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Original poster

Would you get rid ...

30 replies

ostwest · 13/03/2023 09:15

Did you have to let your cleaner, gardener go because of a rising cost of living?
We are typical London suburb family: large mortgage, both parents working, 2 teens. For the last 10 years we've had a cleaner. This seems like a luxury and I am seriously considering letting go of my cleaner.

Did many of you had to cut corners because if rising costs elsewhere?

OP posts:
Thisisnotahotel · 13/03/2023 09:16

Can you actually still afford them? You haven't specifically said if you can or not?

berksandbeyond · 13/03/2023 09:18

I guess it depends on if there’s anything else you can cut back on / how badly you need the money. Cut you cut back on the cleaners visits / time so it’s cheaper? Our cleaner comes fortnightly so that’s cheaper than every week.

WellTidy · 13/03/2023 09:20

I was on maternity leave in 2008 when everything hit the pan. Thankfully I had a job (part time) to go back to and we managed fine on DH’s salary, but at that time I decided that a cleaner would be my priority. She didn’t do as many hours then as our current cleaner, but having a cleaner makes a massive difference to me so I prioritised it and didn’t spend on some other things.

BramleyAppleHotCrossBun · 13/03/2023 09:31

We are letting our cleaner go, yes, but not the gardener as neither of us have the physical ability to keep on top of the garden. It costs me around £200 a year for him to tidy it every few weeks so I consider that worth it.

However, the reason the cleaner is going is that we've actually had to take the decision for me to quit my job due to the COL. It's become unaffordable to pay wraparound care and every other cost that comes with working, particuarly the 'hidden' costs such as fuel, appropriate clothing etc. Ridiculous really, but you have to do what you have to do, don't you?

livingthegoodlife · 13/03/2023 09:33

When I changed from full time to part time I had to let my cleaner go due to the huge pay cut. But I have more hours at home so I can fit cleaning in. I couldn't justify the £100 a month on my wage. Miss her though!

EnidSinclair · 13/03/2023 09:39

My cleaner’s rates recently went up by 10.5%. My salary went up by 4% as I work in the public sector; my DH’s had no increase as he’s a senior civil servant.

We can just about afford the cleaner (barring any disasters) but that was an “in-year” increase after she had been coming for about 8 months - if there’s another increase on the horizon, I will let her go as it will become unsustainable

Aftjbtibg · 13/03/2023 09:43

My cleaner closed her business last summer and I didn’t get a new cleaner due to cost of living going up. I really miss having the help but I prefer the extra £70 I now have a month and if we found a new cleaner now it’d be even more as everyone’s prices have gone up

FinallyHere · 13/03/2023 11:20

Our cleaner has been a part of our lives for decades now. Her costs are factored into our budget, and are literally the last thing I would economise on.

Mostly because DH is now pretty disabled and unable to pick up any slack. Even if he were not, he would be content with a big clear up every month or so while I like my house to always be clean and tidy. I have a FT job which I (mostly) really enjoy so would not want to be working inside as well as outside the house.

If I had to, I'd stop paying the hairdresser, meals out, trips, holidays, anything more than basic food. Alcohol. Presents

Anything before I would give up 'Treasure'.

northernlola · 13/03/2023 13:31

I had a cleaner for four years until recently. Loved it. She sold her business so it came yo a natural end. Someone has taken over and is in the process of starting up again, after a few months gap, but I'm thinking of staying without one for now. Will see how we get on.

smileladiesplease · 13/03/2023 14:44

I think if you can afford it why wouldn't you? You need the help and you are giving someone a wage. Ditto Gardner. If you can't afford it then that's different

beguilingeyes · 14/03/2023 09:34

I would sacrifice a lot before I let the cleaner go. I hate cleaning and I like coming home to a clean house. She changed the bed as well.. another job I hate.
If I was rich I'd have a cook too.

SugarSyrup · 14/03/2023 15:22

Money is so so tight for us but I'm not yet ready to lose our cleaners, they are amazing. They come for 1.5 hours every fortnight (2 of them so 3 hours cleaning) and that's enough to keep our house ticking over. I would HATE to have to do it all myself.

Notcontent · 14/03/2023 16:56

My cleaner moved away during Covid. If she was still around I would have her come but I have not replaced her as prefer to do the cleaning myself and have extra money for energy bills etc.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 14/03/2023 18:19

The gardeners aren’t very much in comparison to our cleaner. It would make financial sense to let her go, but we’ve had her for so many years I couldn’t let her go easily. It’s such an expense through. Definitely wouldn’t replace her if she left.

sixfoot · 14/03/2023 18:25

We’ve kept ours so far. Four hours a week for £60. I can’t bear doing it all myself, it takes 6-7 hours without changing beds, they do it all in four and the beds are done on rotation.

so long as my hourly rate is more than theirs, they stay.

halfsiesonapotnoodle · 14/03/2023 18:37

'Get rid' is a horrible way to describe it. The bottom line for me would be yes, I would prefer to save the money.

Icequeen01 · 14/03/2023 22:54

Definitely not. We have had our cleaner for over 10 years. She is classed as an essential cost in this house and will be one of the last things to go!

Bunce1 · 14/03/2023 23:00

Had my lovely cleaner for 6 years and love her to bits. She is not as good as she used to be but she is wonderful and the kids love her and the house does appreciate her. She will do one big job each time (clean the skirting boards/inside the windows/deep clean the ovens)

In lockdown we kept her/paid her and didn’t see her as she was shielding (older lady). I just think us and the smattering of other clients is what keeps her going. We are part of a micro economy.

The dog would also be bereft if she didn’t come. She’s amazing.

highstep · 14/03/2023 23:13

The time I save having a cleaner is more valuable to me than the money it costs. That's the crux of it for me. There are many other luxuries I would cut before I would the cleaner, there isn't much more valuable in life than time.

mysparkleismissing · 14/03/2023 23:22

We haven't I'm being more mindful about food and going out and unnecessary spending. We could let her go but have very different standards which is why we got her in the first place!

FusionChefGeoff · 14/03/2023 23:39

Our cleaner has been with us for over a decade and will be one of the last things we cut! I've been through 2 mat leaves, redundancy and a business decimated by covid but we've never stopped. At times she's only done a few humours every fortnight but that's enough to keep us disciplined!

Bunnycat101 · 19/03/2023 19:27

Our cleaner would also be one of the later things we’d cut. I feel a responsibility to people who work for us even though they’re self employed. But at the end of the day for many people it is a luxury and if things are tight I can well see why you might need to lose quite a large discretionary cost.

Motheranddaughter · 19/03/2023 20:36

I would cut back on quite a few things before I would give up my cleaner
Apart from the joy of having a clean house twice a week,it so cuts down marital strife

Zippedydoo123 · 21/03/2023 03:50

I have a gardener once a month now instead of twice monthly. I cannot do the garden on health grounds plus I have zero gardening skills!

teenagersandatoddler · 21/03/2023 04:01

Our cleaner has just increased per rate to £19 an hour from £16. I cannot justify such a massive increase and will need to do it myself.

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