Now I hate to seem sexist here, but in all households there needs to be a division of labor to managing it all (bless you single Mamas/Dads!). Mowing the lawn is a responsibility that my Hubby seems to relish, and the instant gratification cannot be denied. How can you make the task more sustainable and save your family money?
- Get Reel – Reel lawnmowers have made a real comeback for households without acres of lawn. This is the best option for not relying on smelly/spendy/polluting fuel, the biggest downside is that you have to be willing to mow more often or face an exponential task.
- Go Electric – While not the cheapest up front, you’ll save money in the long run. I’ve been intrigued by the Neuton mower and secretly hope to get one when our mower finally dies.
- Share – For several years we shared a mower with our neighbor with a simple agreement that included us always filling up the tank.
- Old Fixer – Our mower was refurbished by my mechanically-minded Dad, but works like a charm. There are plenty of old mowers out there and any decent repair shop should be able to get/keep yours running for less than the cost of a new one.
Is mowing the lawn a “Dad” job in your family?
Do you pay teenagers to tackle the task?
What’s the greenest choice for you?
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sustainable Family Finances
The story of a family creating an abundant and sustainable life.
Sis – Are you sure that isn’t dad? If I didn’t know what he looked like as a kid, I might think that he was. I’m certain their were scenes like this played out as a youngster, that is for certain.
You didn’t note that you’ve also done more than your share of lawn mowing in your day. As kids we had such a big yard that we three sisters divided the lawn in three and drew straws or the like to see who got the worst part of the yard that was up nearly up to the knee and swamplike. Definitely didn’t relish it when it was a veritable marsh!
My hubby hasn’t mowed a lawn in twenty years, but he is still against it. Luckily we manage that by not having a yard. I love the old school simple mowers, but you have to have a city lawn to manage that. Using that out in the country would be impossible.
Happy mowing!
Miel