AITA for lecturing my daughter for paying someone to do her chore?

I’m a single dad to a 15 year old girl. We live in an area where we get a lot of snow every winter. Around the time she was 11, I taught her how to shovel and usually, we do it together. We have a decent sized driveway and walkway. Sometimes, if it’s too icy, I’ll do the whole thing myself.

Over the weekend, we got some unexpected snow while I was at work. I called my daughter and asked that she shovel out a bit of the driveway so I’ll have room to park and get out the next day, as well as shovel the walkway and steps. She said yes. When I came home, the entire driveway was shoveled and the walkway and steps were cleared perfectly. I thanked her and said she did a good job. She then told me that when she went out to shovel, she saw our neighbor (who’s a couple years older than her) was shoveling his walkway. She offered him $40 of her own money to shovel for her and he accepted.

I told her that I had asked her to shovel, not the neighbor and it was something assigned to her. She asked what the big deal was, as it got done. She also pointed out when she has her own house some day, she can easily just pay someone to do it so she doesn’t have to do it. I told her she wasn’t in trouble but next time it snowed, she was helping me shovel and going forward if I asked her to do it, she was expected to do it. She seemed a little disappointed but didn’t argue.

I was talking to my mom about the situation and she told me I completely overreacted, and pointed out my daughter has a point. The job got done and it shouldn’t matter how it gets done, as long as it does, and the neighbor kid willingly did it (which I confirmed with him later that he was happy to do it for the extra cash). My mom said I should’ve praised my daughter’s initiative.

So, now I’m left wondering if I was the asshole for lecturing my daughter on this.

Edit: To those asking, she got the money from babysitting. She works for a different neighbor twice a week and is paid $18/hr. We’ve had talks about money constantly over the years, ever since she was old enough to receive birthday and Christmas money and decide how to spend it. She knows the value of the dollar, that once you spend money it’s gone, and to think before you buy. She says to her, this was worth the $40.

And to those asking why it bugged me, I thank you because I wasn’t even sure myself. I think I just want to make sure that she has these skills, but I also understand people’s points that she has the skill and she can now decide to use it if she’s in a situation like this one.

Update* I want to thank everyone who talked some sense into me. You all were right, it really doesn’t matter how it gets done. As well as the fact that yes, there are times I contract out work of my own, so it’s unfair to expect otherwise of her. One of my main priorities is that she’s able to do things on her own. I won’t always be around to help and I want her to be independent. But, I realize now, this was her being independent and getting something done, just in a different way.

I spoke with her and apologized for lecturing her. I also added I was proud of her for taking initiative and explained why I reacted the way I did. Additionally, I thanked her for getting it done, regardless of how it was. She forgave me and everything is good now. We did have another talk about money but she insists that’s how she wanted to spend it, so I’m going to leave it alone for now. But she says she appreciates me admitting I was wrong. I told her next time, she can either hire the neighbor again or do it herself, I don’t care as long as it’s what they both want.

Some people said I should force her to put more into savings. She already puts a good amount away on her own. I’m going to continue to let her decide what works for her.

Also, to those going to either extreme that either 1) I was wrong for having her shovel because she’s a girl or 2) assuming I’m only making her do chores and expecting her to do them herself because she’s a girl, you’re wrong. I do everything that I ask her to do, and I also occasionally contract out tasks. I don’t care if she does in the future. This was a genuine mistake on my part and not anything malicious where I expect more/less of my daughter because she’s a girl.