You Can ""Clean Up"" As A Freelance Housecleaner

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You say you'd like to be able to work part time-and you'd like to be able to leave the house during the daybut you don't have any "marketable skills" ... you don't want a clerical job ... and anyway, you can't leave the children at home unattended? Don't give up yet . . . not until you've read what Andee Carlsson has to say!

Finding yourself without any funds in the middle of a northern Idaho winter can be pretty inconvenient . . . take it from me. When we ran out of money a couple of winters ago, unemployment here was disconcertingly high, and what few jobs there were (particularly for women) usually paid only the minimum wage. To make matters worse, we lived 30 miles from the nearest small town, and a full 65 miles from Spokane, Washington (where the best employment opportunities were).

There were other considerations, too. My son-at the time-was three years old and I didn't want to be away from him all day . . . besides which, I couldn't stand the idea of working more than part time anyhow (since there are plenty of chores to do-even in the winter-on our 80-acre homestead). Another problem was that, after eight years in the country, I didn't have any clothes suitable for a city job (nor did 1 particularly want to buy any).

By far the biggest complicating factor, however, was simply that I never have cared for the routine of a nine-to-five job ... and still don't. (Let's just say I get bored easily.) That ruled out the majority of job openings for which I might have qualified.

A SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE SOLUTION

After pondering the situation for a few days, I had a sudden brainstorm: "I'll bet I could get some weekly housecleaning jobs in town," I said to myself. Sure . . . why not? My parents had a "cleaning lady" when I was a child, and the work looked simple enough. If I went into the cleaning business, I could wear ordinary jeans and sneakers (no need for fancy clothes) ... and quite possibly, I could work things out so that I could bring Erik (my son) along with me.

The more I thought about it, the more the idea of housecleaning made sense. The pay-1 was almost sure-would be better than minimum wage. Also, if I found three different houses to clean on a regular basis, I wouldn't be as bored as I would if I were going to the same place every day. And if I took the jobs in Spokane-where some acquaintances live-I might even be able to stay overnight with my friends, and not have to commute 130 miles each day.

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