Do you have any housekeeper?

Time Management for Working Couples

[Jane_Doe]

Sorry - the title should be do you have a housekeeper!

I'd like to spend more time on my sites, but my husband works and has a long commute, we have kids, pets, a house to take care of, etc.

A friend recommended getting a part-time or full-time housekeeper or mother's helper. I'm very cheap so it seems rather decadent, but logically I can make more money working on my sites than I would to have to pay someone to do things like feed pet rodents, drive car pools and wash underwear.

I don't really like the idea of having a stranger in the house but heh, maybe I could get used to having someone around to make me a snack for a change. :)

Has anyone hired household help so they could devote more time to their business? Did it work out? Any tips?

[edited by: Jane_Doe at 10:14 pm (utc) on Aug. 17, 2006]

[minnapple]

I hired out my lawn work, it saves me 5 hours each week.
I might work an extra hour or two on work, the rest I spend with my wife or doing something else rather than mowing or weed wacking.

I wish I would have done sooner.

[PhraSEOlogy]

Yep, get someone to do your work for you and it makes life easier.

Butler, Maid. Cook, Groundskeeper, Painter, etc.

[giggle]

We have a housekeeper and a nanny (one of the advantages of living in Thailand).

They are both sisters so get on really well together.

We have two daughters 5yo and 3yo and both my wife and I work so it does make life that bit easier.

[Visit Thailand]

If you can afford it then I would say definitely. It is nice not to have to worry about anything, and know breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks whatever will be ready as you have requested.

As you say, you can make more doing other things.

But as with any member of staff - you get what you pay for.

[Jane_Doe]

We have a housekeeper and a nanny (one of the advantages of living in Thailand).

It's a bigger budget decision for us living in the U.S. because we would have to pay much higher wages than a place like Thailand, plus workmen's comp and social security.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

They are both sisters

:)

[giggle]

Steady on there BeeDeeDubbleU...they're 24 and 26...That means that I'm the only bloke in a house of 5 females aged 3, 5, 24, 26, 34.

[Visit Thailand]

giggle I think BDD was poking fun at the word both in your sentence!

[giggle]

Oh I see. Didn't notice that - busy day. Fingers and brain not in sync yet, almost time to go to the pub.

[Syzygy]

In the UK the 'domestic help' sector has been growing markedly in the last few years.

A report from The Work Foundation in 2004 stated that "...there were the same number of ‘servants’ in households as in the 1930s, with more than four million nannies, gardeners, cleaners and butlers in homes across the country."

The days of Upstairs Downstairs [en.wikipedia.org] return!

Syzygy

[debvh]

I still do the laundry and carpools but I have someone come in once a week to clean the house. It is expensive (in the US) but VERY much worth it not to have to (a) spend my time cleaning and (b) spend my time being annoyed that my family can't be bothered to pick their junk up off the floor so I can clean it.

[jessejump]

Go ahead and try it.
Most people in US work way too hard. Mowing your lawn on Saturday at 9am after working 50 hr. week?

I bet Mick Jagger hasn't seen a washing machine in 40 years. Good for him.

[ridgway]

ditto what minnapple said....

the "per hour" calculation is key. if the hours you save can be used to futher your primary business, it's a no-brainer. otherwise the calculation results in your earnings per hour being less than a housekeeper!

housekeeper, gardener, and bookeeper; not only the time savings, but the quality of life enhancement has been major.

good luck.