costs. The average cost of mowing in the United States is anywhere from $30 – $80 per visit, depending on how large your lawn is. Over the span of a year and more, this can add up and cost you quite a bit.
Ultimately, you have to determine whether or not that time you would spend mowing your lawn is worth more than the $30 – $80 you would spend on a service. If you feel like you’re potentially losing money or wasting valuable time, then it obviously makes the most sense to just go ahead and pay the service fee. If spending upwards of $400 – $1,000 per year on mowing services is too much for you, then you’ll want to buy your own mower and do it yourself.
Consider The Frequency Needs
You also have to consider how frequently you’ll need your lawn to mowed. For people whose lawn needs to mowed strictly every 2 weeks and you have a massive lawn at a rate of $60 per visit, you could potentially be paying upwards of $1,500+ per year on mowing. Obviously, this sum is considered a lot of money to most people and not everyone can afford to sign up for a mowing service. This means you really have to calculate your costs and determine whether or not it is worth it.
Bottom Line
Determining whether or not paying for a mowing service is for you will come down to an evaluation of time versus money. If the time you would be losing is worth more than the money you would spend to have someone else do it for you, then the decision is quite clear. If the service is too expensive and you would rather spend 30 – 120 minutes mowing your lawn rather paying up the fee, then the decision is also quite clear.