Why Having a Housekeeper Feels Like the Ultimate Expat Perk
A Mexico-based expat shares how this one benefit makes life easier, richer, and more joyful.
We returned home after a full day in Mérida, about a two-hour drive away. Costco was on our list, as was Walmart, and, of course, lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Living in a tiny village in the center of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, these trips to Mérida (or sometimes Cancún) are big-city adventures. We take full advantage. The days are long, and we always arrive home exhausted.
As we returned to our tiny pueblo (only about 450 people), smoke from cooking fires wafted through the air as the women prepared the evening meal in outdoor kitchens. Chickens, puppies, and laughing children wandered among modest houses, while families gathered in yards, visiting with neighbors. The day’s end was peacefully settling upon the village.
We pulled into the narrow, unpaved lane leading to our house. The lights were on, welcoming us. Mari heard us approaching and was waiting outside, ready to unload the car and put all the newly purchased items away. Our dogs and the neighbor dogs gathered around our feet, tails wagging, hoping for a quick pet or scratch as we exited the car.
The house was spotless and smelled fresh and clean, the tile floors recently scrubbed. The dogs had been fed, and the laundry had been done and put away. Nothing was out of place.
Mari is our housekeeper. She’s been with us about nine years, and now, she is more like family, functioning as our household manager. She maintains shopping lists, notes cleaning supplies needed, tends to all our laundry (including mending), advises us of any maintenance issues we may not have noticed in the house, and often arranges for routine repairs. She has access to limited funds for immediate needs. She discards old food, regularly cleans out the refrigerator, refills the sugar bowl and salt grinder, and sometimes cooks for us.
She freely expresses her opinion if I buy the wrong product at the market and offers good-natured corrections if my Spanish gets too far off track. When we travel, Mari stays at our place, caring for the house and our dogs. Her teenage daughter joins her. Though she is fluent in both Yucatec Mayan and Spanish, she speaks not a word of English.
Mari takes good care of us, and we take good care of Mari. These days, she works mostly without direction, caring for our home and us with a nurturing spirit. We love her!
When reading about the advantages that current expats say they most enjoy about their lives abroad, one of the most frequently stated benefits is a reduced cost of living and/or an improved lifestyle. I cannot disagree! Though adventure, cultural enrichment, and great food are also often included, one of our favorite benefits (and one also frequently mentioned) is having a housekeeper. And oh boy…is that a great benefit!
Employing a housekeeper is a very personal endeavor and can make one feel a bit vulnerable. After all, this person comes into your home and, with your guidance (or not), delves into the dark and dirty corners of your world and sets things in proper order again. The green cheese in your refrigerator, the out-of-date dairy products, the hair in the shower drain, your literal dirty laundry, the dust collecting on your shelves, and whatever you have discarded in your waste bins are all subject to review and intervention by the person you have hired to do such things. Judge me if you will, but I sometimes had out-of-date dairy products and liquefying tomatoes in the fridge. No more!
There is most certainly a spectrum of services that can be provided by a housekeeper. Most folks start out knowing what they want done. Perhaps once a week or twice a month: dusting, cleaning the floors, maybe laundry and trash, dishes, and perhaps windows. It’s all up for consideration. And as the quantity of services provided can vary, so can the quality of services.
I’ve not taken a survey, but from the casual posts on Facebook, it seems the norm is doing general cleaning several times per month, under the direction of the employer. Costs will vary, naturally, based on the country, culture, and amount of work. However, affordability seems assured compared to a similar service back in the States.
Call it a luxury if you like, but for the housekeepers, this is their livelihood. They work very hard and depend on this honorable employment to assist their family. In some cases, it may be the only income for their family.
In addition to a generous wage (by Mexican standards), we support Mari’s family in many other ways. Mexican law requires employers to pay an annual bonus (aguinaldo) each December to all employees. The minimum amount of this payment is 15 days’ wages, payable before December 20, and we are pleased to offer more to Mari and our other helpers on our small team.
I am perfectly fine if you want to call us spoiled. I suppose we are, but with the reduced cost of our life in Mexico, we can afford it. Admittedly, as we have aged, it is becoming easier to accept more help from Mari. There is much we love about living in Mexico, but having a great housekeeper is one benefit that would be hard to surrender!
Editor’s Note: Expat life isn’t just about where you live—it’s about the lifestyle you gain. From trusted help at home to richer community ties, discover the perks you never expected. Subscribe to International Living and see what’s waiting for you.