Paying the Housekeeper

The house is sparkling and so it is off to get the cash to pay the housekeeper. Last year I employed a housekeeper. Just once a fortnight as a wee treat. I leave home soon after seven each morning and get home between five and six, so it seemed an acceptable extravagance in a busy week. She did a perfectly acceptable job for two reasons. The first being that she was a fastidious cleaner. The second being that I would rush around like a woman possessed the night before she was due to make sure the house was presentable. Herein lies a warning. Never employ a cleaner you know. I don't know her well, but sufficiently well for her to know other people I know. I have no idea whether she ever mentioned she cleaned for me or if indeed she would discuss it with others. But the fear was ever present. This year she fired me. Better options were available and she took them. So, I took over the job myself. Once a fortnight, I pay myself the same amount I paid her and squirrel it away. It's given cleaning the house a whole new sense of purpose in addition to the actual clean and tidy part. Later in the year I will delve into my wages fund and treat myself in some way. In the meantime, I'm enjoying working for such a cool boss.