Working couples and housework

Tigsteroonie

Snuggles wrote: »

Me and my OH both work full time. We usually get home anywhere between 6-7pm. OH usually does the cooking, and it's often 8pm by the time we eat. Then it's sorting out lunches for work the next day, showering etc, relaxing for an hour, then bed. I usually leave the dishes and do them as soon as I get in from work the next day. Then the whole process starts again.

What do you do while he's doing the cooking? What does he do while you're sorting out lunches for the next day?

I don't have the same problem as I'm the only one in the house who goes out to work (SAHD), but I frequently make my sandwiches whilst preparing dinner - in those few minutes while waiting for the pasta/spuds to boil, for example. They don't take long!

So could he do the sandwiches while cooking dinner; in the meantime you can do some cleaning/tidying; and then you can both relax from dinnertime onwards.

Snuggles

Noctu wrote: »

Hiya,
I can really sympathise with you!

Have you tried online food shopping? It's so much nicer to sit back and wait for it all to be delivered.

Hi, I have suggested this to OH but he is really reluctant to give it a try. As he does most of the cooking he really likes looking around the shops for new ingredients etc. I might have to try and persuade him, as I think it would save us money too (fewer impulse buys!).

Noctu wrote: »

Have you got/have room for a dishwasher at all?

Sadly not. I would love one, so much so that when I first moved in I seriously considered getting a dishwasher instead of a washing machine! I realised that would be daft, and got the washing machine.

Noctu wrote: »

Batch cooking is also great for lunches at work, for example we make a big batch of sandwiches/wraps/paninis etc and whack them all in the freezer. You can take them out the night before or even in the morning and they'll be defrosted for you.

I've heard of this but can't help thinking the sandwiches must be really soggy? Now that the weather's turning, I'm planning to make some batches of soup to freeze for lunches (when I get round to it!).

Noctu wrote: »

Laundry, I try and set the machine off so that the cycle will end when I get home from work so I can put it out to dry whilst dinner is cooking and at a stage where it doesn't need an eye on it for 10 minutes or so.

Hope some of those ideas help.

Thank you. I think I really need to try and do a bit during the week. It's the last thing you feel like doing after a long day at work, but at least it would free up a bit more time at the weekend.

hot.chick

re cooking extra:

why not just cook double the amount for dinner and freeze the two extra portions as you go? Maybe have 2 dinners one week that could be doubled and thats 2 nights you just ping a dinner the following week???

I try to do one extra thing, like put a load of washing on in the morning b4 work, the washing macine does the rest while I'm out.

we used to have a cleaner and it was great, but you do have to make sure everywhere is clear b4 they can clean as they don't pick up after you.....

I hve heard that if you do one room a day it stays tidy? I'm yet to get this down pat to be honest...

Oh and I'm another fan of on line shopping - you usualy buy the same things most weeks - and it saves soooo much time!

Emmzi

totally online food shopping. food shopping is not for browsing!

- Make a list of what you eat in an average week
- Buy that and only that!

eg we need 2 loaves of bread, a tub of marg and 8 ounces of ham and chicken for lunches, with 14 choccie biccies
we need 2 packets of mince and 2 spag sauces and a pack of pasta

etc etc...

it turns up, you whacck it in the cupbaords, you just saved £100 (to pay for a cleaner!) and 2 hours

Snuggles

Tigsteroonie wrote: »

What do you do while he's doing the cooking? What does he do while you're sorting out lunches for the next day?

Well some days I go to the gym or for a walk as I am sitting for eight hours a day at work. Other days I get the dishes done, and I admit I relax and watch a bit of TV or chat to OH whilst he cooks. Then after dinner I get the lunches ready and tidy the kitchen up a bit. OH has a long commute each day and is usually pretty tired, so I don't expect him to do any more than cooking the dinner (which he likes to do anyway).

I just wish there were more hours in the day (or more days in the weekend!!)

Then again, I suppose I could have got loads done while I've been sitting here posting about it!

Noctu

Aww - how about a compromise with OH that you do the majority of the shopping online one week, see how it goes, and you could have a mooch round the shops now and then for new stuff? It does help a lot with meal planning too (which in turn helps with money). We find that we have to visit the supermarket every now and then anyway to pick up stuff we've used up quicker than we thought like milk, I tend to have a look round then.

Dishwasher, if you have room, and you really hate doing the dishes (!) then a possibility to think about is a tabletop dishwasher.

With the sarnies, if you pop them in the fridge overnight then take them out and leave them at room temp at work, we've found they don't get soggy - we make fillings with mayo and salad cream too (egg mayo, chicken/red onion/mayo/stuffing, tuna/red onion/salad cream). There's also loads of other ideas for work lunches on the Old Style board. Also you could make more of your evening meal and take that, as well as the possibility of reusing it the next night.

Snuggles

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

If you earn more than a cleaner and your time is precious - can you afford not to?

I do earn more than a cleaner, but it doesn't mean I have the disposable income to be able to pay for one!

Snuggles

Noctu wrote: »

Aww - how about a compromise with OH that you do the majority of the shopping online one week, see how it goes, and you could have a mooch round the shops now and then for new stuff?

Thanks, I'm definitely going to try this. We have got into this habit of doing a three-shop tour on a Saturday morning - Lidl, Aldi then Tesco - and it takes flippin ages!! I think I'll suggest we do an online shop, and pop into lidl/aldi for bits and bobs if he really must!

Noctu wrote: »

Dishwasher, if you have room, and you really hate doing the dishes (!) then a possibility to think about is a tabletop dishwasher.

With the sarnies, if you pop them in the fridge overnight then take them out and leave them at room temp at work, we've found they don't get soggy - we make fillings with mayo and salad cream too (egg mayo, chicken/red onion/mayo/stuffing, tuna/red onion/salad cream). There's also loads of other ideas for work lunches on the Old Style board. Also you could make more of your evening meal and take that, as well as the possibility of reusing it the next night.

Re the dishwasher, there isn't room for even a tabletop one. It will definitely be a priority for my next house, that there must be space for a dishwasher!

I will have a go at freezing some sandwiches, thanks for the tip.

mico62

Online shopping is a must, I get mine delivered once a fortnight on a Monday or Tuesday when its cheaper, takes about 15 mins to go through my favourites and I save a fortune not buying bogofs that I wouldn't normally buy and I use the corner shop for bread & milk between orders - not much dearer than the supermarket but who hasn't gone into a supermarket for a loaf and spent £20 on other bits.

when I didn't have a dishwasher I'd wash as I cooked dinner and then put the dirty plates in hot water and when I made a drink later I'd wash them while the kettle was boiling.

Tend to do most of my washing friday night or Saturday except when the weather's nice when I'll put stuff on for a quick 40 min wash as soon as I get up and peg it out before I leave for work.

I spray the bathroom with cleaner while I get a shower then wipe it when I get out and the kids do the same with theirs, they also change their beds and I stop ironing for them when they go to 6th form cos I'm a cruel mum.

Beds are changed on a Sunday (sheets and pillow cases every week and duvet cover once a fortnight) but there's nothing nicer than fresh sheets - if I won the lottery I'd have clean sheets every day

hot.chick

could you fill the sink with hot water and dump the cooking pots in there while you eat dinner, my mum used to do this as a time saver, then it's just cutlery and plates to do after dinner