We pay $17 an hour for someone to tackle our household to-do list — from meal prep to laundry — while we're at work
A working mother shares her experience of hiring a household manager for $17 an hour to handle chores like laundry and meal prep. She argues that outsourcing these tasks allows her to balance a demanding career and MBA studies while remaining present for her family.
Why it matters
It reflects the growing trend of 'outsourcing' domestic labor among dual-income professional households to manage work-life balance.
Our household manager has been a great extra support system when we need it most. She helps me have more time to be present for my family. Maria Satira Our family has had a household manager for about two years, and it is worth every penny. For $17 an hour, she helps us by running errands, doing laundry, preparing meals, and more. Having a household manager has helped my husband and me get time back to spend with our kids. Many working parents can probably relate to our hectic schedules. I'm a marketing executive, part-time MBA student, wife, and mom of two young daughters. My husband is self-employed in construction, real estate, and property management, which means he regularly works 60-hour weeks and answers calls at all hours.
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