milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:03:31 GMT -5
A few months ago, I stopped doing all the stuff around the house. DH has done some things and the boys are trying to help as well, but the house is looking ragged. I want to essentially hire a stay at home mom, but it's not PC to say that, so help me write the ad. Here's my first draft: Busy Family Needs A Super Organizer – Perfect Job For A Mom With Kids in School With a growing business and two boys, our family doesn’t get much free time and since we’ve been choosing to spend that free time on family activities, our house is starting to look neglected. We’re looking for a super organizer to come to our house three days a week for approximately 6 hours per day (flexible on the timing, can be during school hours) and clean, organize and keep the house up. Tasks will vary depending on what’s grubby, and might include work inside the house, outside the house or even light cleaning on the boat. $12 an hour. Questions - best place to put the ad. I'm thinking maybe the paper for the district elementary school? Maybe that will help me find a mom who wants to work while her kids are in school. Contact methods - I like to do everything via email. Hate the phone. But I'm worried that not everyone has email and I'm missing a good portion of the potential employee pool. Suggestions on how to do the contact? Any other ideas on how to get a good person?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:09:27 GMT -5
I can't wrap my head around needing 18 hours of help per week when all you have mentioned is cleaning and organizing.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:10:49 GMT -5
I need a lot of cleaning and organizing. It's a luxury, but I want a house that looks good any time.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:15:04 GMT -5
Plus, I want someone who will do other stuff I want. Like right now, I've just spent the last 4 days detailing a new little runabout boat I got. It would be nice to have some help. Doesn't happen often and doesn't need doing all the time, but I'd like a hand with stuff like that. In a few weeks, it would be great to have help with the herb garden and the roses. Sometimes it would be nice to have someone do all that detail stuff I always mean to do, but never get around to - like scrub (or maybe repaint) the front door, clean the garage, clean behind the refrigerator, etc. I'll freely admit it's a luxury, but to me, it would be well worth $216 plus taxes per week. We all have our stuff that's worth the money - for me, I think it would be help at this point. I'm tired of doing all the house stuff and honestly, have more money than time right now. So this would be a really wonderful thing for me. And since I buy my purses at Target, paint my own toenails and hang my laundry on the line to dry - I can afford it. So does anybody have any helpful suggestions or are you just going to launch into how I'm lazy, and wasteful and should be scrubbing my own damn floors?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:21:06 GMT -5
I don't begrudge you a cleaning service, just the time commitment.
I'd cut the hours and increase the pay.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Sept 24, 2012 19:22:13 GMT -5
I like a clean home. If I had children, there is no way I'd be able to keep up with it the way that I like it done - and work full time. If I had the money, you bet I'd hire help. However, someone would have to pay me a whole lot more than $12.00 per hour to do the heavy stuff you are asking like cleaning a garage and a boat and moving appliances to clean under them. But that's just me.
Again, dang right I'd have it done for me if I could afford it and didn't have the time. My only issue is that my standards might be too high.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:22:22 GMT -5
What do you think is a reasonable pay? I'd pay more for a good person.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Sept 24, 2012 19:25:30 GMT -5
I don't know, Milee. I have never hired anyone. Honestly? If someone hired me to clean their garage, I'd probably charge them at least $17.00 an hour. That's heavy, dirty work. However, $12.00 an hour is PLENTY if you are just asking for general house cleaning. Perhaps amend the wages for the work you wish done as it comes up?
But on second thought? There are lots and lots of people who could really use that money so I might be way off base. $12.00 an hour is a lot of money to someone who needs it. I'd look at it as helping someone else out to help me. It's a win/win.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:26:46 GMT -5
Maybe consider a sister wife ? I think maybe 15$ ? ... but 12 might be ok to start... not sure of your COLA. I like your ad, but before i'd advertise, me personally, i'd look to people who might be aquaintances, etc. put it out to my friends i was looking to see if they might have a recommendation.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:26:47 GMT -5
That's part of the problem, it's kind of a mix of stuff. Probably 90% light housekeeping but then there will be times when there's dirtier or heavier stuff. Tough to price. I want to be fair and not make it too complicated.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Sept 24, 2012 19:29:02 GMT -5
What about hiring two different people? Someone to do the general housekeeping and one to do the outside work? Obviously, the two jobs would probably pay differently. You might find an un- or under employed father to do the heavier work.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:30:51 GMT -5
Maybe consider a sister wife ? I think maybe 15$ ? ... but 12 might be ok to start... not sure of your COLA. I like your ad, but before i'd advertise, me personally, i'd look to people who might be aquaintances, etc. put it out to my friends i was looking to see if they might have a recommendation. I told DH he could have a mail order bride if she'd do all the house stuff. He's been silent on the matter. I'm torn about the idea of getting a friend, a friend of a friend or even a maid of a friend. I've heard too much gossip from that. For example, I once knew a fellow employee at work was pregnant about a month before she officially told anyone because her maid was also the maid of one of my friends and the maid found a "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book. I've heard other people talk at social events about how such and such a family are dirty pigs - heard from a friend of their maid. People love to talk, and having someone in your house 3 days a week means they're going to know every crazy thing going on. While we don't have anything too strange, IMHO, I like my privacy.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Sept 24, 2012 19:32:55 GMT -5
Privacy would be a concern for me also. I'm with you on hiring a friend. I wouldn't want anybody I know personally or socialize with to look at me with that "damn you suck" look in their eyes. On the other hand, a friend is less likely to rip you off but since I'm not Vanderbilt, that wouldn't be a big worry of mine.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:33:43 GMT -5
What about hiring two different people? Someone to do the general housekeeping and one to do the outside work? Obviously, the two jobs would probably pay differently. You might find an un- or under employed father to do the heavier work. Considered it, but not only is that more complicated, but the "outside" stuff is too irregular to manage. I could keep someone busy 18 hours a week no problem if I mix tasks, but the heavier stuff happens irregularly. Once I get into having to schedule and manage a separate person, that's really cutting into how much of a help that is I think. Plus, I don't think I have enough to guarantee a certain # of hours.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:34:39 GMT -5
If 90% will be light cleaning, i'd set it up as that, and then when you have extra duties, offer those for extra. I don't think you have to pay as much for general cleaning as for someone to be the 'flexible/master organizer' that you suggested in the first post. So, i think first decide what exactly you want. Do you want a maid... or do you want a housekeeper... or do you want a caretaker? housekeeper implies more in depth responsiblity and flexibility of overseeing greater bredth of duties than maid... caretaker even more so. At least to me.
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Green Eyed Lady
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Post by Green Eyed Lady on Sept 24, 2012 19:35:07 GMT -5
Those are all good points. Probably not a good suggestion when your aim is to simplify your life.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:37:05 GMT -5
Understood about the privacy thing. On the other hand, i'd be running background checks, etc. if i didn't know SOMETHing about the person... don't want a person near my kids, or my private things, that i don't know anything about... I'd think an aquaintance or friend of a friend would work best, to me.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:38:09 GMT -5
Good point - the description should be "caretaker", not organizer.
I have a friend who does something like this already. She started out as an afternoon nanny for a family. Over time, their kids grew and they needed less nanny but more cleaning, organizing, errand running. Now it's 15 years later, and even though the kids are gone, they still pay her $10 an hour (they pay cash an don't report) and she pretty much does whatever jobs they need and keeps their house spotless, etc. She loves it because it's part time, flexible hours doing stuff she'd be doing around her own house anyway. This is kind of what I'm looking for.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:41:05 GMT -5
Around here, most people pay around $10 an hour cash for maids if the maids work for at least a couple days a week at that house. Maid service (sometimes a team of people, sometimes just one person) is different in that it's just a list of pre-set tasks that is done once a week, more of an independent contractor situation varies in cost, but those are licensed, bonded, insured, etc. and also have backups ready; those are paid a lump sum for the cleaning no matter how long it takes but it works out to around $18 - $20 an hour.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:41:53 GMT -5
I was going to say that SS is going to be a problem. With what you are paying, you definitely will cross the threshold. The person you pay won't want you to deduct for that or taxes.
Are you ok with paying both halves?
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:44:59 GMT -5
Yes, no problem on paying the taxes. I don't cheat on taxes. The DMV thought I was crazy because I self-disclosed and paid the full amount of sales tax on the boat I just bought. Apparently, cheating is the norm?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 19:49:01 GMT -5
I paid my use tax on Amazon purchases last year.
However, I don't see how Milee pays both halves exactly?
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:50:12 GMT -5
I get what Susana is saying and it's part of why I'm offering a slightly higher salary, so they're not ending up behind when their part of the SS is deducted. I'm offering 20% above prevalent wages because they're going to have SS deducted and also I'm asking for them to be willing to do heavier stuff every once in a while.
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swamp
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Post by swamp on Sept 24, 2012 19:52:30 GMT -5
I pay my cleaning lady $20 an hour, so I'd would think that to get someone up to the task, you'd have to pay a little more.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 19:55:29 GMT -5
If it's $20, I'll do that. Around here, though, you can hire an engineer for that amount. ($40,000 annualized.)
We're still at over 10% unemployment.
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milee
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Post by milee on Sept 24, 2012 20:09:42 GMT -5
Any suggestions on whether it's OK to ask them to reply via email or if I need to include a phone number since some people don't have email?
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Sept 24, 2012 20:11:56 GMT -5
If you want someone reliable, around here I'd suggest no less than $15 per hour. Also, you're looking for a multi-tasker, someone willing to work indoors or outdoors, so that may cost you a little more. What part of the country are you in?
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Malarky
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Post by Malarky on Sept 24, 2012 20:13:45 GMT -5
I always tell DH that in lieu of a wife of my own, I want an "Alice." (From the Brady Bunch.) Not someone who lives in, but someone who steps in and does what needs to be done.
I think the rate is reasonable since it would be mainly light housework with only occasional heavy lifting. Eighteen hours also seems reasonable. We're a family of four and most days involve school and/or work, followed by a stop at home, inhale food, pick up a sports bag and off we go again. Adding sand, salt and wet towels to the mix most days would probably push me over the edge.
As far as the ad: "Looking for an energetic person to help organize our busy lives..."
What do you have available locally? Local paper? Bulletin boards at the grocery store or library? Local community colleges? -This could be a good job for the right college student. There are various versions of the Boston Parent's Paper around here that cater to just this sort of situation, do you have anything similar? I'm not a big fan of Craigslist because it tends to draw responses from way too far afield for what we are generally looking for.
Unless your are willing to use your business number, I think email is your best option. Your business number lets applicants know that you are legitimate (able and likely to pay.) I personally wouldn't put my home or cell phone number out there.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Sept 24, 2012 20:18:37 GMT -5
A friend of mine is here from a small town in upstate NY. She pays her cleaning lady $20/hour.
For what you want, I think you're not going to find many takers.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 20:19:04 GMT -5
I wonder if i could pay someone to drive the kids to rock gym and wait for them ? ... would that make me a terrible mother ?
I also would be cautious of giving my private number, or private email... i'd use a burner email.
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