Anonymous wrote:Single mom here if little kids ages 4 and 6. I just got a new job with significant raise 80k to 140k. I'd like to splurge one 1 quality of life improvement for myself. What would you choose? Cleaners? Gym membership?

This is out of your price range but the most meaningful splurge purchase for us was a beach house. I can't even think of what would be a very distant second.

This is going to be overlooked by everyone UMC and above who is totally numb to driving new cars but as someone who drove used, out-of-warranty cars from age 16 to my 30s:

Leased new cars, ideally 24 month leases.

Yeah, yeah, leases are a "total waste of money." I don't care and I personally don't drive anything terribly spendy. They rarely break and if they do everything is under warranty, free roadside, free towing, free loaner cars, no shopping for or worrying about tires or even wiper blades. And frankly, I like that new cars are so comfortable with shiny paint.

Stress-free. Blissful.

first off, congrats on the raise OP!
At 140K a year, your time is worth about $70/hour. Your biggest commodity is time not money.

Definitely outsource the housecleaning and hire a laundry service. Your time is more valuable than that (you can get an independent housekeeper for about $35 per hour, laundry service is about $2/ pound).

Use the extra time to spend with your kids or get a micro certification to advance your career even further and make even more money (lots of low cost course options with Linked in Learning or Coursera).

Budget about $600-$700 a month for the housecleaner and the laundry service, then max out your 401K and invest in your kids 529 plans.

I'd gladly trade eating out for cleaners any day of the week. It doesn't hurt that my DH is an amazing cook but I rarely see something at a restaurant that my husband cant do as well or better.

Pilates, cleaners or item to make cleaning easier like a cordless and/or robot vacuum (I got a great Robot vacuum for next to nothing on FB Marketplace), trip, maybe controversial but my induction stove saves me so much time while cooking, a small house or landscaping project on your list, nespresso machine, car detailing, nice bedding/pillows/pad, bidet (get that regardless), Headspace app to practice mediation, therapy

Mounjaro

Anonymous wrote:Single mom here if little kids ages 4 and 6. I just got a new job with significant raise 80k to 140k. I'd like to splurge one 1 quality of life improvement for myself. What would you choose? Cleaners? Gym membership?

You can get a gym membership at planet fitness for like 10 bucks a month. If you actually go regularly for a solid 6mo then think about more expensive gyms.

Cleaner and someone to declutter and organize our house. It all wears my spirit down.

Most definitely hire a housecleaner or a cleaning crew.

It seems the majority of responses agree that outsourcing your housework is the best splurge you can treat yourself with!

It’s amazing all the responses that suggested you get a housecleaner - - shows how much most of us hate all the time we spend on cleaning our houses!

Anonymous wrote:I put the extra money towards travel and savings.

I’m baffled by people who complain about laundry. You put it in and walk away. What’s so hard?

Cleaners would be nice but I’d rather have that money for a nicer vacation.

I hear ya regarding the laundry. 🧺

Back in the olden days people had to hand wash every item individually, by scrubbing it on a washboard….then wring it out of course when rinsing.
Or later on people had to use an actual clothes wringer to rinse their laundry.
Then they had to pin it to a clothesline and….

Now a days laundry is a breeze by comparison!

First ➕ foremost, a huge congratulations on your achievement!

Second in answer to your question, I think a good splurge would be to hire a good, responsible housecleaner to come to your home & clean it 1-2x/month.

This investment will pay great dividends as it will allow you to not only rest on your days off > but also allow you more quality time w/your two children!

Paper towels instead of hand towels in the bathroom.

Hire cleaners before they are all deported.

This might not work for you — given the demands on your life, but, several years ago, I put aside about $3,000, so that when I found a way that I wanted to treat myself, it would already be funded. I imagined maybe travel, or jewelry, or some fabulous addition to my wardrobe. I startled myself by leaping into music lessons— which turned out to be even better gifts than I could have imagined. So, OP, whatever you decide to do now, consider stashing away a bit — for a future dream that might not fit your budget. Have fun with it!