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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Keeping the lid on Nanny expenses?

26 replies

r3dh3d · 02/03/2007 09:44

I guess, looking back, we've been very lucky with Nannies in the past. We've had some broad rules about what is and is not acceptable spending, and they've had the common sense to stick to it.

This one, unfortunately, is different. It's not her money, so she's not bothered about spending it. She's just hit me with an expenses bill for Feb of £300 even though she knows we are completely broke atm. (This is after all her and DD1's food is theoretically paid for on Ocado - Ocado bill a whole other area of contention)

A lot of it is mileage. We have a nanny car, but as she is live out it's easier for her to use her own so we pay mileage at the standard RAC rate. So she'll say to me "we're going to Tuesday morning" and it's not till the end of the month when I get the bill that I realise it was £5 admission but £30 mileage there and back because she has driven to the arse end of nowhere to meet up with non-local friends of hers.

Obviously I have to put in some budgetting rules for her, but I don't know where to start because I've never needed to in the past. What does everyone else do?

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Eleusis · 02/03/2007 11:44

Oh no. I give an advance in expenses each month. She is free to do as she chooses with it. She get no where near £300. And I do all the grocery shopping so I can 1- keep a lid on the budget and 2- not buy the expensive kiddie junk food that I so hate. I buy wholesome ingredients and she is expected to cook them. (which she does)

Each month my nanny gets:
A greater London Bus Pass
A pass to Kew Gardens
A mobile phone and £30 toward its expense
£70
And of course I pay for any activities that I choose such as ballet or ad hoc drama workshops.

If I were you I would probably set a cap on the milage.