Admit it. As Filipinos, we were raised by parents who trained us to be industrious and exhibit responsibility by helping out with the chores around the house. In the past, it was normal for a Filipino family to have a household size of more than 10 persons. And we knew how to make use of this big number to our advantage. Errand and chores were simply assigned by the parents to each member of the family.
As we mature and raise our own family, we carry on these habits and lessons that we learned from our upbringing. We continue to expect ourselves and our children to do everything on our own. That was the measure of how productive and responsible we are.
But the modern time is slowly breaking down this mindset. The average Filipino household size has dwindled down to 4.6 persons according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. To adapt and survive, Filipinos have to quickly learn to do more with less. Luckily, technology has coped up with this change, allowing people to be productive with less manpower required. The Internet has made it phenomenally easier to find and connect with people who can help do things for you. Hence, here are the top 10 errands most probably you didn’t think some people can do for you.
1) First & last-mile deliveries – sending & picking up of items
More than once a day, an average family requires some movement of items from one place to another. This frequency is amplified if your family is running a business. Sending and picking up items are just part of our way of life. We need to obtain goods that can improve our lives or the lives of our family members. Unfortunately, to fill in the distance between point A and point B to access these goods is still an errand and would require resources, energy, and time. Our default settings would of course say nobody else can do it but us. Guess what, nowadays, there is already a solution for that and somebody can just come to your rescue with just a click of a button.
2) Sending/picking of clothes to/from the laundry shop
Washing of clothes is a daily chore for a family. This explains why the laundry shops are sprouting in every corner of the street like mushrooms. Because of its nature, a laundry shop is just good business. On the other hand, as customers, we got used to sending and picking up our laundered clothes by ourselves. Most of the time, we just force ourselves to do it. Well, next time, think twice and know this errand can actually be done by someone else.
3) Bank related payments and deposits
It’s common for every family especially for those in the middle class and up, to have something to do with a bank. They could be plain old savings account transactions to credit cards, utility, mortgage payments, and many more. Come to think about it, that extra energy you intend to spend on travel and waiting in line doesn’t add value that much that you have to prioritize it in any way. If you can resolve the trust issue, definitely somebody else will be willing to fall in line with you for a fee.
4) Groceries
Ah, of course, everybody must eat 3 times a day to sustain the body, not to mention, of course, just to feel good. But we all know the condition of our transport systems and how bad the traffic has become. Next time you decide to give up and abandon your plan of going to the grocery store because you’re too tired and you just don’t have the time, remember that someone else would be happy to do it for you while you sit back and relax.
5) Buying medicines
Some families have senior citizens among them that need access to medicines on a regular basis. Only if they have half the energy they had when they were younger, doing this errand could have been a walk in the park. Sad to say, with their old age, doing this seemingly simple errand by themselves is just too risky and for some may be impossible. The good news is, nowadays, some people are willing to do errands for the elderly. In fact, you might want them to buy you items other than medicines, say, adult diapers, and many more.
6) Surprising a loved one with a gift
One thing very prominent about us Filipinos is the huge number of overseas workers who tirelessly send money back home to provide for their families in the Philippines. OFW’s minds are constantly with their loved ones. This is amplified when there are special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, valentine’s day, etc. It’s human nature to have a desire to express our love to our dear ones. Of course, there is just no way you can accomplish this gift-giving task if you’re far away except by asking someone already in the area.
7) Special errand requests
For those rare and unusual moments where you have to do something you wish you don’t have to; you’re too tired to; or you just don’t have the time to, as long as it is not illegal, you may still find someone who can be willing to do it for you. All you have to do is reach out.
At the end of the day, all of these just boil down to one thing: the decision to pass an errand to someone else is still with you. What matters is realizing that doing everything by yourself is not the only option and it doesn’t have to be your default setting. There is always a choice here. And there is always someone you can count on to be your second pair of hands.