Maid earning 28k/mo plans 12 lakhs for daughters' weddings

[Swathi]

Need some advice for our maid. She's 54 years old, has two unemployed daughters and a husband who drinks a lot and doesn't bring in any income.

She wants both daughters married within the next 2 years. I've known her for years while she works at our house, and I've helped her with a few technical things, so she recently opened up to my mom about her situation.

She has roughly 3 lakhs saved and earns 28k/month, managing to set aside about 5k each month. Besides their house they own a small piece of farmland, which she could sell for about 4-5 lakhs.

She estimates each wedding will cost around 6 lakhs and says she can't cut it down any further or else no groom will agree. She's looking for a plan that puts the least financial strain on her. Thanks!

P.S. My mom is willing to contribute 21k for each wedding if that helps.

[Naresh]

Sorry, off-topic, but does every maid really have a drunk husband?

[Khushi]

Even my own maid has a husband who drinks heavily.

[Vaishali]

Suggest she look for a match who isn't after a lavish ceremony - a simple temple or church wedding will do. If needed, she can park the money in a fixed deposit for the girls.

Also, spending a fortune now could mean the daughter ends up as a maid with a drunk husband later. It's better to take time and find a decent, working partner.

[Mohaideen]

Tell her she's being a bit naive.

Any savings should go towards the daughters' education or a proper emergency fund.

Encourage her to look for a groom who earns honestly, doesn't drink, and isn't keen on extravagant weddings.

I convinced my own maid to send her daughter for a B.Com.; the girl did well, got a corporate job, and now has good marriage prospects.

[Shreya]

If the son-in-law later turns unemployed and drunk, the mother-in-law will end up supporting him. I've even seen granddaughters asking their maid grandmother for money for fancy clothes. The cycle only stops when the maid learns to stand up for herself.

[Krishna]

Some of you haven't actually done household chores, so you don't get what 'low pressure' or 'low skill' means.

Have you ever washed dishes for five houses in a row? Or cleaned up after a family meal at your own place? It's back-breaking work. The cook has to prepare 2-3 dishes quickly, matching each family's taste, which requires a lot of mental effort and multitasking. Cooking itself is a skill.

These workers earn low wages because labour is cheap and they get no benefits - no insurance, no job security, no pay for extended sick leave, no maternity leave, and so on.

[Satish]

So is she planning to work until she drops dead? What about saving for when she's 65 or 70? A simple wedding would be wiser.

[Vivek]

That's why financial-literacy classes should be mandatory for everyone. Lavish weddings that strain families are a real problem for society.

[Ayaan]

I've seen a similar story on Crime Patrol, but the ending was a bit different.

[Manoj]

When will the trend of extravagant Indian weddings end? Just invite close relatives and keep it simple. Why do people love getting themselves into debt?