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Cost of living

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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:
UsingChangeofName · 21/03/2023 04:56

Totally personal decision.
I LOVE coming in to a clean house, and feel it is one of the best things I spend money on.
However, my cleaner charges a lot less than some of the prices I see on here.
I also am 'very cheap to run' compared with what I see so many people spending on things like haircuts, clothes, accessories, nails, creams and potions, gadgets and so forth, so I have no qualms about my 'treat to myself' of outsourcing work I don't enjoy doing.

As to whether it fits in to your budget or not - it depends on your family's 'spending money' each month and also the time you have available, and then how much of a treat you consider it to be. It is very individual.

EggBlanket · 21/03/2023 06:43

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?

Can you afford not to pay into a pension? Quitting your job seems quite extreme.

Comii9 · 21/03/2023 06:47

I don't have a cleaner but rather than let that go I would look at other things.

Can you cut down your TV package, Internet? Swop to an Aldi food shop and reduce things like takeaways first. Otherwise you will save money on the cleaner but loose time.

Overthebow · 21/03/2023 07:00

We were going to get a cleaner but have now made the decision not to. We could still afford it but I want to still be able to save money and have a decent amount disposable income so there’s not extra for a cleaner as there would have been. Our pay rises have gone on all the increased bills.

cosmiccosmos · 21/03/2023 07:37

It would depend on who would end up picking up the extra work and what else had been cut.

For example if I was going to end up doing all the cleaning as I knew DH wouldn't step up then I would be discussing other areas that could be cut first e.g. hobbies. No way would I cut cleaner and gardener if it meant I also had more work and less free time in comparison to my partner.

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