Making Life Easier in Mexico
April 20, 2009
Hi Everyone, I ran across the below article and thought I would pass it along.
The author lives in Campeche, but the lesson learned here is the same for all of Mexico. I only have a part time maid and gardener, but I completely agree with the author on how much easier life’s chores can be when you have good helpers.
Please don’t think that good help is hard to find. That’s just not the case in our area, even though we have a higher concentration of North Americans in our area, than they have in Campeche. Maids here are currently earning the equivalent of approximately $2.50 USD per hour and gardener’s a little more.
I never had servants when living in the USA and yes, at first it takes a little getting use to, but as the below article points out it’s very very nice.
“Mexico–Where Anyone Can Afford a Full-time Maid
International Living Postcards–your daily escape
Monday, April 20, 2009
Dear International Living Reader,
I love having a full-time maid.
Like many expats who move to Mexico, I came here for the low cost of living. Low prices for goods like groceries and for basic services like healthcare mean more money left over for the incidentals that make life pleasant. For some, that means more travel, or golf club memberships, or eating out for every meal.
For me, it means being able to afford a full-time empleada–a maid. It’s great having someone to clean and organize the house (especially since cleaning and organizing a house aren’t among my better skills). But even more than that, having a maid buys me convenience and peace of mind. Here’s an example of what I mean:
I recently left Campeche for a couple of weeks. While I was away, I didn’t need to worry about my house or my pets, because my maid, Lupe, was there. She comes Monday to Friday, whether I’m home or not.
Because I knew Lupe would be coming while I was away, I didn’t obsess over pre-trip precautions like emptying the refrigerator of perishables and taking out the trash. I knew Lupe would take care of it if I forgot. Instead, I could focus on packing for my trip. Lupe also took care of my two cats, saving me the cost and nuisance of boarding them (not to mention saving them the stress of a kennel stay). And while she doesn’t clean my pool, she was on hand to admit the pool maintenance service I hired to do this while I was gone.
I returned from two weeks away to a clean, freshly-aired house (Lupe even changed the sheets the day before I returned). The only thing I needed to do was restock the refrigerator. And the cost for all this? Less than $100–and that’s counting the pool guy.
Glynna Prentice
The Mexico Insider, International Living”
P.S. If you’ve not discovered International Living you owe it to yourself to give them a look. I first subscribed many years ago when they were just a small newsletter sent out by snail mail. They’ve improved with age like a fine wine.
