Domestic helpers (Manila)

Do you guys have one/any? What have your experiences been when it comes to handling the hired help?

I still don't and my friends and family back home think I'm crazy for not hiring one when it's so affordable. I've always held the belief that nobody can clean your house as well as you can.

But, with the hottest time of the year (March-May) approaching, I've been entertaining the idea of hiring one. I usually do my cleaning during the evenings when it's cooler from March-May. I've been getting quite a bit of work lately and will be working on multiple projects. I figured outsourcing the domestic duties will give me more time to focus on work and hopefully more time for a social life cos it's been lacking in that area for quite some time now.

The only reasons I've held back from hiring help are:

-I feel uneasy about paying a young girl for Php 3k ( USD 70 at current exchange rate) a month or whatever the going rate is for helpers' salary. I sort of feel like i'm exploiting.

-Loss of privacy.

-The stress that comes with dealing with a maid. I hear quite a bit of Filipino families complaining about their helpers stealing from them, being difficult, getting knocked up by the family driver ( I drive my own car so I won't be having that problem!), etc.

Insights are appreciated. Thanks.

Kaye