To think I do not have to justify having a cleaner...

[FeelingBlobby]

Fed up with comments from in laws mainly about this, vary from me being lazy, to wasting money, to we've obviously got to much money, to not being a good wife/mother. Thing that most gets me is it is always aimed at me, not Dh, as if cleaning/housework etc entirely my responsibility!
Back story Dh and I are not massively well off but we are comfortable and live within our means, so all good. We both work hard and really value our family time. We were finding between both working almost full time and having a small farm we spent too many 'free' hours cleaning, not to have sparkly house but just to keep on top of things. We looked at budget and decided to hire a cleaner for 4 hours a week. She's wonderful and it means we've effectively brought more family time at weekends etc.
Whether or not people agree with us or not, or would choose to do things differently, really isn't my problem. However Aibu to think it is none of their damn business how we spend our money!!!

When we were kids, our mums didn't work. They also hardly ever played with us - maybe an occasional board game, but they didn't spend every waking moment trying to educate/amuse us. We got kicked out the door to play with other children. There wasn't 24-hour TV/Internet. Neighbours/friends would walk into our house unannounced to visit, doors weren't locked, woe betide if you didn't keep a clean house.

We didn't have multiple activities after school either, or convenience foods/take - aways. Not everyone had cars, and it was almost unheard of for the wife to have one. I feel like a dinosaur writing all this and I'm only mid-forties!

YANBU it's absolutely none of their business.

Our families don't even know we have a cleaner, our domestic and financial arrangements are none of their business!!

I don't have kids and work p-t from home and we have a cleaner.

Wouldn't be without her, I adore her. With the money we give her, it puts her kids through school and keeps a roof above my head, so usually lead with that. It's hard to argue against.

If asked, both DH and I just shrug and say we hate cleaning - I make clear that it's both DH and I, as I hate the assumption that I should do it.

We will have cleaners until the day we die. No one is going to be on their death bed and say they wish they'd done more cleaning.

Don't even have to justify yourself, even if you sat on your arse all day, your time, your money, your life. Next time they mention it just say 'it's not really any of your business' and then move on to another subject immediately x

I've just got one, on the justification our house is full of extra bods.
I hope to keep her even when they've gone because cleaning takes up a lot of time and keeps me from doing work to which I'm better suited.
Sad how much time I've spent wrestling with my conscience, though.