I’m a stay-at-home mum but my husband pays me for housework – I charge him £800 a month for laundry
A woman has claimed she bills her husband a monthly rate to be a stay-at-home mother.
The British mother-of-two, known as @thewoodys6 on TikTok, said she charges her partner £800 a month for doing the laundry, £10 a day for mopping the floors and £85 for dusting.
For home-cooked meals, she claimed she expects to be paid £300 a month, however her husband can opt for microwaved meals at a reduced cost.
She also claimed she charges £20 for changing their super king-sized bed sheets because it’s ‘exhausting’, and £250 for fuel for her car so she can treat herself to ‘brunch’.
In the clip, which racked up 250,000 views, she added: ‘I charge him £400 for my luxuries, so when I need to get my hair and nails done, or any little bits that I see in the shop that I need to pick up.
‘I also charge him an additional £150 to just do the children’s cooking, but don’t tell him I basically just feed the children chicken and chips.’
Many rushed to the comments to leave their own thoughts on the arrangement, with some claiming they would want a ‘divorce’ if their wife charged for chores.
One unimpressed person said: ‘I would divorce you in an instant. Definitely not value for money.’
The mother-of-two, known as @thewoodys6 on TikTok, claimed she charges her partner £800 a month for doing the laundry, £10 a day for mopping the floors and £85 for dusting
Another added: ‘You’d get dumped.’ Someone else added: ‘You charge him? Are you for real?’
A fourth added: ‘Surely this isn’t serious. You’re a mother, they are your kids and your house, why does he have to pay you.’
Another said: ‘Now if I was your husband I would charge you rent of around £2,000 a month for putting a roof over your head.’
However, many others got the sarcasm in the satire TikTok clip, with several people playing along in the comments.
One person wrote: ‘£400 p/m for hair and bits in the shop that’s more than reasonable. Love how many people are going mad at a TikTok.’
Another quipped: ‘What does he do for a living? He has a keeper with you, loving the satire.’
Someone else added: ‘I love this? Can we start charging the kids also? Like take their pocket money back.’ Another joked: ‘Can’t wait to see my husband’s face when I send him an invoice.’
It comes after a fed-up wife gave her husband the option to either pay her to do housework or for him to pick up the slack.
For home-cooked meals, she said she charges £300 a month, however her husband can opt for microwaved meals at a reduced cost
The married couple hired a cleaner but the husband thought it was a ‘waste of money’. They had agreed previously that he and the kids ‘don’t do a great job keeping the house clean and tidy’ while she was at work.
To compromise she gave him two options, but he didn’t like either and left the conversation upset claiming she’s being ‘financially manipulative’.
The mother is a steamfitter earning $100 an hour – more than what her husband makes as a teacher – and often works 13-hour days.
‘I think if he and the kids actually did what they are supposed to do when I’m away none of this would be an issue,’ she wrote on Reddit.
‘My husband is upset because I decided to pay for a cleaning lady… I hated coming home to a mess. It caused a few fights because it was like they expected me to come home and clean up after them,’ she began.
‘Having her (the cleaner) is fantastic. I come home to a clean house and I am happier. My kids have more time to study and do extracurriculars. They still have chores and they are still expected to clean up after themselves.’
The husband asked to ‘cut back’ on the cleaning service when his wife is home and that she should be ‘doing more housework’.
‘He thinks that we are wasting money. I said that I work 14 days in a row and that those are 13-hour days. Yes it is mostly paperwork but his job as a teacher isn’t much more physically challenging,’ she continued.
Many rushed to the comments to leave their own thoughts on the arrangement with some claiming they would want a ‘divorce’ if their wife charged for chores
However many others got the sarcasm in the funny TikTok clip with many playing along in the comments
‘I said that I could offer him two options. If he wanted we could completely get rid of the service and him and the kids could make sure the house was in good shape when I got home. Or he could pay me my hourly rate to do extra housework when I am on my days of.’
The husband was ‘upset’ and the wife turned to Reddit for advice on what to do.
Fellow Redditors erupted in anger in the comments with many dissing the husband for his behaviour.
‘A relationship is meant to go both ways. Your husband sounds like he wants you to do all the work without putting effort in himself. Poor form,’ one wrote.
A second claimed: ‘This is definitely about control more than it is about cutting costs.’
‘It’s so disgusting how he loves to benefit off it, but tried to make sure the wife doesn’t get any breaks,’ someone else said.
Another had further questions and said: ‘Does he believe that cleaning is gender related and that is what he is teaching his children and his students? I would have a lot of questions on this one.’
Someone else added: ‘Um he is home he can clean. The adult who is home more cleans more it’s quite simple.
‘Honestly you shouldn’t even have to hire a maid he should have taken that duty upon him. Instead its like he wants the old rules where wife cleans. We are past that s*** its 2024.’
