• 𝕾𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖞 𝕿𝖚𝖓𝖆@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      My mother seriously recommended I hire cleaners if I wasn’t able to always keep my place clean at a time in my life where I was super busy.

      I made like $30k in 2014. I wasn’t poor by any stretch, but suggesting I hire cleaners was a clear indicator of how out of touch she was with the lower half of the middle class.

        • 𝕾𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖞 𝕿𝖚𝖓𝖆@lemmy.world
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          10 months ago

          I graduated college in ‘14 and got my first professional job that August. I made $17.09 an hour and I was an 85% FTE. I was still in grad school at the time (never finished, whoops). That inflates to right about $22 today, if the BLS’ inflation numbers are to be trusted. Or about $39k at 85% FTE

          My rent was $800 in uptown Oklahoma City.

          Again, I was doing alright for a single guy with a bachelor’s degree at 22 with little work experience. I kept my bills and rent paid. I got to buy a PC component every once in a while. Sure, I wasn’t going on vacation every year, but I wasn’t starving.

          But I was a long way away from hiring cleaners. I couldn’t really afford a therapist back then. Which I desperately needed more than I realized.

          Oklahoma’s minimum wage still follows federal, but most places do start at $9 or $10 anymore. Still not nearly enough. And that’s really in the city. Out in the sticks, you’re making $7.25.

    • KoalaUnknown@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      My mother makes a near median salary but still hires someone to clean her apartment every 2 weeks because she hates cleaning. To pay for it and other things she does pet sitting and travel booking on the side.

      Division of labor is a useful thing.

    • rwhitisissle@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      Comfortable middle class. Upper class people have full time servants. They don’t come to your house. They’re just always there.

      • DragonTypeWyvern
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        10 months ago

        The traditional definition of middle class was being able to afford a servant or two.

        These days it’s certainly well within middle class income to hire a cleaning service, have groceries delivered, etc.

  • db2@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    “the cleaners are coming” said literally nobody I know. Can’t relate to this at all.

  • Landless2029@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I don’t have cleaners. But the last time I saw this joke made a commenter opened OPs eyes with something along the lines of:

    Imagine hiring cleaners gives you a +2 to your cleanliness level.

    You start at 5. +Cleaners: 7

    Clean first to get to 7 on your own? +Cleaners: 9

    Also. Cleaners will start with the easy shit like dishes. If dishes are done they have to go deeper to clean harder shit. Get your money’s worth.

    • Track_Shovel@slrpnk.netOP
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      10 months ago

      I’m definitely not rich.

      I’m not living in a box down by the river and using a rat as a pillow either.

      Both of us work, and with kids thrown into the mix, it gets chaotic around here. Cleaners are the one splurge we do, and it’s so we can spend time with our kids rather than doing chores.

  • FrostKing@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Wait, people actually hire people to clean their house?

    I thought that was only in movies. Have you ever heard of just… Picking up after yourself?

    • pufferfisherpowder@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      If you think cleaning is picking up after yourself you haven’t actually cleaned. If I had just a tiny bit more disposable income I’d love to spend it on someone properly cleaning the apartment.

      Between two full time jobs, commute, and a toddler there is not much time, much less energy, to clean beyond a quick vacuum, and wipe down of the bathroom once a week.

  • magnetosphere@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    I’ve never understood this thought process. Sure, getting some stuff out of their way makes sense (like getting shoes off the floor so the cleaners can vacuum), but why clean?

    • Kobol@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      It’s called an anxiety disorder. shame and guilt and embarrassment

      They don’t want others to think they’re dirty/unclean/etc so they do this. It’s the same reason some people won’t call a handyman to fix a problem, or go to a doctor/dentist, they’re afraid of someone knowing they couldn’t fix or take care of themselves.