Live-in nanny and food questions

I had a job like this, live-in but in a flat in the house with it's own entrance and kitchen. I ate all meals on duty- usually just lunch though, I preffered to eat breakfast before work and I finished at 6.15pm so found it too early to eat before then. I got £20 a week extra for food and found that fine, as part of my job I had to do school runs and buy fresh food for the kids so I just bought my own stuff at the same time and paid seperatly. Never thought much of it to be honest, it was fine. If I babysat I'd eat after the kids go bed from the famiy's food, same as I do now as live-out.

Another job I had was technically live-in though I had a little flat over the road priovided (this was abroad). It was very, very clear in the contract that I could only have one meal a day on duty and if I babysat, so 3 or 3 times a week, I was expected to bring my own food. No extra food money, and nothing extra bought for me- they had a menu for the child, down to the number of slices of bread, and shopped to the list so I had to be careful what I ate or he would go short! Obviously that job wasn't as easy to deal with.

Is this an arrangement your nanny has requested because it suits her or is it one you assume will suit a theoretical new nanny?

12 hours a day is very long days, I doubt a nanny would want to cook for herself after working 11 or 12 hours. Would you?

The point of being a live in nanny is that they do very long hours. It's not just the food that is provided, but the cooking time, and the shopping time. The intention of meals on duty is to stop the cooking, shopping and eating time cutting into the live in nanny's already very shorttime off duty.

So if you were offering a live in position (with live in wages) but with Live-out conditions, you aren't going to get many quality applicants.

I think around £200 £300 a month extra would reflect the extra costs.

If the nanny works long hours will she have the time and energy to cook separately for herself?

just realised i would have my own kitchen

in that case i would still intend to eat with the children, and perhaps £10 for weekend meals? not sure really!!!.... id be happy with a pint of milk added to the shopping, a box of breakfast cereal, some tea bags, and basics like that... perhaps take up with me a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl and a pack of biscuits occasionaly?

tbh i wouldnt want any extra to cover food

i would want to be able to eat from the cupboards like most live in nannies do

if i wasnt allowed and had to buy my own (when would i get time working a 60hour week?) then i would decline the job offer.

I would also eat what the children eat, probably when the children eat. (much easier so long as they dont have a long list of allergies)

No - I'm asking the OP.

are you asking me?

If so, yes, i ate with the children (and ate the same as they did )

Would you not be making the kids breakfast & dinner as well?

I would suggest an initial shop be done by the nanny & the employer to stock up on the basics (herbs/spices, salt, sugar, sauce, oil, some tins etc) then a weekly amount of £60... see how that goes. As a live-in nanny you are paid less and generally expect a decent standard of living (food wise), so you shouldn't have to scrape by on a paultry amount.

(as a liveout nanny i had 3 meals and snacks etc provided on working days)

yes all food is usually provided

breakfast / lunch / dinner / snacks / tea / coffee etc etc 7 days a week.

Live-in nannies usually get full bed and board, so all meals. I'd guess maybe an extra £100 a month for buying their own food?

£50 a week sounds excessive, I spend that much on me, DP and DS.

I am a live-in nanny and I get provided ALL meals, three meals a day for seven days a week plus snacks. However, most weekends I am out and have lunch/dinner with friends etc.

1. I don't know but if you only want a nanny to have four meals a week from your food the nanny would have to pay another 17 meals for herself and I would expect to be paid around an extra £50 more per week. To be honest though, if a family would expect me to buy my own food for all the other meals I wouldn't even want that job. Live-in nannies get a smaller salary because they get food and a room provided my their employers.