short on cash

LegacyUser

As the title says im short on cash so I got a second job however...

I have a full time job and trying to save for a house. I put up an ad for cleaning etc and I got a few responses, I went last week for my first job and it went well but I felt the woman who paid me was like what are you doing cleaning houses, now she didn't say that but I knew she was thinking it and its kind of dented my ego, should I continue just to boost the finances just on the short term or should I listen to my ego and quit?

Jenneke87

Who cares what the woman thinks? If you need the cash, continue cleaning.

Saipanne

Do what you need to do. You should be proud if your work ethic.

Tokyo

The fact that you use the word 'ego' shows that at least to some extent you know what the issue is here. And while some people do look down on those who clean up after them, there's an equal measure of people who work in low level jobs who see attitude and sneering in those who employ them where it doesn't exist, and it might be worth your while trying to assess the situation honestly and ask yourself if there could at least be an element of that here.

I can't tell you whether you should quite or not, but at the end of the day, you need money, and the work is there for the taking. It's up to you whether you can get past this or not, whoever might be at fault.

Big Bag of Chips

litterofkittens wrote: »

I went last week for my first job and it went well but I felt the woman who paid me was like what are you doing cleaning houses, now she didn't say that but I knew she was thinking it

This is all on you! It's how you feel so you are projecting your thoughts onto her. She hired you to clean her house. Why on earth would she be looking at you wondering why you were cleaning houses? You are cleaning houses because there are people out there who don't have the time/inclination to do it themselves and so pay others to do it instead.

I'm sure she was very grateful to get her house cleaned and the most she had to do was hand over a few bob.

You need to get over your own ego. Most people haven't time to be wondering or worrying what other people are doing and why. They are too busy wrapped up in their own lives. But funnily, we can all be guilty of thinking that others think about us far more than they actually do!

I think if you knew how little notice others take of you, you might even be a bit disappointed!!

Shrap

Ha, just like BBOC said above, you'd be surprised how little most people think about others really - or for sure, what the possible emotional response could be when they open their mouths and say something like that.

I've only got one piece of actual advice for you if you want to continue making money as a cleaner (I've been doing that as a sideline for the last 10 years), and that is leave your dignity at home. It is quite hard to keep in mind that the cash is worth it when you're wiping up pubes from someone else's toilet and degreasing someone else's oven, and I do understand that somebody saying something thoughtless can tip the balance into it not feeling worth the cash at all.

An anecdote I've told on this site before might illustrate this point OP. One day, the lady of the house I was cleaning was having a day off work and had a friend over for coffee. I was unobtrusively as possible having to clean the room near them, and they clearly felt they had to say something. Might have been better if they hadn't ;-) The friend says "Oh, the place looks lovely. I have a marvellous cleaner too - just such a life saver! Everyone should have a cleaner!". Me (who cannot keep my trap shut) says "Except the cleaners of course. That would somewhat defeat the purpose...". Lucky I wasn't fired really, but I am a marvellous cleaner.

Anyhow, my advice - leave your dignity at home and pick it up later. Take the cash and remember that's why you are crawling in behind toilets.

Rubberchikken

I've done house cleaning for many years when younger.
Maybe I've been lucky but I've never been made to feel inferior or maybe I just never cared what anyone thought.

If it helps you in your situation then carry on.
As long ss there's demand there's a need for people to do this job.

LegacyUser

I know I shouldn't care but I sometimes do care what people think, the full time I do includes managing people and if they found out what I do (its almost like a secret life) id be a little embarrassed, getting paid cash was great and I cant deny that, it was great to be able to put my hand into my wallet and feel cash but then that feeling comes back of shame

Big Bag of Chips

litterofkittens wrote: »

I know I shouldn't care but I sometimes do care what people think

You see, this is your problem. You are embarrassed that you are cleaning, and because you are embarrassed you think people are looking down on you. They're not! If that woman was looking down on you she wouldn't let you inside the door of her house.

She paid you to do something that if you didn't do it, she would have done it herself. It's the equivalent of sometimes I don't want to make a dinner. So we go out somewhere. And we pay someone to cook and clean up after us. Never in my life have I looked down my nose at the person either cooking my dinner or serving it to me and cleaning up after we've finished. I'm very grateful to not have had to do it myself! And I'm only happy to pay for the service.

Now I wonder do the people who serve me *know* what I'm thinking? Or do they *know* that I'm wondering why they are serving dinners to someone else?

You are embarrassed to be cleaning people's houses. And it is from there that you are thinking people are looking down on you. They really probably aren't.

If anything the people who employ you are very grateful to you.

LegacyUser

Big Bag of Chips wrote: »

You see, this is your problem. You are embarrassed that you are cleaning, and because you are embarrassed you think people are looking down on you. They're not! If that woman was looking down on you she wouldn't let you inside the door of her house.

She paid you to do something that if you didn't do it, she would have done it herself. It's the equivalent of sometimes I don't want to make a dinner. So we go out somewhere. And we pay someone to cook and clean up after us. Never in my life have I looked down my nose at the person either cooking my dinner or serving it to me and cleaning up after we've finished. I'm very grateful to not have had to do it myself! And I'm only happy to pay for the service.

Now I wonder do the people who serve me *know* what I'm thinking? Or do they *know* that I'm wondering why they are serving dinners to someone else?

You are embarrassed to be cleaning people's houses. And it is from there that you are thinking people are looking down on you. They really probably aren't.

If anything the people who employ you are very grateful to you.

I never ever thought of it that way, thank you so much, I feel a million times better now I think i'll keep on doing it so!