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

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