How Much Is A Homemaker Worth?

At   http://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-homemaker-worth-182358580.html

By Porcshe Moran | Investopedia – Mon, Jan 16, 2012 1:23 PM EST

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The life of a homemaker is one that includes an endless amount of demands and to-dos. Depending on the size of the home and family, the position of homemaker can go well beyond the usual nine to five. We examined some of the tasks that a homemaker might do to find out how much his or her services would net as individual professional careers. We only take into consideration tasks which have monetary values and use the lowest value for each calculation.

Private ChefMeal preparation is one of the major tasks of most homemakers. From breakfast to dinner, there is plenty of meal planning and cooking to be done. The American Personal Chef Association reports that its personal chefs make $200 to $500 a day. Grocery shopping is another chore that needs to be factored in. A homemaker must drive to the supermarket, purchase the food and deliver it to the home. Grocery delivery services charge a delivery fee of $5 to $10.

Total cost for services: $1,005 per five day work week x 52 weeks = $52,260 per year.

House CleanerA clean and tidy home is the foundation of an efficient household. Typical cleaning duties include vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, scrubbing sinks as well as loading the dishwasher and making beds. Professional maids or house cleaning service providers will charge by the hour, number of rooms or square footage of the home. For example, bi-weekly cleaning of a 900-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment with five rooms, costs $59-$124 . A 1,300 square-foot, single-story home with seven rooms runs $79-$150 . A 2,200 two-story, three-bedroom home with nine rooms averages $104-$180 . Additional tasks such as oven or refrigerator cleaning and dusting mini blinds can run an extra $20-$25.

Total cost for services: $118 per week X 52 Weeks = $6,136 per year.

Child CareHomemakers provide full-time, live-in child care. This type of service from a professional provider would usually come with a host of perks including health insurance, paid vacation and sick days, federal holidays off, dental and vision coverage, and bonuses. The International Nanny Association's 2011 survey found that nannies make $600 to $950 per week in gross wages, on average.

Total cost for services: $600 a week plus perks/benefits x 52 Weeks = $31,200 per year.

DriverA private car service might seem like a high-end luxury to most, but the beneficiaries of a homemaker get this service on a daily basis. Companies like Red Cap, which provides personal drivers that use the client's own car as the means of transportation, offer a glimpse into the cost of this homemaker task. An elite membership which includes 365 days of unlimited, round-trip service is $1,000 a year plus 33 cents - $2.03 per minute.

Total cost for services: $1,000 per year + [(estimated miles driven 8000 miles / 50 MPH) x 60 min/hr x $0.33 per minute] = $4,168 total per year.

Laundry ServiceClean clothes come at a cost when you have to pay for the service that most homemakers do for free. Professional laundry services charge by the pound. For instance, Susie's Suds Home Laundry Service, Inc. in Texas charges 90 cents to $1.00 a pound to wash, dry, fold, hang and steam your clothes. Items that take longer to dry such as comforters, blankets, rugs and winter clothes are assessed at a price of $12-$15 each.

Total cost for services: $0.90 per pound x 4 pounds of clothes per day x 5 days per weeks x 52 weeks = $936 total per year.

Lawn MaintenanceBasic maintenance of the exterior property is a less common, but possible duty of a homemaker.This could include things such as mowing, debris removal, edging and trimming the lawn. These services cost about $30 a week on average.

Total cost for services: $30 per week x 52 weeks = $1,560 total per year.

The Bottom LineTotal for a year of all services is: $52,260 + $6,137 + $31,200 + $4,168 + $936 + $1,560 = $96,261 per year.

The daily work of a homemaker can sometimes be taken for granted by his or her family members. However, these services could earn a homemaker a considerable wage if he or she took those skills to the marketplace. Homemakers in general contribute a lot more to the home in addition to these tasks, and no amount of money can fill those needs. 

Reasons I Would Never be Voted into Political Office

I don't profess to know when life begins.

Death

I think of death as the reward for living.  Not the penalty.

Following the Spirit

I'm supposed to speak in Church this Sunday on the topic "Following the Spirit."  I have no idea what to say.  I'm not the type of speaker who gets up and regurgitates what I learned in Sunday School. I prefer to share my personal experiences or a fresh perspective.  Something that will make people think or take notice.  I don't think that there is much learning involved when a speaker's droning puts people to sleep.  I can't do that.
So.  What should I say?

ksl.com - Woman killed, husband in critical condition in apparent murder-suicide attempt

Yesterday, at the park near us where I take my kids to play, there was a murder-attempted suicide. My kids could have been there. We often times hear of bad things going on in the world, but when it's so close to home it really makes you stop and think.

ksl.com - Woman killed, husband in critical condition in apparent murder-suicide attempt

How the Family has Strengthened my Testimony of Jesus Christ

How the Family has Strengthened my Testimony of Jesus Christ

I've been struggling lately. Not with my conviction that Jesus Christ is my savior, or that He does have a church on the earth with people ordained and authorized to speak on his behalf. My church has given me too much strength and peace and other blessings to even make doubting logical.

But I have been struggling spiritually.

I feel that my struggle has been twofold:

1: Although I know that there are people in the world that would distrust, dislike and even despise me for either my belief in Christ or my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it still saddens me and hurts my soul when I actually come into contact with such a person who shares their anti-testimony.

2: Although I know that Jesus is my savior, that he lives and loves me, I feel as if I've been letting my relationship with him wane, like a super-close friend who moves away and I've not bothered to keep in contact as often as I would like.

Over the past couple of months I have tried, slowly, to lift my spirits and renew my relationship with Christ. I haven't written out a plan or anything, so the things that I have tried have sort of been haphazard. When one thing doesn't work so well I've tried another. Now that I'm thinking about it I'm going to try and organize these things into a list of things that I have tried:

1. More sincere and purposeful prayer

2. Read "Jesus the Christ" by James Talmage

3. Read scriptures more often. Focus on passages that are specifically about Jesus Christ

4. Find ways to be a better homemaker. I doubt the Spirit of the Lord likes to dwell in a messy house any more than my own spirit, which hates it.

5. Write things down during scripture study and keep a notebook handy throughout the day to write impressions.

How have I done with being more purposeful in prayer?

Let's see. Hm. I'm terrible at saying morning prayers. I'm good at saying family prayers. I'm okay with nighttime prayers in that I say them. Things I could do better: think before I pray, write down things I need to pray for.

How has my family helped me? Saying prayers with Reese helps our family to be consistent. I don't want to miss prayer for her sake. She's good at being reverent during a prayer. One time, at dinner, she said that she didn't want to say the prayer. She said Mommy should say it. "Okay," I said. "Ready?" In response, Reese began to pray. I guess she forgot that she didn't want to say it. I was amused, but grateful my daughter has such a willingness to pray, even when she doesn't want to.

How have I done with reading "Jesus the Christ?"

Not so good. I'm on page 23 out of 736. I suppose I didn't expect it to read so much like a text book. "Old Testament Scriptures," The book says, "while abounding in promises relating to the actuality of Christ's advent in the flesh, are less specific in information concerning His antemortal existence." Right. Hardly the light read I crave to escape the stress during the day.

How has my family helped me? Well, it is possible that this is going to sound dumb, but I feel like my kids take up so much time that they actually take me away from opportunities that I have to study. However, this has kept me form becoming complacent. Sometimes when it's easy to do something you procrastinate. It's so easy you can do it later. When it's something that's hard or hard to find time for, you jump at the chance when the opportunity arises. By making study harder, my family has inadvertently made it more precious.

How have I done with reading the scriptures more often?

Slightly better. Though I still ready my standard works at bedtime, I have put conference talks on my ipod, which I listen to as I workout. Oh yeah, I'm also at a stage in my life where I workout. How has my family helped me:

Here's a fun story: Once upon a time in when I was a freshman in college my roommate convinced me to get a gym membership so I could go workout with her. Then I didn't go to the gym. The end. Here's another fun story: Once upon a time I wanted to be more fit after having my second child. I signed up for a gym membership and I go frequently and feel good when I do. the end. Oh, and I get extra time to listen to the prophets because of it. Now the end.

How have I done trying to be a better homemaker?

Not good at all. Sometimes I feel like I'm failing. Sometimes I get really tired and work stacks up so quickly. I have a hard time asking for help from my husband, who is constantly stressed with school work and job hunting, and the help that my kids can render is minimal to zip. Dishes and laundry stack up so quickly it's like trying to bail out a boat with a big hole in the bottom. Toys cannot be contained. They're in every room of the house and hiding in places I don't even know about. No matter how much food I prepare everyone's always hungry again tomorrow. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning. How can I feel the spirit when I feel like a failure and I'm standing in the middle of a disaster area?

How has my family helped me?

How have I done with writing things down?

I got a notebook. but I don't write in it. I do have a blog that I reserve exclusively for my religious feelings, which helps because I do like to blog. And it's a blog that nobody really reads, so I feel like I have a lot of liberty, but at the same time it's a blog that could potentially have readers, so I'm forced to clarify my thoughts so it doesn't sound like gibberish to someone else.

How has my family helped? Well, I discovered my love of blogs because I wanted to share updates on a blog of my own. My family was what jump-started me into the blogosphere.

I feel like a failure. I'm supposed to give a talk tomorrow in sacrament meeting (This is the main meeting in our church services where, in another faith, the pastor or priest might give a sermon and the Lord's supper is administered. Most weeks at our church members of the congregation are asked to take turns giving sermons, which we simply refer to as "talks.") The assigned topic for me is "How the Family has Strengthened my Testimony of Jesus Christ". And I currently don't have any answer of real substance. I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and I love my family more than anything save the Lord Himself. But I have no real insight. I'm simply a girl trying to do my best. And I'm struggling to do it. In the past when I've given a talk I've been delighted to find relevant scriptural stories and dive into doctrine. But this topic isn't about scripture or doctrine, it's about me. It's about how I personally find Christ with the help of my family. And I'm failing to do that. I'm still on my road to Christ.

Faith: Virtue of "Not Thinking"?

Okay, so in my last post I said that the next post would be regarding NPR's Radio Lab show. But I changed my mind so you're gonna have to wait on that one.


We're gonna talk about faith instead. Yawn, right? Maybe. If by "yawn" you mean "Woa! there's something to think about!"

I came across this quote by comedian and oustspoken critic of religion in general, Bill Maher. I think it is attributed to the movie Religulous:

"Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It's nothing to brag about. And those who preach faith, and enable and elevate it, are our intellectual slaveholders - keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunacy and destruction. Religion is dangerous, because it allows human beings who don't have all the answers to think that they do."

Okay, first off, I totally agree except for the part about everything he said in this quote.


Today in church we talked about faith. One of the comments that was pressed was that "faith is an action". It's active. It begins with a desire to believe, but grows as it is tested. I think it's easy to have an opinon like Maher's if you believe in blind faith, but faith does not have to be blind, and really shouldn't.

Dictionary.com says that faith is: belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.

I love this definition because it gives an example that alludes to science, not religion. Faith is a principle practiced in all sorts of aspects of life, not just in the spiritual realm. The guy in the dictionary.com example, for instance, probably had faith that his hypothesis would be substantiated because he had put together some calculations, or had seen similar results before.


Only scientists are scared of the word "faith" since they criticize it all the time. I submit, however that if you believe that we will continue to make discoveries based upon scientific research, then you have FAITH in the scientific process. And rightly so.

In our Relief Society meeting today, we talked about the law of tithing. Gosh we must be idiots to blindly give away a tenth- AN ENTIRE TENTH (that's like, nearly 50% of what that that blood-sucking IRS steals from us!) of our increase to a church. Except, check out this quote that all of Christianity alleges actually came from God:

10Bring ye all the ^atithes into the storehouse, that there may be^bmeat in mine house, and ^cprove me now herewith, saith the Lordof hosts, if I will not ^dopen you the ^ewindows of heaven, and pour you out a ^fblessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

See? Doesn't it sound to you like God is saying, "Don't believe it? Try it. I dare you. See if I don't reward you!"

I also really like the thoughts on faith that my friend has about raising children. Because it's hard. And the rewards don't always come frequently or quickly. But faith allows us to do hard things. Not just sit in a stupor as Maher seems to think. Though in our must-have-it-immediately society, it's not hard to understand why some people are skeptical or even hostile about faith.

But seriously, Don't believe it? Try it. I dare you.

Up next: NPR's Radio Lab. If nothing else comes up first.