Living Fair

Resourcefulness and Resources for Petowners

Maybe election coverage and the verbal judo between Hilary and Barack is on your mind. Maybe who wins the Democratic nomination takes a backseat to how the national economy is doing and your ever dwindling monthly budget. Today, the Fed Chairman, Bernanke, told the House Financial Services Committee, "The economic situation has become distinctly less favorable” since the summer. No disrespect implied however, it's not too hard to see why. A cripplingly expensive war, oil prices at upwards of $3 a gallon, further inflationary pressures, slow job growth, a severe mortgage lending crisis and a credit crunch--it's time to get the Mr. Fix-it's in fast.  Over the span of just eight days in January, the Fed slashed rates by 1.25 percentage points — the biggest one-month reduction in a quarter century. Economists and Wall Street investors predict the Fed will cut rates again at its next meeting on March 18. As interest rates continue to fall to inspire investment, we're all more cautious. We should be. 

Like you, I like finding a good deal. I'm reading Pennysaver more than I used to and I save money where and when I can. Take my dogs. They're like my children. I adore them.  I've been searching for high quality monthly flea repellent and heart worm medicine on sale and never can find it. My vet sells it for far far more than I can pay for it--big markup there.  If you own a dog, you know. It's very, very expensive stuff.  My Laborfair.com dogwalker, smart, sassy and in-the-know girl that she is, told me about a mobile low cost vaccination clinic for pets. This past weekend, I gave it a try. Every weekend, VIP Petcare Services travels in a van to popular pet stores throughout the Bay Area and gives affordable vaccinations and GREAT discounts on heartworm tests and popular medications. ICheck out their website for a complete list of clinic locations. I saved $50 on a full year's supply of Frontline and Heartguard--- and got a FREE heartworm test for....

Don Pablo Picasso      and  Don Diego Rivera.

Laborfair's team mascots and all-around office comedians.

It's a good deal. Here's to petcare that's fair! Jenna

What’s Fair? Laborfair announces Bay Area first quarterly Wage Report

How much to pay for a job well done is a concern and frustration for just about everyone who wants and needs household, personal and family care. As our name suggests, we help you as the consumer make informed decisions about what is a fair hourly wage for your job request.

At Laborfair we create a transparent marketplace that ensures both consumers and providers are fairly charged and compensated for work performed.

Rate Guidance:

Our rate guidance table (visible in the What's Fair section of this blog) can be used as a benchmark for average hourly rates per category in your local area. Use this to help you determine what is the fair wage for your job. The information is a summary of real time data collected across our site on September 22, 2007. Of course, your agreed-upon rate with the provider varies depending on the specifics of your job. We will release these quarterly.

These numbers clearly show that savvy consumers can save money by contracting directly with a qualified and experienced service provider. At the same time, the report gives us a unique window into what people in business for themselves are earning as a living wage instead of what they would earn as a minimum wage at a larger company or agency. The report also highlights some interesting variances around the Bay Area in the costs of services by region. For example, the average fee charged by a handyman on the Peninsula is $33.68 while San Francisco is much less at $22.15. Hmmm, interesting. Other averages across big categories here at Laborfair are:

• Child Care: $19.24/hour
• Housekeeper: $17.83/hour
• Handyman: $25.75/hour
• Adult Care: $17.00/hour
• Gardener: $17.37/hour
• Painter: $22.29/hour

So, now that you are getting your house or apartment in shape for those holiday parties, you know what it might cost you. Enjoy, Jenna