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- Personal helpers are no longer just for the ultra-rich, according to recent reporting by Alix Strauss for The New York Times.
- Many executives are now opting for services once reserved for the ultra rich in order to save valuable time.
- Services include grocery shopping and meal prep, along with closet reorganization and personal shopping.
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For many New Yorkers, time is money. Now, more people than ever are willing to pay for it.
In a recent article for The New York Times, Alix Strauss reported that many businesspeople living in Manhattan are paying hundreds of dollars a week for personal shoppers and chefs in order to save time normally wasted on running errands.
Beth Fisher, a Manhattan marketing executive who employs both a personal chef and stylist, told The Times, "I don't want to spend my time shopping online or at the stores. I would rather spend time connecting with family, staying fit, or reading.
According to The Times, chefs buy and bring groceries to the client's home and prepare a week's meals, labeling containers and organizing the refrigerator. Meanwhile, personal stylists cart department store racks directly into New Yorkers' living rooms, swapping out-of-style pieces for those in vogue.
While The Times reported that these services are becoming more common, some specialties — such as $900 custom-made shirts — are still reserved for New York's superrich.
Personal chef visits such as Eat Well Food by Daniela and Carried-Away Chefs can range from $300 to $500 per week, reported The Times. Personal shopping is even more expensive; rates for wardrobe styling company NYCStylist begin at $350 per hour with a 20-hour minimum.
"At home they're not fighting with the masses; my clients don't want to wait to see a size or color, or interface with a sales person who is going to upsell them," Laura Solin-Valdina, owner of NYCStylist, told The Times.
These services join a long list of expenses wealthy New Yorkers are willing to splurge on. Business Insider's Katie Warren previously reported that wealthy New Yorkers are asking more of their kids' nannies — including providing massages and styling hair — as the demand for personal services grows higher to save time.
Meanwhile, Hillary Hoffower previously reported that some New York parents are dropping $375 per hour on prep courses for top-rated kindergartens referred to as "Baby Ivies," along with $400 per month in member fees for executive social clubs.
Read the whole article at The New York Times »NOW WATCH: Meet the 24-year-old who's the youngest female broker in the New York Stock Exchange
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