New Studies Calculate Cost Of Doing Household Chores

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Wednesday, February 26, 2003 | JANE SPENCER

[TroutStalker]

Sarah Kalliney doesn't have time to do her laundry, visit her parents or change the cat's litter box. She eats out six nights a week, uses a personal shopper and gets her groceries delivered to her doorstep.

But the time-starved Manhattan executive, who bills at roughly $200 an hour, recently spent nearly 10 hours battling her cellphone company, Sprint PCS, over $9 in late fees.

[B4Ranch]

This is the difference between our politicians and us. When you hire others to do the most mundane tasks (in your opinion) you are getting further and further away from the common citizen.

[Larry Lucido]

Then there was our messy desk. A $85-an-hour professional organizer whipped half of it into shape.

Of course, if you just leave it messy, it costs you nothing (except the added time to locate an occasional needed document).

[luckymom]

"if she left her job, the couple would lose only a few hundred dollars a month."

This makes me sick. Raising your OWN children is the most valuable experience in a couple's life- worth far more than the "lost" few hundred dollars a month.

[Wolfie]

For some of us, household chores and other such projects are acutal enjoyment. It ain't just about the money.

[Desdemona]

ping

[WIladyconservative]

It's just as sick as a father mentioning that he is babysitting his own children while mom is out - one CAN'T babysit ones own children!

Staying home to raise children is tough and is ultimately the most rewarding thing I've ever done. Monetary compensation (or the lack thereof) has nothing to do with it.

[freeper12]

>>It ain't just about the money.

The sooner people realize that, the happier they will be. Unfortunately if too many people realize it, the whole house of cards falls down...the entire US econonmy and tax system is built around convincing people they need to work more and more, earn more and more, spend more and more, and consume more and more in order to keep up with the "jones's"..

When Bush came out after 9/11 and in essence said "we have been attacked...we can't let our enemies win, now is the time for all good americans to go out and spend money like crazy"..it really caught my attention for two reasons...first, because it sounded awfully shallow, unlike previous generations, instead of being asked to sacrifice, we were being told to consume...and second when I realized he was right, I was really shocked..the only thing that will pull us out is if people continue on the path of mindless pursuit of "more"...more work, more money, more spending, more debt, more consumption...without the 'more'...we are screwed.

I constantly remind myself, that nobody at their deathbed ever wished s/he had spent more time at the office and/or regretted they spent too much time with their families...think your life in reverse, and think about what is going to have really mattered when the end comes....and then life your life accordingly...(just make sure too many of you don't do it...somebody needs to keep the house of cards up)