3 ms·

I mean, a twice-monthly house-cleaning service is running you ballpark 5k/year and people treat that shit as non-negotiable. I tried to claw back that line item

I mean, a twice-monthly house-cleaning service is running you ballpark 5k/year and people treat that shit as non-negotiable. I tried to claw back that line item after our second baby was born (wife didn't want them in the house anyway when we had a newborn), and it was completely unsuccessful. She claimed misery and all our friends were on her side. So the lifestyle stayed inflated.

qurren 2mo ago
Yes, but: 1. 80%+ of Americans can't afford house cleaning services. I'm a software engineer in silicon valley and even I clean my own house because I don't think I can afford it. My rents have gone up by more than 5K in the last year, my salary hasn't, so that's coming out of my house cleaning budget. 2. Even if you can afford 5K/year on it, the cleaning service is not an upfront commitment. You can bail anytime when you get laid off and clean your own house. 3. Consumers don't budget rationally. Businesses do.
- neutronicus 2mo ago
  Well, to be honest, a cleaning service is a much more logical purchaser for a cleaning robot. Since you can truck it all over creation, work it 60 hours a week, and undercut all the human cleaning crews on price. As opposed to a household which might not have enough work to fully utilize it, or just have trouble scheduling times where it can work without causing disruption.
soperj 2mo ago
> ballpark 5k/year How big is your house? When we had a cleaning lady it was $70 a go. Under $2000 for every second week.
- pertymcpert 2mo ago
  I have a 1300 sqft house, 3b2b. Costs me around $200 for a cleaning.
  - neutronicus 2mo ago
    Similar here for 2500 finished sq ft.
  - drusepth 2mo ago
    Same, it was $150 for 1400 sq ft house last I did it, so roughly same ballpark. I do remember it being closer to $80 10ish years ago though.
  - soperj 2mo ago
    Ours was a 1300 3b1b. It was $35 an hour, they finished everything in under 2 hours. I'm guessing(hoping!) they have to be there for more than 2 hours for $200?
- neutronicus 2mo ago
  2500 finished square feet in a MCOL east coast metro (Baltimore). Wondering if you're closer to the southern border or something.
  - soperj 2mo ago
    Southern border of Canada yeah.
- infecto 2mo ago
  $70 a go? That’s got to be the cash only person to person handshake agreement. That would never buy you laundry too. I think I remember maybe around $100 including laundry almost 20 years ago and that was a cash type arrangement, weekly including laundry (multi hour visit).
- rfrey 2mo ago
  There is a lot of variance in the price of cleaning tied to location. Cost of living in the area for sure, but also presence or absence of economic migrants and new immigrants.

qurren 2mo ago

Yes, but: 1. 80%+ of Americans can't afford house cleaning services. I'm a software engineer in silicon valley and even I clean my own house because I don't think I can afford it. My rents have gone up by more than 5K in the last year, my salary hasn't, so that's coming out of my house cleaning budget. 2. Even if you can afford 5K/year on it, the cleaning service is not an upfront commitment. You can bail anytime when you get laid off and clean your own house. 3. Consumers don't budget rationally. Businesses do.

neutronicus 2mo ago
Well, to be honest, a cleaning service is a much more logical purchaser for a cleaning robot. Since you can truck it all over creation, work it 60 hours a week, and undercut all the human cleaning crews on price. As opposed to a household which might not have enough work to fully utilize it, or just have trouble scheduling times where it can work without causing disruption.

soperj 2mo ago

> ballpark 5k/year How big is your house? When we had a cleaning lady it was $70 a go. Under $2000 for every second week.

pertymcpert 2mo ago
I have a 1300 sqft house, 3b2b. Costs me around $200 for a cleaning.
- neutronicus 2mo ago
  Similar here for 2500 finished sq ft.
- drusepth 2mo ago
  Same, it was $150 for 1400 sq ft house last I did it, so roughly same ballpark. I do remember it being closer to $80 10ish years ago though.
- soperj 2mo ago
  Ours was a 1300 3b1b. It was $35 an hour, they finished everything in under 2 hours. I'm guessing(hoping!) they have to be there for more than 2 hours for $200?
neutronicus 2mo ago
2500 finished square feet in a MCOL east coast metro (Baltimore). Wondering if you're closer to the southern border or something.
- soperj 2mo ago
  Southern border of Canada yeah.
infecto 2mo ago
$70 a go? That’s got to be the cash only person to person handshake agreement. That would never buy you laundry too. I think I remember maybe around $100 including laundry almost 20 years ago and that was a cash type arrangement, weekly including laundry (multi hour visit).
rfrey 2mo ago
There is a lot of variance in the price of cleaning tied to location. Cost of living in the area for sure, but also presence or absence of economic migrants and new immigrants.