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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have spent £700 on a cleaner/gardener

224 replies

ReenaGee · 09/04/2025 21:35

I'm a lone parent to a 5yo with ASD/ADHD. I have 10k saved and am doing relatively ok apart from being time poor. I work full time, DS the rest of the time. He can't be left alone.

I have booked a cleaner for a deep clean of my house, and a gardener to completely de-weed the garden, plant flowers, cut hedges, power wash etc. £700 in total.

Told my mum I had treated myself today as I've been stressed about where on earth I'm going to find the time to do it. I didn't tell her how much it was, but she proceeded to tell me I am wasting my money and should get on with adulting myself. Was said in a slightly jovial tone but equally she meant it.

Do, AIBU? IMHO it is the self care I need ATM pre summer but she's got in my head making me feel like I'm not achieving things I should be...

OP posts:
Zonder · 09/04/2025 23:05

Money definitely well spent. It buys you a clean house, tidy garden and a lot of peace of mind. Great investment.

Needmoresleep · 09/04/2025 23:07

It's a wonderful idea.

I booked a full professional clean just before major surgery. Clearing out kitchen cupboards, cleaning lampshades, steam cleaning carpets, the lot. I knew there would be a long recovery and it was so nice to be surrounded by clean.

Go for it and enjoy.

Safirexx · 09/04/2025 23:07

YANBU in the least! I hope the next few weeks bring you many sunny days to enjoy your clean home (nothing like sunlight shining through sparkling, streak-free windows! 🤭) and your beautiful garden. Money well spent for the peace of mind and relaxation it’s going to give you IMO. 💐

Safirexx · 09/04/2025 23:11

Bogginsthe3rd · 09/04/2025 22:39

You've been scammed 😂

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On the contrary, it sounds like a bargain!

MBL · 09/04/2025 23:13

Honestly I'd rather have this than a holiday.
Hope it's great!

MarxistMags · 09/04/2025 23:14

You're quite right to do this for yourself. It will be so much easier to keep up with it afterwards.
It's a lot of money but worth it for less stress on you.

MilkyWayMagicStars · 09/04/2025 23:16

Your money! You know what you need … go for it I say!! Xx

zaffa · 09/04/2025 23:16

This sounds completely ok. But I have to warn you about the gardening; the weeds come back so quickly if you aren’t hot on the maintenance. Could you afford a regular visit? If you could; it’s really worth the cost in my experience.

ehb102 · 09/04/2025 23:18

Sounds brilliant. It's where my cash goes.

1SillySossij · 09/04/2025 23:19

TimothyIsNotAnArmardillo · 09/04/2025 22:06

It's a great idea
You could spend the same amount on a holiday and I bet your mum would think it was fine.
This will be more beneficial than a holiday as you will reap the benefits for much longer and enjoy your home so much more

I disagree! It will all need doing again in few months, I am sure a holiday would give your kids a lot more joy. It also seems a lot to spend when you only have £10k in savings. Do you have anyone else to fall back on financially if push comes to shove?

Springee · 09/04/2025 23:21

It's a good price for the work. Being an adult is about knowing when it's sensible to pay for goods and services you need and silly to waste your time doing it yourself

TennesseeStella · 09/04/2025 23:23

TheHerboriste · 09/04/2025 22:41

It’s fine. I’ve paid that much for half-day garden cleanup at our vacation home.

😂 If it's a holiday home, surely you've plenty of time to do the garden when you're there. What else are you doing?!

Zonder · 10/04/2025 06:51

@1SillySossij and @zaffa if you read OPs post last night you'll see she's well aware weeds grow back and has booked regular visits going forward! She's a sensible woman!

Zonder · 10/04/2025 06:52

TennesseeStella · 09/04/2025 23:23

😂 If it's a holiday home, surely you've plenty of time to do the garden when you're there. What else are you doing?!

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Maybe having a holiday? Or maybe it's a place they keep to rent out and don't go there themselves?

Willandra · 10/04/2025 07:15

It's a great idea.

Your Mum's comment was not helpful. You are time poor with many demands. You outsourced one of those demands. Good on you!

Some people really don't like the idea of paying for things they can do themselves or get for 'free'. When I had a broken leg and was moving house my Mum couldn't stop blathering about how I wasted money on a professional cleaner, even though a receipt for a professional exit clean was required to get my bond back ... and then she started on the fact I'd hired furniture movers with a truck and purchased moving supplies from them, instead of running around (with a broken leg) chasing down freebies on Facebook market place and demanding my friends and family move a flat full of furniture down several flights of stairs.

Sorry, started a rant of my own there.

Your money, your time, and you're helping the economy instead of running yourself ragged. Win-win.

Needtosoundoffandbreathe · 10/04/2025 07:20

Roughly whereabouts do you live OP? I want to book these people too! If you have the money then do what makes your life better. Then you're not stressing about what needs doing and trying to find the time or, worse, taking time off work to do these things. My parents pay for a gardener as it's too much for them now, but would be outraged if someone suggested they have a cleaner...go figure. I never tell them the actual cost of things because it's always met with eye rolling and tutting.

Twiglets1 · 10/04/2025 07:21

YANBU

Imagine how lovely the house & garden are going to look afterwards. You deserve it @ReenaGee !

Sofiewoo · 10/04/2025 07:22

MagicPharmacist · 09/04/2025 21:37

£700?

Is this for a week of work?

£140 a day would be an incredibly low day rate for a gardener.

BlueMum16 · 10/04/2025 07:24

ReenaGee · 09/04/2025 22:26

No I'm going to keep them on and pay the gardener to come every month and cleaners every other week.

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We have a gardener every other week to cut the grass. It's not really often enough so monthly is probably too long.

If you can afford the help why not? I wish I had a cleaner too.

Sofiewoo · 10/04/2025 07:24

People are mental. The seem to want everyone to be miserable all the time and get outraged when someone dares to have help.

I wonder if they are all out cutting their hedges regularly or if their Dh is doing it??

Yanbu obviously, it’s normal for one person to not be able to do everything and to not want to spend all of your non work time doing laborious chores. Enjoy your tidy garden when they go!

Sunshinedayscomeon · 10/04/2025 07:25

£700 sounds a good deal. I detest gardenering, have tried it and just don't like it. I have a gardener come three times a year to point me in the right direction and make the garden pretty. My mum a keen gardener, mocks me for this and constantly says its a waste of money and I should be doing it.

But I've made the adult decision to use MY MONEY and TIME on what makes me happy.

Enjoy your clean house and tidy garden.

Compash · 10/04/2025 07:25

Candlekiax · 09/04/2025 21:41

If you can afford it and it reduces your stress, why not.

I'd do the exact same thing in your position. £700 seems pretty cheap for a full deep clean and those garden services.

It's YOUR money, it benefits YOU and it's YOUR choice, who cares what others think.

I think the people baulking at the price haven't tried to get garden work done recently... it is so expensive...

Enjoy it, and use it as a nice basis to keep on top of things going forward! 🙂

BeaAndBen · 10/04/2025 07:32

Excellent use of your money - your house and garden will feel such great places to be in when it’s done.

You aren’t just time-poor, you’re energy-poor. Having your home and garden both being tidy, organised, properly clean and no longer dragging your down by feeling like endless To Do lists will do you a world of good.

Cakeandcheeseforever · 10/04/2025 07:35

I’m guessing your mum never worked while also being a lone parent to a child with ASD. So she has not been in your situation and has no idea how intense it is. Don’t feel bad about paying for it at all!

Esperanza25 · 10/04/2025 07:35

i think it’s absolutely fine! You are busy with work and caring for your son, why shouldn’t you pay these people to get on top of things? You’ll feel so much better.
Would your Mum have said the same if you’d spent £700 on a holiday? I don’t think so.
Good for you, if I could afford it I’d love to have my house deep cleaned like that. Luckily my DH loves gardening so that’s perfect, the house less so! I am also time poor for different reasons to you.
Do it and enjoy the results.