Two years ago my husband and I downsized from our three bedroom townhouse to a two bedroom basement apartment. We moved our family of four into our new home for the simple purpose of simplifying out lives and giving our budget some breathing room.
We affectionately call our apartment the “bungalow,” and we have painted it and decorated our house and turned it into a home.
Beyond downsizing, we are also a one-car family, we avoid consumer debt like the plague, we try our best to stick to a budget, and save monthly in our TFSA and RRSP. Most people would say we have our “stuff” together when it comes to money, which is why we received a lot of raised eyebrows when we let a little secret of ours slip…
We employ a housecleaner.
Yes, us. The family who downsized, avoids debt, and lives in a 1,000 square foot “bungalow.”
We hire someone to come into our house and clean, something we are completely capable of doing on our own.
At first I was nervous to let the cat out of the bag. But once I began sharing my reasons for doing so, I noticed a shift in attitude. Suddenly people were asking for the name of my cleaner.
Why does a budget-friendly family in a small home have a house cleaner, you ask?
I always start with this, even though it’s not my main reason for hiring someone to clean my home. However, many people don’t realize that if you work from home you can hire someone and claim their fee — just make sure they provide you with a receipt. Because we rent our home, we deduct a portion of our monthly rent.
I would argue that most of us would love to have a clean and tidy home. It’s the actual effort behind cleaning that is a roadblock to our clean home dreams. I have spent so many hours stressed out about the dust under my fridge, or the smears on my bathroom mirror. I just don’t have enough hours in the day to keep up. Once I hired a housecleaner the burden was gone. She provided me with a clean home, but also peace of mind and a lot less anxiety.
I always thought housekeepers were for rich people. I never bothered doing the research and finding out how much it would actually cost to hire one myself. An acquaintance mentioned how much her cleaner charges, and my jaw nearly dropped to the ground. She was so affordable! I ended up hiring her, and was so impressed that I even gave her a tip. I don’t feel guilty about having a housekeeper, because she charges less than dinner out at McDonald’s for my family of four. Not only is she affordable, but I have always found someone who uses environmentally friendly and reusable products, which is important for me because it also limits the use of harsh chemicals in my home.
Before I hired a housekeeper I would spend time cleaning when I was supposed to be working. As someone who has a home-based business I would get distracted by my dirty bathrooms and floors, and ended up spending half the day doing house work when I was supposed to be doing work. Now that I pay someone to clean I can focus on my business, and I end up earning more money at the end of the day.
The first time we had our house cleaned my husband came out of the shower the next day and shouted, “Wow! Our shower has never looked so clean before!” I brushed off my bruised ego, and had to admit I also noticed a huge difference. Yes, I could clean myself, but I do a terrible job at it. This is why I choose to stick with the professionals.
Have I convinced you yet?
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