An appliance management system for facilitating the dispersal of parts of a chore among users may include an appliance configured to be controlled at least partially automatically according to a routine created by a primary user, who will be away from the appliance (e.g., out of the house) during at least part of the time the routine is being carried out. The routine includes at least one task to be performed by a secondary user, who is in the same general location as the appliance. The task comprises at least one action that cannot practically be performed remotely. Remote control of the appliance is assigned to the primary user in response to the task being completed. Accordingly, the secondary user performs a task that the remote primary user cannot practically perform, but has little or no input into other parts of the chore.