Yard maintenance is one of the many trades that don’t require you to have any fancy degree. It’s also free and available to anyone willing to get there hands a little dirty. In fact, we have been doing it throughout history as a part of our everyday lives. Yard work such as gardening produces food and provides us with an aesthetically pleasing environment.

This once common practice is becoming a lesser part of our lifestyle with the emergence of landscaping companies. They have made it easy to hire some else to do your maintenance. At the same time, this process of assigning your yard care to someone else could be hindering you form some of the many benefits.

Here are 6 reasons you should consider doing your own yard work:

1. Saving a little extra for a rainy day

Take a minute to think about how much you pay yearly for yard care services. If you are like the average homeowner then, it is probably a significant amount. The cost of having that perfectly groomed lawn alone can add up by the end of the year. For one, you need to mow your lawn on a schedule in order to keep it looking healthy. Additionally, you may have to it fertilized, detached, or reseeded once a year. Now factor in all the additional services such as leaf cleanups, planting, and pruning.

Having a well-maintained yard does not come cheap, that’s why many companies continue to make a living off doing just that. By doing your own yard work you gain full control over your finances. The extra income saved could end up going towards your retirement, education, or emergency funds.

2. Having full control over your projects

They are many professional companies out there that provide quality services; however, those services have limitation. They don’t always accommodate your situation when it comes to your projects. Doing your own yard work allows you the freedom and flexibility to alter your project as many times as you see fit. Likewise, this independence gives you the opportunity to push project completion within your own timeframe.

3. Spending time with the family

Have you ever had those awkward visits where guests sat there quiet and looking bored? Well, organizing a gardening activity is a great way to get both kids and adults outside involved with nature. Adults can enjoy a peaceful conversation, while the kids are having fun playing in the dirt. In addition, activities such as planting can also be very educational for children. They get to learn a little bit about the life cycle of plants.

They even get to be involved in the process of digging holes to plant seeds and watering. Besides that, these types of projects are a great way to plan future visits.

4. Great workout

Keeping busy in the yard is an excellent way to burn calories while getting work done. Gardening and other landscaping activities involve a lot of actions such as lifting, squatting, pulling, and digging.  Your muscles never get time to adapt, because there is no set routine when it comes to gardening.

Say goodbye to that gym membership, by the end of the day you will have the same dopamine high, minus the sweaty gym equipment.

5. Relaxation

Gardening is a good way to forget about the stresses of life and reconnect with nature. It’s for this reason, many business settings incorporate plants into the layout in order to imitate our natural surroundings. Gardening also requires a bit of focus, which helps you to clear your mind and be in the moment. A good example is the practice of Bonsai, which involved maintaining a miniature tree by means of pruning.

6. Gain knowledge through experience

Some food for thought, everyone you have ever hired had to learn through trial and error. If you’re feeling confident and up to the tasks there is no need to hire someone else for smaller projects. Spend some time online and do a bit of research. If you are not internet savvy, then take a visit to your local library.

Now, I’m not saying that you need to do every single task in your yard. Some jobs are best left to the professionals, however, take on the jobs you are comfortable with. In the end, the knowledge you acquire is yours to keep and pass down.