Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

What extra support have you got to make life easier at home?

28 replies

floops · 26/04/2003 01:49

I have just been lucky enough to get a promotion. This means I will be increasing my hours again. Help!!! I need to employ all methods of making life easier at home so that when I am not working we have quality famliy time and not housework etc. I plan to get a cleaner obviously but what other things do you all do to ease the burden? Lots of tips needed.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 26/04/2003 08:10

A cleaner that does ironing or a seperate ironer.
A supermarket's home delivery service,

ScummyMummy · 26/04/2003 08:43

Congratulations on the promotion, floops.
I second Soupdragon's idea of home delivery from the supermarket- saves time and stress not having to drag loads of bags home from the shops. Also, if you have a partner/other adults/older kids in the house make sure they're pulling their weight on the household chore front and not leaving it all to you and the cleaner. Can't think of anything else- it's an ongoing problem in our house too!

Batters · 26/04/2003 09:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Batters · 26/04/2003 09:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jac34 · 26/04/2003 09:56

I'd suggest, not just the food shopping but all kinds of other internet shopping as well.
We needed some more furniture for our home office, and were going out to look over the Easter break. A few nights before, I looked on the net,and ordered it, also some DIY stuff and play sand.We did not need to go near a shop at all, spent the whole time having fun with the kids and lovely lunches with family and friends.

hmb · 26/04/2003 10:17

If you don't already have a dish washer, get one.

miriamw · 26/04/2003 10:57

Congratulations on the promotion!

It's a bit of a faff to set up initially, but I have a monthly rota of meals, with a shopping list prepared for each week - I found that it took me too long to decide what to cook each night, so this just means that the internet shop is even easier (esp if you supermarket has the facility to "save lists". Every few months I just add some new meals in. And I have spaces for the Friday night takeaway!

Ironing service is great - we have one that does dry cleaning, and will also do washes as well if you're really pushed (never bothered myself).

Someone to cut the grass.

For other types of shopping, try catalogues (especially if you commute by train). I could pick out a large order of kids basic clothing on the train (underwear, socks, nightwear), and order it on my mobile whilst I was commuting in. Even if you shop online, it is often quicker to look through the paper catalogue first.

It probably is worth looking at some of the decluttering types books/websites. I have found that if things are stored nearest to their main point of use, there is less tidying up to do. Buy multiple copies of items that get a lot of use (eg scissors). Have a stock of cleaning materials upstairs and downstairs, so any messes can be cleaned quickly between cleaner visits (mine just come once a fortnight). Each bed has its spare set in that room, to make changing sheets easier.

Get as much of your admin as possible automated - put everything possible on direct debit or standing order. I buy birthday cards and presents about once every two months and get them written up and ready to post. Contact the Telephone Preference Service and Mailing Preference service to get rid of cold calls and junk mail.

If your children are old enough - delegate! Even little things like having someone else delegated to empty the dishwasher makes a lot of difference.

Hope that you enjoy the new job!

katierocket · 26/04/2003 11:13

miriamw - WOW, you put me to shame!!

Copper · 26/04/2003 11:31

miriamw
more informaiton on the monthly menus please! I am whooly impressed

SamboM · 26/04/2003 13:25

Well done with your promotion!

I pay my nanny a bit extra to keep the house looking nice, empty the dishwasher, hang out the washing etc as well as having a cleaner twice a week. My mum does my ironing or I send it to an ironing service. I have a dogwalker 3 times a week. I had the garden re-planted with low maintenance stuff.

I shop online for groceries and get them delivered (ocado.com, fantastic). All bills etc are direct debits or standing orders.

So you may ask what I do? I still seem to spend ages clearing up the house, but I do find that I can spend lots of time with dd and dh as I don't have to worry about most of the mundane things. Downside is that I have to keep working to pay for all this stuff! Am hoping to go 4 days a week soon though.

GillW · 26/04/2003 14:35

And to ask a related but opposite question - how do people cope without any of this extra support when they have to work full-time(+++)? I have to confess I was struggling to keep afloat even before the work situation has got so bad lately, but it's against DH's principles to pay anyone else to do anything if DIY is an option. So without delivery services, ironing services, cleaners, gardeners, etc, IS is possible to cope?

Copper · 26/04/2003 15:25

How about making DH do a bit of DIH - do it himself?

SamboM · 26/04/2003 19:32

I could prob cope but life would be very hard

Tinker · 26/04/2003 19:42

GillW - yes, if you don't mind living in a slum I do shop online, but not groceries (still sticking to Lidl ) but have no other kind of domestic help. Am NEVER on top of housework but then I never was pre-child either so can't blame her.

whymummy · 26/04/2003 21:08

congratulations floops!!would anyone consider a male aupair?,i read an article the other day talking about male hungarian aupairs and it sounded ideal not only they look after the children but they also clean,cook and do diy i might consider it and if on top of all that he`s good looking then dh better watch out!

Meanmum · 26/04/2003 21:23

I have a cleaner, some reliable baby sitters and a dh who is helpful. He needs to be reminded at times and nagged but he is long suffering, hard working and considerate. That probably doesn't help much does it.

jinna · 27/04/2003 11:21

miriamw - love your ideas - can you tell me the web sites that give decluttering info. thanks

floops, congratulations on your promotion - i agree with other people about an ironing service - we have just started to use one and it is great - costs about £15 for 30 items - i think they use a steam iron as everything comes back looking like new and it saves me lots of time

edgarcat · 27/04/2003 11:26

Message withdrawn

miggy · 27/04/2003 11:54

Whymummy-we has a hungarian female aupair who was gorgeous- to the point that complete strangers would stop her in the street to tell her how lovely her legs were (True!) If there is a male equivalent I'm signing up now

lisaj · 27/04/2003 12:39

Edgarcat - I laughed at the term 'arsenic hour'! What is it about that time of day that makes kids so impossible? Stupid question, as I know that it's because they are tired/hungry etc etc, I just wish I could find a helpful neighbour like you, you lucky thing! I was only thinking to myself earlier today, that why is it our house always seems a mess, even though I see to spend all my time tidying up. Spending too much time on mumsnet may have something to do with it too!!

bossykate · 27/04/2003 12:54

hello everyone, hope you don't mind me crashing here to ask how you found your cleaners/ironing services/gardeners? i'm about to start looking for a new cleaner and would also like some help with the ironing and gardening. have not had good results from agencies before...

thanks in advance

Mo2 · 27/04/2003 15:39

Whymummy - definitely agree on the au pair front... our 2nd one (had one previously that is - not that we've got two!) just arrived last week and life is bearable once more...
If you don't want your own au pair/ haven't got space etc DO ask around who else has one as they always seem to be looking for extra cleaning /baby sitting jobs, and before we had our own au apair we were always using other people's (and paying her of course....)

pamina · 27/04/2003 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

bells2 · 28/04/2003 08:40

BK, we have always found ours through neighbours.

SilverUK · 28/04/2003 13:53

I got mine (part-time, afternoons ARSENIC HOUR!) through a Polish workmate she houseshares with, she is great and her brother did some painting for us too! My next door neighbors later took her on for one morning too, saves her travel time. Now she is leaving (sob!) as her friend is giving up a full-time job that she would like but promised to ask around her friends for me...it pays to moan to workmates/neighbors sometimes...