At what disposable income do you feel you can afford a weekly house cleaner?

[Anonymous]

We spend about $3000 per month on groceries, vacation and everything else beyond mortgage, home upkeep, insurances and retirement contributions. I would love to hire a weekly house cleaner at about $125 per week, but feel that we cannot afford it. This is a major issue for me, I am constantly vacuuming, wiping, picking up, etc, to the point where cleaning seems to come before spending quality time with the kids.

I'm curious how others are handling this. At what level of disposable income do you feel you can afford a weekly house cleaner? Do you give up other things to afford it?

Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

Hire every other week. It's life-changing if you're feeling that way about cleaning right now.

[Anonymous]

Go for it! Life changing. I had about $750 extra a month, and spent $220 of it on every other week cleaning service. No regrets

[Anonymous]

We hire a monthly cleaning service

[Anonymous]

Not sure about disposable - but we were at 275k HHI and I felt I couldn't justify. Just bumped to 650k HHI and am now doing it every week at 100/week. It's so amazing I am tempted to ask them if for twice a week they'd do 75. They charged 150 when it wasn't weekly, maybe you can negotiate down for weekly? That's what I did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure about disposable - but we were at 275k HHI and I felt I couldn't justify. Just bumped to 650k HHI and am now doing it every week at 100/week. It's so amazing I am tempted to ask them if for twice a week they'd do 75. They charged 150 when it wasn't weekly, maybe you can negotiate down for weekly? That's what I did.

Classic DCUM.

[Anonymous]

I guess it depends on your priorities. Both DH and I hate to clean and it was leading to a lot of tension so it was worth it early on. We have had cleaners every other week for almost 10 years and it is great. We do some minor cleaning in between if we need to. I've been thinking about bumping up to once a week but its kind of annoying to have to pick-up before they come so i haven't done it yet.

[Anonymous]

If both parents work full time then it's necessary

[Anonymous]

For us it was more about time than income. No cleaner when I was a SAHM since I figured cleaning was part of my job. DH's income was $140K. I went back to work FT @ $85K and getting an every-other-week cleaner was essential IMO. DH at first didn't want to. He swore he'd share housework equally. HAH! That lasted one month and then we got a cleaner. Cheaper than a divorce.

[Anonymous]

When I made 350k per year, I hired a cleaner every 2-3 weeks. Now that I am married and living in my husband's 100k salary, I think we'll go to once a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I made 350k per year, I hired a cleaner every 2-3 weeks. Now that I am married and living in my husband's 100k salary, I think we'll go to once a month.

So many questions. Why would you quit your $350k job to live off your husband's $100k salary? If you aren't working, why can't you clean the house yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure about disposable - but we were at 275k HHI and I felt I couldn't justify. Just bumped to 650k HHI and am now doing it every week at 100/week. It's so amazing I am tempted to ask them if for twice a week they'd do 75. They charged 150 when it wasn't weekly, maybe you can negotiate down for weekly? That's what I did.

Classic DCUM.

NP here: more work, steady income, known family, cleaner home so less work, bulk discount. Very reasonable to negotiate the rate down. Ignore the snark and jealous harpy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We hire a monthly cleaning service

how much are you paying per month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We hire a monthly cleaning service

how much are you paying per month?

$120/mo. Our HHI is $275k and we think it's well worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not sure about disposable - but we were at 275k HHI and I felt I couldn't justify. Just bumped to 650k HHI and am now doing it every week at 100/week. It's so amazing I am tempted to ask them if for twice a week they'd do 75. They charged 150 when it wasn't weekly, maybe you can negotiate down for weekly? That's what I did.

Classic DCUM.

NP here: more work, steady income, known family, cleaner home so less work, bulk discount. Very reasonable to negotiate the rate down. Ignore the snark and jealous harpy.

You earn $650k/year and are nickle and diming your housecleaners. I have no issue with weekly cleaners (we have a weekly cleaner at 250k HHI) but I do have issues with trying to pay a sub-living wage.