I’m not rich. But reallocating £40 from a takeout for two, into a deep house clean has been transformative for my mental health. It’s even improved my marriage.
I’ve swapped my Friday night takeaway for a full house clean. A cleaner isn’t necessarily in the budget, but we’ve made room for it by sacrificing the £40 we would normally spend on takeaway food. And I don’t miss it.
For £40 I get a two-hour clean, and a weight off my shoulders. I get an evening with my husband, and our family can spend the weekend together. By booking the clean for a Friday, I still get that “treat” feeling.
It’s something to look forward to. Only without the MSG hangover in the morning, and the immediate regret and shame which follows. So instead of sitting on the sofa with our go to order – we sit in an immaculate and deeply cleaned home.
We aren’t stressed. We aren’t pretending to be relaxed. We aren’t cursing the floor as we hobble over rogue lego pieces hidden in the shag rug (total passion killer).
We’re not mentally tallying up who will do what on the weekend, or how many hours it will take, while also trying to keep the romance alive. Getting a cleaner is an act of self care, but one I used to feel a little shameful about. Having a cleaner is a luxury service.
So is paying for someone to prepare your food. I feel slightly guilty about one and not the other. Why? I guess because people will say you’re lazy if you have a cleaner.
We’ve had it all drilled into.