Pool management companies. Just follow the guide at Trouble Free Pool and you’ll be able to maintain your pool at a fraction of the cost.
80 percent of all chimney cleaners.
In store water testing. You know the one where you take home and fill the little vial and then mail it back? They exist solely to sell you water filters.
IMO those service line insurance mailers you get from the gas and power company that will cover the cost of the service lateral to your meter if something goes wrong for like $8 a month. They are designed to be just low enough you won’t really think about it too much but are huge profit centers, and generally issues with gas/water service connections aren’t super common and while they can be a few thousand to get fixed if they do happen you’d be better off just putting the $8 a month into a high yield savings account. Then you can at least use it for any surprise home repairs and get to choose the contractor for the work.
It depends on how old your lines are. My water line was at least 40 years old. Took the insurance and 4 months later I needed it. I canceled it after repair was done because line is new now.
Solicitors in general. I know some may be ok, but I’ve found out the hard way how slimy they can be.
Anything that a door to door salesman offers. It is usually overpriced and sold using pressure tactics. Windows, doors, roofing, water treatment, etc.
Mosquito abatement services. They spray and/ or fog chemicals that are harmful to pollinators. There are safer methods https://www.gardeninsects.com/mosquitoDunks.asp
Not really a total scam depending on your perspective but lawn additives. I’m not sure what the term is. Basically when they come out fertilizer out. I say not totally because some people really do want a super green, super short, and (in my opinion) super ugly lawn. I replaced my front lawn with clover and the bees love it. It was green literally until Christmas last year (2022) when we had the big frost (southeast US). Like, okay, it’s a little less green or whatever, but wow it was green that late in the season and everyone else’s was brown.
Our front lawn has a significant amount of clover. The bees absolutely love it. Issues arise when the kids want to play, as the bees are so abundant.
It’s great to set up the cornhole boards, play some soccer, or throw a baseball or frisbee around out there, as neighbors are always walking past on the street, and they’ll stop by to chat when they see us.
Now, bees, bees everywhere! It’s difficult to enjoy the space for recreation, although it’s great for the pollinators.
We’re probably going to plant a bunch of fruit trees in that area, which will help with the feeling that the front is more for decoration than function. Still, clover can be kind of a bummer at times.
Some context, I live on a third acre lot and my front lawn is maybe slightly less than half of my total lawn. I have no children, but I do have a dog. The back yard is fenced in and has whatever grass the previous folks had (I can’t tell), some miniclover, and some Bermuda I put down. M Supposedly miniclover has less flowers but I think I accidentally put down white clover instead lmao. Regardless it is nice. My dog chomps at bees so I try to have less back there.
I thought it would be cute to put a mix of white and red in the front. (Not to be confused with crimson.) The red was annoying last year and now it is really annoying. I’m not a super no-lawn fanatic, I want something “lawn like” but don’t need to use it (like you said with your kids). Even still, it gets really tall, folds over, and then keeps growing. It is still flimsy but it is sort of nearing the consistency of a rose bush if that makes sense. And worse, now when I mow it it leaves a mess of vine like stuff all over. I regret putting the red clover out. White has been great though, no complaints.
My game plan is to just mow some what often (close to the cadence you might with a normal lawn) and also to overseed with white clover. My hope is that the white will flower first and the red won’t grow enough to flower. We’ll see though 💀
