### Working Hard on the Roof
Before I moved to Guatemala, I was considering houses in the South of France. For the same price, I would have ended up with a run-down house that needed a lot of fixing. I imagined myself as a carpenter, mason, and architect, tackling all the repairs. Realistically, though, I would have watched endless YouTube tutorials, made costly mistakes, and eventually hired an expensive contractor after giving up. I’m not very handy, and although doing it myself sounds cool, I would have likely gotten tired of living in a mess and needed help at some point.
### Everyone Has a Price
It would have been really painful to pay someone around $200 a day to fix up the house. However, here in Guatemala, that same $200 gets me a smiling, hardworking handyman for a whole month, six days a week. I didn’t even try to bargain with him. Every day, for eight hours, he climbs on my roof, removes scorpion-filled palm tree leaves, carries construction blocks, trims tall trees, and does many other tasks I’d rather pay someone else to do.
Back in Paris, I fixed three bicycles for my mom. The local sports store charged $20 just to change a flat tire, but it only cost me $4 to buy a new air chamber and half an hour of my time. Last week, a mechanic charged me $8 to work for an hour on the car and change a valve. I wouldn’t spend half a day figuring out a manual to save $8.
We all have a price at which we’d rather do things ourselves than pay someone else. I don’t have exact data, but I think your hourly wage can be your price point. If you earn more during that time than it costs to hire someone, you’d probably pay for the convenience.
### Have I Turned Lazy?
The short answer is yes, a bit. If I didn’t have help, I would have accomplished twice as much last month. Basic needs like a leak-free roof, a bug-free house, and mosquito nets would still be necessary, though. After a few months, I would have taken on other projects, but it would have taken longer. Paying for help saves me time and, given the low labor costs, feels like money well spent.
### Lazy, Lazy?
There are some tasks I’m not ready to delegate. When I lived in Guatemala City a few years ago, I had a maid who cooked and cleaned for me. I hated it. Sure, it’s nice to have someone make your bed and tidy up, but having someone always around felt restricting. I couldn’t enjoy a movie and ice cream marathon on the couch without feeling guilty while she was cleaning.
I also didn’t like her cooking. I’d buy a nice piece of steak for lunch and find it overcooked by 10 AM, despite asking for a medium-rare steak multiple times. My boyfriend even caught some maids stealing, and one kept a shrine with personal items from our family in her room! I like to leave my belongings out and not worry about them disappearing.
Sometimes, I wonder if it’s foolish to spend my time cleaning and cooking instead of using the skills I spent five years studying. Yet, seeing rich people here go overboard by letting nannies raise their kids puts things into perspective. Maybe I’ll hire a maid once a week to clean and do laundry, but as long as I have free time, it doesn’t seem necessary.
### Affording Help Gives You Choices
Being able to afford help gives you the freedom to choose what you want to do. For example, I enjoy cooking, but I can hire someone for tasks that are too difficult or boring. Right now, builders are moving 5000 stones to build our new house. My back and hands are worth more than their wages.
I can spend my time writing, socializing, or just relaxing. Like any other spending, it’s a conscious decision to allocate my money in a way that matters to me. And, yes, I admit, I am a bit lazy.
If you could afford help for almost everything, would you go for it?