This is something nobody ever thinks about. What is the value of homemakers? First, you have to look at what we do;
- Laundry $336 per week
- Cleaning $1120 per week
- Private Chef $1365 per week
- Finances $1200 per week
- Child Care $ 880 per week (one child)
- Driver $2000 per week
The article I came across while watching Denise Jordan at This and That on Youtube.com live chat is what we are going to look at. There has been a cultural shaming of people, particularly women, for being full-time homemakers. Why? Well, you can’t tax a homemaker’s capital gains because they aren’t paid. This article looks at what the average homemaker would make if they were paid to do everything we do in a day.
Laundry service can be expensive. The more delicate the item the more it cost. So we are going to look at the main items such as sheets, towels, and clothing. Planing on paying about $336 dollars per week. That is washing, drying, and folding. My late mom did laundry for three people twice a week. Someone like Amy Maryon would probably have to do it four times a week. I hear the registers going up.
Cleaning. This is never finished. Every day there is something new to clean. Some people have their homes broken up in zones. Check out Kimmie from She’s In Her Apron at Youtube.com to learn more about it. Also, check out Denise Jordan that I mentioned in the first paragraph. These ladies have the zone thing down to a science. We have a small apartment so it’s combining clean as you go, and tidy up each day which works for us.
Private Chef. This includes meal planning, shopping, and actual cooking. It could get expensive if you had to pay a chef. About $1365 per week in a moderate area. Somewhere like Beverly Hills California or Mar Largo Florida, forget about it. The average person could never afford a private chef.
Finances. This wasn’t included in the article but I really feel like financial management is a critical skill homemakers have that is way underestimated. We have to be able to stretch every penny as far as we can. Sometimes till the penny screams for mercy. If you had to hire a financial manager that could run you about $1200 per week or month depending on where you live.
Child Care. One of my cousins decided to stay home with her daughter since her husband made enough money to support them and their one daughter at the time. Now they have a son as well. Alice still staying home. It was costing for the one child at the daycare where she worked almost $600 a month with a small discount for working there. Erin, Alice’s sister is also staying home with their new baby. To make this work Erin and her husband only have one car. This brings me to the last section. (Alce and Erin aren’t the actual names of my cousins.)
Driver. You can’t go to any town without seeing Lyft, Taxis, or, Uber. Over the last few years, we have seen Lyft and Uber pop up everywhere in America. There have been taxis and public transportation in large cities like Detroit, New York, Chicago, and Los Angles. Which left small towns with taxis and that was it.
The bottom line is this, homemakers do more before noon than most people do in a day. Our services are undervalued and we are shamed by society for choosing to be homemakers. No, we don’t have time to drop you psycho cat at the vet. No, we don’t have time to make sure your package isn’t stolen of the front porch. Take care of these things yourself.
Bibliography
MORAN, P. (2020, 03 21). How Much Is A Stay-at-Home Parent Worth? Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0112/how-much-is-a-homemaker-worth.aspx
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