Time Is Money: Sources

2. Cleaning your house vs. Maid
Suburban: $15 an hour, Marvelous Maids, Massachusetts.
Urban and Super Urban: $25 an hour, Marvel Maids, San Francisco.

3. Doing laundry vs. Sending it out
Suburban: 99 cents a shirt, Five Star Cleaners, Plano, Texas.
Urban and Super Urban: $1.80 a shirt, Evercleen, San Francisco.

4. Mowing your lawn vs. Hiring a lawn contractor
Suburban: $30, local lawn guy in Binghamton, N.Y.
Urban and Super Urban: $32, local lawn guy in upscale Chatham, N.J.

5. Staying home vs. Working
Suburban: $270 a week, YMCA, Evanston, Ill.
Urban and Super Urban: $275 a week, YMCA, San Francisco.

6. Washing your car vs. Car wash
Suburban: $8.99, Evanston Car Wash, Evanston, Ill.
Urban and Super Urban: $21.99, Auto City Brushless Car Wash, San Francisco.

7. Walking your dog vs. Hiring a dog walker
Suburban: $12, Urban Tailz, Evanston, Ill.
Urban and Super Urban: $15, Petaholics Pet Sitting Services, New York, N.Y.

8. Exercise vs. Plastic surgery
Suburban: $2,223, national average for liposuction, American Society for Plastic Surgeons.
Urban and Super Urban: $6,500, Dr. Darrick Antell, New York.

9. Using a pickup line vs. Online dating
Spending 20 hours a month at a bar and buying two drinks for yourself and one for someone else.
Suburban: $3.50 a draft beer, In the Pig's Eye, Salem, Mass.
Urban and Super Urban: $5.00 a draft beer, McGee's, New York.

10. Tanning vs. Bottled tan
Suburban, Urban and Super Urban: $8.99, a bottle of Bain De Soleil Sunless Tanning Crème.