At what income do you not have a cleaning lady?

[Anonymous]

$200K and we've had a cleaning lady (1x month) since we were making $75K. So, a while.

Our philosophy is that we outsource the tasks we don't enjoy so we can focus on the things we do enjoy. I don't think there is anything unethical about this approach. If my children take the same approach some day as adults with their own disposable income, I think that's fine.

We also have a landscaping team that comes to mow the yard, trim edges, etc. They don't do plantings and stuff because we aren't really sure what we want yet, but maybe next year we'll start on that.

My kids are middle school age and they regularly help with dishes, their room, vacuuming and sweeping, litterbox scooping, cat feeding, etc. They don't receive an allowance for these chores; they are expected to help with the household. I'm not saying they don't complain, because they do, but too bad. They have to help.

We have an au pair, so she does the kids' laundry and makes a lot of the meals.

[Anonymous]

$320 HHI, but heftygrad school debt obligations. We live in a tiny one bedroom to pay down grad school and save for a house. We also each work 70-80 hours per week each, but no kids. $200 per month (2x cleaning) gives us more quality time together.... plus it avoids arguments. I have a lower tolerance for messes and need more frequent cleaning than he does.

[Anonymous]

180k combined. Cleaning lady but only once a month $100. I'll work OT to be able to have her services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So lazy. No wonder obesity is a huge problem.

No - it's a time issue. We are gone from the house 11 - 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. On the weekends, I'd rather spend time with my kids than spending 4 hours cleaning my house and shooing them away.

[Anonymous]

I don't have the time but even if I did I would hire a cleaning person. If I had the money I would hire someone multiple times a week. There are some domestic tasks I love, I love to grocery shop, I love to iron, I love to cook. I hate deep cleaning and I can afford to hire someone to do that for me. It is no more morally bankrupt to hire someone to clean than to hire someone to change the oil in my car, I can do that too but I don't want to. My children still know how to clean and I teach them to respect our cleaning person because I show her respect.

[Anonymous]

$300k 3 kids no cleaning help. I am OCD and don't like strangers in my stuff. And no one cleans the way I do!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$200K and we've had a cleaning lady (1x month) since we were making $75K. So, a while.

Our philosophy is that we outsource the tasks we don't enjoy so we can focus on the things we do enjoy. I don't think there is anything unethical about this approach. If my children take the same approach some day as adults with their own disposable income, I think that's fine.

We also have a landscaping team that comes to mow the yard, trim edges, etc. They don't do plantings and stuff because we aren't really sure what we want yet, but maybe next year we'll start on that.

My kids are middle school age and they regularly help with dishes, their room, vacuuming and sweeping, litterbox scooping, cat feeding, etc. They don't receive an allowance for these chores; they are expected to help with the household. I'm not saying they don't complain, because they do, but too bad. They have to help.

We have an au pair, so she does the kids' laundry and makes a lot of the meals.

You have an au pair for middle school kids!?? What does s/he do?

[Anonymous]

Yes, we have an au pair. Technically I have a fifth grader and a sixth grader, but it was easier to say middle school than go into details.

The kids go to school a full hour each way from our house and there isn't busing available. So the main thing Au Pair does is drive, since it's an hour in the opposite direction of where my husband and I work. Au Pair also prepares meals and does the kids' laundry. Au Pairs can't do non-kid related tasks which is why we all have to chip in to clean the house on a regular basis and then we have the cleaning lady for deep clean 1x per month.

We like the cultural exchange aspect of the au pair program and it suits us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$300k 3 kids no cleaning help. I am OCD and don't like strangers in my stuff. And no one cleans the way I do!!

+100 I have seen cleaning persons wipe the floor and then wipe the counters - yuck. You have no idea how many germs they are spreading around.

[Anonymous]

We have a HHI of $150,000 and I work part time. We have a cleaning crew come every 5 weeks. Worth every penny to me. I do a minimal amount of cleaning in between - kitchen, baths, pickup, laundry, sweeping the floor under the dining table after every meal - but the crew does the more thorough cleaning that takes more time and energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$300k 3 kids no cleaning help. I am OCD and don't like strangers in my stuff. And no one cleans the way I do!!

+100 I have seen cleaning persons wipe the floor and then wipe the counters - yuck. You have no idea how many germs they are spreading around.

And yet somehow, most amazingly, you haven't died yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So lazy. No wonder obesity is a huge problem.

No - it's a time issue. We are gone from the house 11 - 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. On the weekends, I'd rather spend time with my kids than spending 4 hours cleaning my house and shooing them away.

+1

We just got cleaners and they are coming Friday for the first time! Now I can spend my weekends spending time with family and friends instead of working my second job as the maid. Woo hoo! I already have a list of activities, most of which are outside, that I can't wait for us to do. So many parks to visit, hikes to take, bikes to ride, etc. I can FINALLY use my weekends to recharge from my 50+ hour workweeks plus cooking plus homework helping plus kid activities, etc etc. FREEDOM!!

[Anonymous]

One income of 175k (DH) and I SAH with three school age kids.

Cleaning lady twice a month and she's a tremendous help. Changes sheets, mops, vacuums, cleans kitchen and baths, dusts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$300k 3 kids no cleaning help. I am OCD and don't like strangers in my stuff. And no one cleans the way I do!!

+100 I have seen cleaning persons wipe the floor and then wipe the counters - yuck. You have no idea how many germs they are spreading around.

I don't care if it's not a great cleaning job, my time is worth too much to spend it cleaning my own house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$300k 3 kids no cleaning help. I am OCD and don't like strangers in my stuff. And no one cleans the way I do!!

See, I should have married YOU. My wife and kids simply do not see dirt or messes. They don't worry about it, they don't clean up, they have no awareness at all. (and how much of that $300k is your income?...)

$65k HHI. No cleaning lady.