Mowing the Lawn

[jackdaniels]

I hate doing it. Gardening is not my thing, so I decided to get some neighboorhood kid to do it. Problem is, I'm not sure I know what would be fair to pay for the job. I had the kid next door clear my driveway (snow sucks) for like $4. Then he showed up asking for $10, saying it snowed "a lot". I fired him on the spot and had my wife do it /images/graemlins/grin.gif But she refuses to do the lawn. (THAT isn't excersize she says - who the heck can understand women?!?!?)

So what is the fair price for mowing a 40X40 foot lawn? I live in Toronto if any locals have hard numbers for our area.

[pshreck]

[ QUOTE ]
I had the kid next door clear my driveway (snow sucks) for like $4. Then he showed up asking for $10, saying it snowed "a lot". I fired him on the spot

[/ QUOTE ]

If I were this kids dad I would kick your ass.

[2planka]

Wow are you lazy.

[jackdaniels]

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Wow are you lazy.


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Yes, this is true. While I can blame my health and other such crap for not wanting to do these menial tasks, let me just say that I was raised in a condo in NYC and have never experienced the "joys" of mowing the lawn and shoveling the snow - that crap is for the birds. But seriously, what is the fair price for a kid to mow your lawn? If I paid him like $25 every other week, would that be too much or too little? Some of you guys are just about his age /images/graemlins/tongue.gif, shouldn't you know this stuff?

[pshreck]

15-20 bucks / mow, american $$ though. So yeah I guess 25 bucks sounds about right.

[lorinda]

Tell the kid that you employed someone to mow your lawn for $x, at which point he'll probably say "I'd have done it for $y" and you can hire him on the cheapest rate he would have worked for.

Lori

[jackdaniels]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell the kid that you employed someone to mow your lawn for $x, at which point he'll probably say "I'd have done it for $y" and you can hire him on the cheapest rate he would have worked for.

Lori

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a pretty sneaky tactic. Only we are dealing with a passive kid here with whom I don't really "chat". I'm pretty sure I will have to make an offer and see if it is accepted or not.

I'll post results once they come in (BTW - I tried to google this info and it seems like there just isn't enough quality information out there about this topic - go figure).

[2planka]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell the kid that you employed someone to mow your lawn for $x, at which point he'll probably say "I'd have done it for $y" and you can hire him on the cheapest rate he would have worked for.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then wait a month and tell him you're farming the job out to a Mexican.....

How big is your lawn? I have a half acre that takes me about an hour to cut. I pay my nephew $25 to mow it when we're on vacation.

[jackdaniels]

[ QUOTE ]
Then wait a month and tell him you're farming the job out to a Mexican.....

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This made me laugh so hard I had Pepsi coming out of my nose.

[ddollevoet]

You are going to pay a kid $25 bucks to cut your grass and you wouldn't pay $10 to shovel snow. You cheap bastard.

Pay $20 to cut the lawn and invest the extra $5 for when it starts to snow.

[jackdaniels]

[ QUOTE ]
Pay $20 to cut the lawn and invest the extra $5 for when it starts to snow.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like the way you think! Maybe I should make a "package deal" with the kid, give him some employment for the summer AND the winter!

[namknils]

[ QUOTE ]
I had the kid next door clear my driveway (snow sucks) for like $4. Then he showed up asking for $10, saying it snowed "a lot". I fired him on the spot and had my wife do it /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow you're a huge ass, and a cheap bastard to boot.

[jackdaniels]

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Wow you're a huge ass, and a cheap bastard to boot.

[/ QUOTE ]

Well, that's just, like, your opinion man.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Then he showed up asking for $10, saying it snowed "a lot". I fired him on the spot and had my wife do it /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Brilliant.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
15-20 bucks / mow, american $$ though. So yeah I guess 25 bucks sounds about right.

[/ QUOTE ]
No way! For a 40'x40' yard? $5... $10 max. That thing'll take like 10 minutes to mow.

[masse75]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in Toronto if any locals have hard numbers for our area.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, Canadian. Explains why you're a cheap bastard.

[ThaSaltCracka]

$10.00

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
15-20 bucks / mow, american $$ though. So yeah I guess 25 bucks sounds about right.

[/ QUOTE ]
No way! For a 40'x40' yard? $5... $10 max. That thing'll take like 10 minutes to mow.

[/ QUOTE ]

Remember we are talking Canadian money. Also, who is supplying the mower and gas?? If he is, then this is easily $25.

[miajag81]

With all due respect, you are a lazy turd. Mowing the lawn is nothing. I can't wait to see you on the news in a couple years as they are removing all 1,200 pounds of you (1,500 CDN) from your house with a forklift.

[goofball]

$10 CAD would be more than fair in my opinion.

[Pocket Trips]

My parents currently pay a landscaper $30 a week to do theirs ( about a 1/2 acre) so I would think half of that should be good for a teenager that will do a half-assed job anyways most likely.

[JoeU]

First of all, give the kid $20/mow.

Secondly, buy yourself an MP3 player and a decent lawn mower and do it yourself. The benefits are:

1) The tan: people pay good money to sit under a lamp when you can do it for free.
2) The exercise: this lawn is probably gonna take an hour max. Get a little cardio in.

If you are lazy, buy yourself a riding lawn mower. The money you'll spend on a good riding mower, you'll make back in a couple of years.

I have over 1 1/2 acres to mow. I do it with this
http://www.deere.com/en_US/homeowners/media/images/tasks/static/common/LT150H_77951.jpg

It takes me 3 hours when I'm bagging, and a little over 1 hour if I'm mulching, but the tan is great! /images/graemlins/cool.gif

Joe

[chucksim]

[ QUOTE ]
My parents currently pay a landscaper $30 a week to do theirs ( about a 1/2 acre) so I would think half of that should be good for a teenager that will do a half-assed job anyways most likely.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't be so sure. I have 1/2 acre with a steep PITA hill and my fenced in dog-run that takes me between 1.5 and 2 hrs to do. I got a $45/week estimate (guaranteed) from 2 different landscapers. None of the kids in my neighborhood want to take it for $30. Every time I cut the hill, I realize they're smarter than I am.....

[jackdaniels]

So I spoke with the kid yesterday and we agreed he would come by and mow th elawn (front and back) once every 2 weeks for $15 each time ($20 th efirst time around as there are lots of weed to pull out and stuff). He will also provide his own equipment (lawnmower).

Thanks for all your advice OOT!

[Diplomat]

Man, lots of hate from OOT just because you don't want to pay too much to have someone mow your lawn. Yeesh.

You've got a pretty small lawn, I wouldn't go over 20 bucks. 15 sounds about right.

-Diplomat

[bosoxfan]

[ QUOTE ]
I live in Toronto

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't you have pink bills up there? Who cares it's like monopoly money.

[jackdaniels]

[ QUOTE ]
Man, lots of hate from OOT just because you don't want to pay too much to have someone mow your lawn. Yeesh.

You've got a pretty small lawn, I wouldn't go over 20 bucks. 15 sounds about right.

-Diplomat

[/ QUOTE ]

Hate from OOT? nah, just some tough love /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[jackdaniels]

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Don't you have pink bills up there? Who cares it's like monopoly money.

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I don't remember the last time I saw a pink note ($1000 bill for non-Canadians). Must have been in a poker room somewhere in Vancouver, oh, maybe 3-4 years ago. I think they were pulled from circulation just around that time.

I do miss them though. Ahhhh.... Nostalgia.....

[jakethebake]

The key to this is hiring the youngest kid you can find. The younger the kid, the less he'll be willing to do it for. AND the more entertaining it'll be watching him trying to complete the job.

(This theory also works with women.)

[chaas4747]

Hiring the youngest woman can you get jail time Jake.

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]
Tell the kid that you employed someone to mow your lawn for $x, at which point he'll probably say "I'd have done it for $y" and you can hire him on the cheapest rate he would have worked for.

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[tbach24]

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