1% Thursday: Hire Someone (when you can’t afford it)
Are you kidding me?! You don’t understand what I pay for medication alone… I can’t work… and you want me to spend hundreds of dollars hiring someone to clean my house?!
I do understand, actually. And for a few of you, it may be the simple reality that hiring someone is out of the question.
On the other hand, I think we need to open our minds a bit to what hiring actually means. Sure, hiring someone to clean and cook for you may be in your price range – if so, go for it.
But think about this – what about hiring someone to do some cleaning once every two months? You may find the relief is worth it.
What about hiring a chef? No, not to cook in your house, I mean something boring like "ordering in" from a healthy restaurant. Plan to do it at a stressful time of the month, or after you get home for a vacation.
What job do you dread? Could someone come cut your grass? Fix that thing-ma-jigger that’s been bothering you every day for a year?
Many areas have grocery shopping services. No, really.
Order something online, and have it shipped to you, rather than getting it at the mall.
You can even hire people to do online jobs – hire someone to find the best deal on such and such, or do your taxes, or fix your website.
Don’t do all these things (unless you have money to burn). Just plan to do one thing – something that would take a huge load off your shoulders. Once a month, once a year, on certain occasions. Be creative – take the time to think it over, and talk about it with family and friends.
Do you know of a service in your area or worldwide that is really a huge help, even if just once in a while? Share your ideas in the comments!.
What is 1% Thursday?
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Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!
7 May 2010 @ 4:01 pm
I agree 100%. While I’m not rich enough for a maid, having someone come to clean every other week really makes my life better. Not only does it free up my time to do things I enjoy, but It just makes me sooooo happy to come home to a clean house. Yes, I could certainly do it myself, but my time is worth much more than my money to me. Besides, I never do as good a job as she does. Same with yard work. I despise it. I love having beautiful flowers and shrubbery in my yard, but I would never keep up with it, so having a gardener come to take care of that makes me very happy. That means I can enjoy my headache-free days much more, and I don’t have to stress about house or yard work not getting done on the days when I’m paralyzed with a migraine. 🙂
7 May 2010 @ 5:28 pm
Great advice! I am a single mom of 4 kids. I have a good job but almost no spare cash to speak of. I spoke to my church and they helped me get someone to clean my house once in a while. I try to have ready-to-eat meals at home for dinner for when I feel terrible. I order in take out when life gets stressful. I order my groceries online once in awhile. I hire a babysitter for a night out regularly. I have learned to accept it when people offer me some help. It has really helped me to de-stress.
7 May 2010 @ 7:00 pm
Absolutely!!! I am getting over a big migraine. Wasted a day in bed, & had to call in sick. I work 100 miles from where I live; and work the grave yard shift in a hospital 3nights per week. I’m sure that shift doesn’t help but with the extra $ on that shift I hire a housekeeper everyother week. It has been a huge burden off my shoulders & I’m a minor clean freak so one less worry for me! Do it!!!
21 June 2010 @ 11:25 am
Thanks for your comments! This might be something to set aside a savings account for – you know, a few dollars a month. Then, when you’re in a particularly busy time and have a migraine attack, you can use the money. What do you think?