“Honey, I really think we should consider hiring a cleaning service, “ Jesse gently suggested one day when I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with three kids, homeschooling, and running this blogging gig that had turned into an almost full-time thing.
It was about 6 years ago, we had paid cash for our first home, our businesses were doing well, we had no debt, we were in a great place financially, and we totally had the wiggle room in our budget to pay for a cleaning service.
But I was aghast!
“Pay for a cleaning service?!?!?” I quickly responded back. “Do you know how extravagant that would seem to everyone who knows me as Money-Saving Mom???”
I went on, “Absolutely not! I just couldn’t. I just don’t feel like I could spend money having someone clean my house! That just feels entitled and wasteful!”
So he let the matter rest. Because he’s a smart man like that. 😉
Every once in awhile — especially on days when I was bemoaning that I didn’t have time to mop the kitchen floor or deep clean the bathrooms yet again — he’d bring it up and remind me that we should just try it. That it wouldn’t hurt to try one time.
But I was adamant. It was NOT happening.
Then, one week, I found myself up-to-my eyeballs in to-do’s, because in addition to the normal work and life stuff, I was hosting a wedding shower for around 90 people at our house (Yes! 90 people!)
Jesse brought up the idea of just paying for a cleaning service to come in the day before the shower because I really didn’t have time to clean the house from top to bottom — unless I wanted to give up sleep the night before the shower.
I acquiesced… but “only this one time!” I said.
Um, well, that one time of paying for a cleaning service to come completely changed my life.
It was incredible! Amazing! Unbelievable!
Yes, I ate crow… and had to tell Jesse that he was right and I was sorry I had been stubborn for so long. Because having a a team come in and clean our house from top to bottom and save me hours of time was pretty much the best thing since, well, maybe blogging was invented! 🙂
From that day on, I’ve become a staunch believer in cleaning services and the value they provide — especially if you’re in a place where you have a good income and you don’t have a lot of extra margin time in your life.
To have people come into our home every week and sweep and mop all of our floors, deep clean our kitchen, deep clean our bathrooms, change all of our sheets, vacuum all of our furniture, clean all the mirrors and glass, clean our microwave, wipe down all the surfaces, and leave our home looking spotless and smelling so clean, is just downright priceless.
Here are four of the main reasons hiring a cleaning service has benefitted our life:
1. It Saves Me Time
I calculate that having a cleaning service come in every week for 1 1/2 to 2 hours saves me at least 5-6 hours per week of cleaning. My time is valuable these days — especially as a full-time working mom — so the cost versus the time it saves has been incredibly worth it for me in this season.
2. It Saves Me Stress
I know that I’m happier and calmer when my home is organized and clean. That’s my personality and I can’t change it! So not having to stress about when I’m going to find time to mop the floors or to deep clean the shower and tub is a big load off of my shoulders.
3. It Helps Us Maintain a Clutter-Free Environment
When you have cleaners come in, you are motivated to keep things much more straightened up and clutter-free so that it’s easier for them to clean and the final result looks much better (it’s hard for them to get a lot of cleaning done if there are piles everywhere!)
I’ve also found that even if our home gets a little messy throughout the week and we skip some of our daily quick whole house pick-ups because of a full schedule, we always make sure that it’s completely picked up on Thursdays when the cleaners come. This means that things never get out of control, overwhelming, or unmanageable.
4. It Gives Us More Time as a Family
Instead of having to spend an hour deep cleaning every day (like I used to), we can just make the beds, do the laundry, pick up the house, sweep the kitchen floor, empty the trashes, and clean the kitchen and the house stays really clean looking almost all the time. We divvy up these household chores every day, so none of us rarely spend more than 30 minutes to an hour on chores. Which means we have more time to spend together as a family — in a clean house!
I believe that wise management of money is not about being as frugal as you can possibly be. Rather, it’s about using your resources wisely in order to enhance your life and live out your family’s mission and purpose.
For a long time, I fought against hiring a cleaning service because I felt like it was extravagant and costly. What I didn’t realize is that the benefits of more time with my family and less stress in my life would add much more richly to my life than the actual costs of the weekly service.
I’m trying to remember this — especially as someone who is usually so frugal — in all areas of my life. I want to count not just the costs but also the benefits when weighing any change in our budget. It’s so easy for those of us who like to save every penny we can to forget that it’s not worth it to save money if it means we’re losing our sanity in the process.
Now I admit, I’m a little scared of putting this post out on the internet. I know that it’s a bit of a controversial subject and that not everyone will probably love this post. Some of you might even be bothered enough that you feel like I’m not someone you want to follow any more.
I get that. And that’s why I thought long and hard before posting it.
I know many of you aren’t in a place to be able to afford a cleaning service and it could feel frustrating to you. Or, you can’t understand why someone would want to hire a cleaning service because you love cleaning.
But I am sharing it today because I have a feeling that there are some of you who might be inspired by my story to reconsider a purchase or another expenditure in your budget that maybe you’ve been resisting because it feels like it’s “not what a frugal person would do or buy or pay for.”
Can I just gently encourage you — like my husband did — that if you can afford something and if it will make a really positive impact in your life and is in line with your family’s goals and mission, that it’s okay to go for it — even if it feels downright extravagant?
Give yourself permission to try it. Who knows? It just might be the thing that makes a massive difference in your home and family!
I know this for sure, the next time my husband gently encourages me to consider an idea, I’m going to actually listen the first time around and try to at least consider it — instead of just instantly pushing back and saying, “That’s too extravagant!”
P.S. Can’t afford a cleaning service, but looking for some step-by-step help to get your house in order? Check out this amazing bundle of resources. I’ve been reading some of them over the past few days while running on the treadmill and they are packed with great ideas, inspiration, and loads of hands-on help!
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