How much kitty for holidays?

[florenceuk]

How much do you think it is reasonable for spending money per day in the holidays? Have 8yr, 5yr old. Nanny spent over £50 on Wed - went to movie, went shopping and bought lots of snack things (for picnic) - which annoyed me as it was a lovely day, and I tend to save movies as treats for wet days. Has also been out to lunch every day which mounts up as I pay for her as well. I know when I'm at home I don't really keep track what I spend esp if going out with friends. What do people think is fair/reasonable?

Seems a lot . I tend to do free or low cost stuff as much as possible but then we do live in London We eat stuff from the fridge if we do out do on occasion buy the odd thing
if we did go and see a film then it would be ttowards the end of the holidays and depending on the weather . I have my charges for three weeks out of five this holiday with the eldest ten and a bit we tend to swap the children much more fun to go to the park with a friend rather than a three year old sister. Swimming museums national playday stuff at the libary parks eldest is doing a tennis camp a few times. our most expensive trip is a swimmimg pool miles away we go by train which is a treat take our own food . then fish and chips i reackon the whole holiday will cost my employers about 60 pounds in total.
Mybe say one big trip a week say twenty pounds a week.

I would not be happy at all with £50 in one day.

Food can be prepared from home. Not only because it is cheaper but also because it is healthier than anything bought out. If I take the kids to a movie, I squash the expensive treats, and I think it's perfectly fair to ask nanny to do the same.

I do give nanny some passes to use as she chooses which don't incur and fees to the kitty. They have a gym membership with drop in activities. WE have a pass to Kew Gardens. And in the hols they usually get one trip to a movie with the neighbors (may twice in simmer hols).

Once in a blue moon, I could accept £50 a day. But not when it's spent on a movie on a sunny day (which I think is a lazy thing to do - maybe OK if special treat on a birthday) and snacks (that's just poor planning). Also I wouldn't be happy with eating lunch out every day.

My current nanny is very sensible and will only spend £10 a week even during holidays, but I've had nannies with ridiculous spending habits before. They seemed to think: you can afford it, what's your problem?

I spent 50 the other day. Once you pay for train tickets, drinks, an ice cream as a treat (took a picnic lunch from home) and then a pencil each from the museum it all adds up.

Outings costs are fairly high for some things but others are low cost. So a weekly budget I feel is better than daily... then the children and nanny can decide what to do - do they do one expensive outing and rest of the week do free things, or do they spread the money out over the week.
Amount is hard to say as it will vary by location, available transport.

Outings costs are fairly high for some things but others are low cost. So a weekly budget I feel is better than daily... then the children and nanny can decide what to do - do they do one expensive outing and rest of the week do free things, or do they spread the money out over the week.
Amount is hard to say as it will vary by location, available transport.

when working as a nanny i would never spend that much... and would definitley not do so much in 1 day...

i had a great network of nanny friends which helped as we would (almost every day) either have friends and their charges to our house, or go and visit nanny friends at where they work.
I was lucky as most of my nanny friends (and me) worked in houses with either a Pool (and we'd all swim) tennis courts , OR HUGE garden with woods, OR super playrooms etc so once with friends it was easy to spend a day together without spending money.
Whoevers house we were at would cook a lunch for us all, (it all works itself out in the end), and there were enough dark bedrooms / travel cots for the younger ones to have their sleep as normal and we all had portable high chairs...

we would often have 3 nannies and 6 or more children sitting round the table to all eat the same freshly cooked lunch

Our visits would normally be the local parks (we might drive a few miles to find an extra good park) or country parks for and if the weather was good we would all take our picnics from home...
we lived close to the sea so could explore lots of different beaches easily as well
I always took my charges swimming EVERY week, to lessons in term time, and normally to a fun pool with slides / waves etc in the holiday (we all loved it) but i would always opt for the mother and toddler session (£3 for us all as opposed to over £10 at another session)

We would have a holiday planner and we would have 1 or 2 big trips out in a holiday (maybe 3 or 4 during the whole entire summer holiday)... eg the Zoo or a big farm park or steam train ride or something, all cleared with our bosses first.

I would NEVER buy the children anything from the shop afterwards, and therefor they didnt expect or ask for it, we would always take a picnic and the if we had an ice cream it would almost always be a mini milk or mr man lolly.
(This was only if picnic lunch was eaten sensible and behaviour had been good )

I always scoured the local papers / leaflets / internet for discount tickets for the attractions we went to, and if they did group discounts and we had enough nannies / children we would pay as group to reduce the cost further. Or i would join up with another nanny at the gate, and get a family ticket between us as often our youngest were young enought to be free

We were also members of the local farm and aquarium so would vist there "free of charge" most weeks as a free day out. We would also visit the library most weeks (but might do this as an activity with another nanny and their charges too, somehow things are more fun for everyone when nannies and children have friends
We had lots of bike rides, visited the free museums,

Thanks for views - fit in with mine that it was a bit OTT given what they did and the day (lovely summer day). I've already said to nanny I don't want to spend so much every day. However she didn't tell me about the movie - would I look OTT if I said I expected her to OK that sort of expenditure with me before she went out?

I think she should give you a schedule of what activities and outsings she has planned. I stick one on the fridge so the mum knows when to get money out to give me.

£50 isnt a huge amount to spend on one days outing for what she got with her money, ie tickets for 3 people for cinema and picnic stuff - having older children is more exspensive then a toddler (who often get in free as under 3yrs)

i dont have a budget but i dont go mad, i try to plan a day out at the zoo (for example) for one week and then next week go to the park for a picnic - so have a cheap day out and one that costs money iyswim

i also use bogof/ vouchers /go on free days out

i think the best way for holiday kittys is to give the nanny a budget (if you want) and then the nanny spend it how she wants, and once its gone for the week or holidays, then its gone

if we do go out to a zoo etc then i always take picnics to save money

does seem a bit silly to go to the cinema on a sunny day, but maybe she said to your dc lets go to the cinema tomorrow and children were looking forward to it

My employers haven't given me a budget - so i spend freely, but then again they have national trust/english heritage/rhs cards so that is what we tend to do.

I'd say my weekly expenditure is around £10 per week max in the holidays (5yr & 3yr). However this balances out if there is a rainy week and we do ceramic cafe, cinema and lunch at pizza express.

£50 in a day is scary but you don't say if this a typical daily expense. If she generally doesn't spend much then it's fine.

I don't think it's a problem to ask her to check with you before spending lots. I also think giving a weekly budget is a good plan. Lastly - older chldren are so much more costly. Something to bare in mind.

i'd be really annoyed if it was me. unless she knows you'r fantastically wealthy. plus anyone can look after children if they're given money to take them out to lunch and to the cinema. even someone who has no talent with children. IMO it's lazy nannying. you're paying her to make their food and ensure they're pleasantly occupied aren't you?!

Hi I am a cm and never ever have to spend that amount of money to have a great time. parks and woodland walks are free, I buy food from asda and pack my own picnic, never ever buy drinks or food just the occasional lolly. but my mindees are little folks and they are happy with the simple things in life..

however I think being a nanny is very different.. do your children expect to be entertained a lot? is that what you would do with them in your time off with them? think you need to chat to both your nanny and your kids and set some rules.. it does sound like a lot of money but was it a one off?

Gosh, that's a lot of money. I employ a nanny, but I am by no means wealthy, so I would not be able to afford that much !

That is way too much. I think you need to do a holiday planner with your nanny. To me a movie is a special treat. In holidays we plan one special day out per week that probably would come to £50 may be more once you include tickets but for the rest of the week I expect activities to be v cheap (eg swimming) or free (picnics in parks etc) with a £10 budget for the week for treats like ice cream. I would not agree to eating out I would always insist on a picnic made from home for both children and nanny.

My nanny has done a holiday planner. She asked for a budget but I said I'd rather she just cleared the cost of big things in advance. So I've Ok'd a couple of art workshops, and some sport classes. We also have annual membership to Legoland (including for nanny) and they are going twice.

I think it's harder to arrange playdates for primary school children in the summer. We seem to have about 5.5 weeks off this year so people are away a lot of that. That said, it is still one of the things that they love best.

i think its a lot especially for a cinema day. I've spent that a day before but almost always on a trip to the zoo. I always make my own picnics and hone and smuggle take our own snacks in cinema.
This school hol we having building work done at the house so will have to be out most days but parks/picnics are free and even when we do eat out the kids are happy at asda cafe or the chinese all you can eat buffet!
Maybe you just need to have a chat about whats acceptable for you. I always write down what were planning to do and doublecheck activities which may cost a lot.

there are 2 really big kids films out at moment toy story 3 and shrek 4.
both in 3d which is not cheap
which more than likely why it cost so much.

as for eating out every day well it is easier and less time
are they out the whole day or just lunch times
are you children good and looking after themselves while nanny makes lunch
do you have stuff in for pack lunch ?