To Maid or Not to Maid?

I am a 26 year old guy. Most weekdays, I leave my apartment around 7:30am and get home around 9:00pm. On weekends, I am busy watching movies, curing hangovers, and de-stressing from the week. Lately, that does not involve a lot of time for cleaning.

The Cost of Having a Maid

I have a fairly small apartment. Cleaning the entire thing very thoroughly takes about two hours. I don’t mind grabbing a Clorox wipe and cleaning off the toilet or counter tops, but I hate scrubbing the tub. I hate mopping. I hate vacuuming. It is something I have always done out of necessity, but it is not something I would ever miss.

I had a maid come by and quoted me $40 per cleaning. At six times per year, that is $240. I am a clean person, so I don’t need my apartment cleaned more often than that.

The Value of My Time

The maid charges about $20 per hour for the cleaning. Do I value my time at more than $20 per hour? My employer does, as I am paid more than that for going to work. If I can earn more in that hour than $20, it is surely worth it.

However, I can’t say for sure that I would always use every hour productively and couldn’t find two hours if I needed to clean the apartment. That means I have to decide what my time is worth to me and whether it is a better use of my time to clean or my money to have it cleaned.

Is two hours of free time worth $40? Even more, is two hours doing something I don’t like worth $40?

I Hired the Maid

Yes. I gave in. Frugalistas can have a field day hating me for this one, but I would rather spend the $40 and have two hours of time to do something I enjoy while skipping something I do not enjoy.

Maybe growing up having a maid come diluted my perception, but I am happy to pay for this service. Some people would be willing to pay me to write freelance articles or do accounting work for them. I don’t mind accounting or writing. I keep the economy going by hiring someone to do something I don’t like at a rate I find acceptable.

Your Experience – Is it, or would it be, worth it?

Do you have a maid? Do you want a maid? Do you think I am lazy and ridiculous? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Image by cauchisavona.

17 thoughts on “To Maid or Not to Maid?”

  1. Each to his own.  I used to try to raise my own vegetables until I realized that with the time and money I was spending on it cost me way more than what I could earn at my job.

    That said, I wouldn’t hire a maid:
    1) Never have had one
    2) Housework is exercise
    3) I’m very picky about how my house is cleaned
    4) Cleaning helps me see maintenance issues that should be handled
    5) I don’t want anyone in my house except family and friends – especially when I’m not there

    1. I see your points there. Thanks for laying it out like that. I can see the concerns and whatnot, but once I tried it (I resisted for a few years) I didn’t regret it. It is surely not for everyone, but it is great for me.

    2. Yeah I know what you mean. I study abroad and clean after myself but at home we have two maids because it’s a big house and my parents can afford it. I don’t know why but their presence bothers me.. Maybe because they are strangers

  2. Since my wife and I work, I have no problem justifying a person to clean my home once a week.  She has been with us for fourteen years and is terrific.  

    1. It is great to have such a long term trust built up. My Mom has had a few house cleaners that lasted for a very long time, but none for 14 years. 

  3.  If you can afford it, go for it. My grandparents always had a maid and it allowed them to have more time to spend with their grandchildren and devote to other hobbies/causes. I have cleaned as a professional for medical facilities and appreciated the income.  So, seeing it on both sides, I think having a housekeeper/maid is an excellent idea. Of course, one should always check references, conduct interviews, etc. to make sure the person is trustworthy. 

  4. When I was in business  school, I was having drinks with some other female students. I uncovered that I was the only one not paying someone to clean my home. With people working and going to school…the cleaning just had to fall by the wayside. 

  5. Nataliebushnell.com

    My husband won’t let me, but I would hire a maid any day of the week. I work all week and when I get home I value my off time. I think you hit the nail right on the head. By hiring someone to do a job you don’t want to do yourself, you are helping the economy.  The truth is if we all stopped worrying so much about not having any money and started supporting the business around us… they would be able to hire more people, which would create more jobs…. and more jobs and more jobs. . . There is no such thing is shortage. Its the belief that there is not enough that creates  depressions. 

  6. So you’re outsourcing your cleaning needs. Nothing wrong with that.  Some people think that keeping pets is a frivolous expense. When we lived overseas, we had a housekeeper that came by several days a week.  As a percentage of my  income, it was dirt cheap to have this service.

    1. That is a good point. I never thought of it as outsourcing. Depending on how you value your time, that can be a good way to measure it.

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