I Made Under $60K, Yet I Afforded a House Cleaner: Here’s How
Once upon a time, years before I would become a far better-compensated personal finance writer, I worked as an entry-level technical editor drawing a salary in the mid-$50,000 range. I learned to balance my grocery bills and car notes and utilities payments like plates spinning on narrow poles.
Just a few short years prior, I shared a home with a roommate who had a view of housekeeping that ranged from lackadaisical to the downright gross. The day I came home from work to find vegetable peelings from her cooking on the floor and the compost bin on the kitchen counter haunted me.
Read More: 4 Ways the Middle Class Can Make an Extra $500 a Week From Home
For You: 9 Easy Ways To Grow Your Wealth in 2024
Once I found a tiny apartment for myself, it was important to me that every inch of it be spotless. So, living alone, I made a vow: I would find a way to afford a professional cleaner.
While some people might say this was a waste of money, having my place professionally cleaned gave me a genuine peace of mind that has helped me be more relaxed and productive. Despite the conception that professional house cleaners are a luxury for the well-heeled, I found a way to make it work for me when I was making under $60,000 a year.
These are my tips for anyone who wants to do the same.
Go with an Independent Cleaner
When I first explored hiring a cleaner for my place, I will admit to some sticker shock over the prices for some of the bigger, well-known cleaning services.
For instance, Home Guide reported that the average cost of a service like Merry Maids could range between $150 to $300 an hour. While I could live with the lower end of that spectrum, I was certainly unwilling to reach the higher end.
I realized that I’d have better luck finding a local, independent cleaning company. Fortunately, my prayers were answered over social media of all places.
I discovered that a friend of mine from high school started her own professional business. After contacting her online, we met up to discuss the work cleaning my place would entail and settled on a price in the $125 range to start.
Her work has been so immaculate that I’ve held onto her services even after I moved and increased my earnings. Concurrently, she was able to bump up her own rates to $175 an hour.
I was extremely fortunate to find someone so easily, but if you’re searching for your own cleaner online, you can use services like Care.com or Angie’s List. There’s also no harm in reaching out to friends and family to see if they have any recommendations.
Explore More: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job
I Only Got a Cleaning Once a Month
As much as I would have loved a weekly cleaning, that simply wasn’t in my budget. I knew I’d be paying that $125 for what I came to think of as a “base cleaning.”
My friend’s work gave me a solid foundation of scrubbed floors, dust-free furniture, and a bathtub you could eat out of, allowing me to do a much faster maintenance clean every week.
I only needed to invest in a good duster, furniture polish, window cleaner, and tile spray, along with some paper towels every couple of months — all of which I could find at Dollar Tree.
I Took on Extra Work to Pay for Cleaning
Even before my cleaner came to my place for the first time, I realized that getting the extra $125 out of my already stretched budget would be incredibly difficult. Knowing that having a clean and orderly space was important to me, I decided to prioritize bringing in additional income to cover it without having to pull from the funds I’d allotted for other bills.
Using resources like LinkedIn, as well as contacts in my own professional network, I found extra writing and editing work that paid me enough to put away money for the cleaning. Even better, some of these opportunities became ongoing work that allowed me to build a little financial cushion to cover other expenses more easily, as well.
Though I’m far removed from those early days of worrying about how to afford monthly cleaning services, I learned a lot in terms of showing creativity, flexibility and a willingness to work hard when it comes to meeting a personal and financial goal.
More From GOBankingRates
6 Subtly Genius Moves All Wealthy People Make With Their Money
I'm a Debt Expert: Here's How Social Media Warps Our Perceptions of Debt
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Made Under $60K, Yet I Afforded a House Cleaner: Here’s How
