The Consumer's Guide to Experts TOP PROS IN 50 FIELDS SHOW YOU HOW TO HIRE THE BEST { Repost }

Personal services are booming in America, and it’s easy to see why. Americans are working longer hours, and they would rather spend their precious time off enjoy- Ping leisure activities than doing chores they can hire someone else to do.
This is especially true of married career women,some of whom have a hard time convincing their hus- bands that household work should be evenly shared.
While the do-it-yourself spirit is still alive and well in America, there are plenty of services that any one of us can’t do for ourselves—because we lack the neces- sary physical skill or sophisticated knowledge—or we don’t want to do them—because we lack interest. That’s why some folks do their own home improvements but wouldn’t think of preparing their income taxes, and vice versa. Others love managing their own investments but wouldn’t dream of planning their daughter’s wedding, and vice versa.

Some services are necessities in life, regardless of income or lifestyle. If you have children and need to work, then finding the best child care you can afford is imperative. If a loved one dies, you will need mortuary services. And, from birth to death, you will probably need the services of a variety of physicians.

But economists have long noted that, as personal income rises, people spend relatively less on things and a lot more on services. And this effect is magnified by a feeling that one’s free time is more precious than money. Over the past 20 years, well-educated Americans have enjoyed a strong surge in personal income, and this has been especially true of two-income, dual-career households. These folks have plenty of money to pay for services, and because of the time pressures on their lives, plenty of incentive, too.