A Homemaker's Value

I came across an article on Yahoo today that addressed something that's been in the back of my mind for awhile now. It's called "How Much Is A Homemaker Worth?" via Investopia.com. I think it's been often noted that homemakers are undervalued in a society (such as ours) where the idea of being a "superwoman" (i.e. someone who does it all) is generally admired, praised, and flaunted. There's also been somewhat of a backlash to the "superwoman" image due to the media's way of categorizing mothers and pitting them against one another in a battle of what is the best way to raise a family. I'm currently not a mother, but I am interested in the value of doing our chores, whether we're men or women. I believe everyone has a reason for choosing to do the things they do and to live the life they're living, in the uncontrolled circumstances that they're in. And let's not forget that one person's happiness might be another's nightmare.

Housewife's Year Book by ErnasGreatStuff

On Cooking: According to the American Personal Chef Association, a personal chef makes about $200 to $500 a day. Grocery delivery services charge about $5 to $10. So let's pretend that you pay a personal chef $200 a day for 5 days a week, plus a grocery delivery charge of $5 once a week. In a year, or 52 work weeks, this would cost $52,260. Of course, you probably wouldn't have a personal chef, and maybe you eat out 5 days a week, at a price of about $50 a day, then that would equal $13,000 a year.

Retro Housewife Kitchen Art by dadadreams

On Cleaning: Professional maids or house cleaning services (which generally cover sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing sinks, dishwashing, and making beds) charge by the hour, by the number of rooms, or by the square footage of the house. So cleaning a 1,300 square ft., single-story home with 7 rooms costs about $79-$150. A 2,200 two-story house with nine rooms costs about $104-$180. Additional tasks such as cleaning ovens/refrigerators and other things cost extra. So let's say you thoroughly clean once a week and it would cost $118 for a professional, that would be $6,136 a year.

PERPETUAL Cleaning Schedule by CleanMamaPrintables

On Child Care: Probably the biggest reason some mothers decide to stay home. For full-time, live-in childcare, this requires a professional provider to include health insurance, paid vacation and sick days, holidays, dental and vision coverage, plus bonuses. According to the International Nanny Association's 2011 survey, nannies make about $600 to $950 a week on average. So $600 a week, plus benefits, equals about $31,200 a year. This wasn't mentioned in the article, but I wonder how much daycare costs? Although, as a homemaker, you're doing the work of a nanny, so essentially you're receiving the services of a nanny, but much much better.

Set of 1 placemat and 2 napkins by piggledee

Driver: Homemakers probably run lots of errands and drive most members of the family around. The cost of a personal driver that uses the client's own care costs about $1,000 a year plus 33 cents to $2.03 per minute, with an elite membership at companies like Red Cap. So a year of services plus an estimated 8,000 miles driven at 50mph for $0.33 per minute equals $4,168 per year.

Minnie Was An Aggressive Driver by janethillstudio

Laundry: Profesional laundry services charge by the pound, such as Susie's Suds Home Laundry Service, Inc. in Texas. They charge $0.90 to $1.00 per pound to wash, dry, fold, hang, and steam your clothes. Comforters, blankets, rugs, and winter clothes cost about $12-$15 each. So let's say, at $0.90 a pound, you have 4 pounds of dirty clothes a day for 5 days a week, that's $936 a year.

3 Bags Natural Laundry Soap by SmithFamilySoapworks

Lawn Maintenance: Some homemakers don't necessarily do yard work, but if they did, mowing, trimming/pruning plants, and debris removal would cost about $30 a week. So that's $1,560 a year.

1955 Mid Century Folding Lawn Chair Craft Plans by cemetarian

And the total amounts to.... $96,261 a year (with a personal chef), $57,001 a year (without a personal chef and eating out instead, although having a homemaker really is like having a personal chef...). This is not including all the tips you'll have to give to everyone who you'd have to hire to run your household. And this definitely doesn't cover everything a homemaker does, not to mention all the comforts of being taken care of by someone who considers the taste/habits of every single person in your family. Does this article from Yahoo sound about right to you? What do you make of this?

Keep calm you're a good mom by MomGoodz

Cake Time - Judith in the Kitchen by MayTempleton