‘I’m happy being a ‘maid’’: Wife who works full-time does 100% of housework while husband pays the bills
A full-time working woman who does all the housework while her husband fully covers their expenses said she is “happy being a ‘maid’”.
In a Oct 9 TikTok post, user @teresa3152 shared that she does “100%” of the household chores while working full-time, while her husband “barely lifts a finger at home.”
Following the backlash and debate sparked by her post, she shared a follow-up carousel post to clarify that she is “totally content” with their arrangement.
Juggles house chores with working full-time
In response to a content creator who said she disliked doing chores for her husband, teresa3152, who goes by Teresa, said in a carousel post that she does all the house chores despite working full-time.
Her chores include cooking, washing dishes, doing the laundry and scrubbing the toilet.
“He barely lifts a finger at home,” she said, adding that her husband has never picked up a broom or helped her wash the dishes.
“When he’s too lazy to get water, I’d happily get it for him,” she said.
However, Teresa pointed out that her husband covers all their expenses, including utilities, groceries, travel and “every bill you can think of”.
She added that he had even asked her to add his card to her Apple wallet.
Whenever he bought her something expensive, Teresa said he refused to let her pay him back.
“He doesn’t expect me to work, and is fine with me quitting my job if I want to,” she said.
Despite their arrangement, she said she does not splurge, adding that she still thinks $10 meals are expensive and buys second-hand items to save money.
In her post, she emphasised that her husband treats her with respect.
“When I’m tired, the house gets a little messy and it’s okay. He makes sure I feel appreciated,” she said.
Teresa concluded the post by saying, “Do whatever works for you and your partner”.
“I do 100/0, but if 80/20 floats your boat, that’s fine too,” she wrote.
Netizens question couple’s arrangement
The post garnered more than 57,000 views and 90 comments, sparking debate and mixed reactions to the couple’s arrangement.
Many commenters took issue with Teresa doing all the housework on top of working full-time.
“All the housework plus a job sounds like hell. It’s like paying a maid,” one said.
Another commenter questioned why the couple’s division of household chores was not at least “90-10”.
Others raised questions about how the arrangement would work if she fell ill or if they had children. One user said she was in Teresa’s position before having children, but the household chores are now split between her and her husband.
Meanwhile, other commenters expressed their support, saying that as long as the couple has an agreement, other people’s opinions do not matter.
“It’s okay for you because you are both willing parties,” a user wrote.
Another pointed out that at least Teresa’s husband covers all their expenses.
“As long as nobody resents each other, that’s all that matters,” a commenter said.
‘Totally content’ with current lifestyle
Clarifying her situation in a follow-up post, Teresa stressed that everyone “leads a different life.”
On some months, she said her husband earns five times more than she does.
“That comes with a lot of work, stress, and time,” she said, adding that she occasionally helps him with his business on top of her full-time job and housework.
Teresa explained that her husband’s days were typically busier than hers, as he had to satisfy customers, liaise with suppliers and manage multiple workers, among other responsibilities.
She states that he is also responsible for resolving any problems that arise.
“His brain is running 24/7. After all, it’s his company,” she wrote.
She added that her husband was also a full-time university student.
“I’m happy being a ‘maid’,” Teresa wrote.
Pointing to her social media page, she said her content revolves around cooking, cleaning, travelling and married life. She added that she “genuinely enjoys” her lifestyle and is happy to share about it.
“If I’m suffering, why would I film myself doing it...” she wrote.
Teresa also acknowledged that some people may not like doing what she does, which she said is “totally fine”.
“As I said, do whatever suits your situation,” she said.
Teresa said splitting household chores equally would be fair if both partners earned the same amount and worked the same number of hours.
However, she added that it also depended on each person’s love language.
Her husband, she said, enjoys providing for the family, while she found fulfilment in taking care of him and the household.
“But if you are a career woman or house husband, that’s totally fine too,” Teresa said. “We can all love our family in different ways.”
The post drew more than 34,000 views and 50 comments, with many encouraging Teresa and saying she did not need to justify her choices to those with differing opinions.
Several users pointed out that marriage is “teamwork” and a partnership.
“Everyone’s marriage looks different. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,” a user wrote.
Stomp has reached out to Teresa for comment.
‘Don’t make your husband coffee, do laundry, housework’: Content creator
The video Teresa initially responded to was posted by local content creator @lielnicole on Oct 6. In it, she said women should not have to do “weird things” for their husbands during the first year of marriage.
These included making coffee, doing the laundry and taking care of household chores for their husbands, she said.
Lielnicole, who goes by Nicole, explained that she had seen many friends start doing such things for their husbands, only for their efforts to be taken for granted as their husbands came to see them as the “wife’s duty”.
“Don’t go and learn the things you don’t want to do,” she said. “You don’t want to learn how to do laundry, don’t learn. Don’t learn how to use the washing machine.”
She also argued that since Singaporean men undergo national service, doing housework should not be a hardship for them.
The video amassed more than 196,000 views and 220 comments, sparking widespread debate over how couples should divide household chores.
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