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Original poster

Nanny food bills

40 replies

MummytoLO · 20/10/2012 13:14

Hi, another silly question from a FTM with first nanny.

I thought that I'd do the big shopping and the nanny would eat what's there. Obviously I ask her whether she has special wishes.

Now she says she wants to do her own food shopping (she only eats organic and health food, ££) and I should give her £30 every week on top of her weekly pay so she can buy her special food.

Is this normal?

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Blondeshavemorefun · 20/10/2012 13:30

def not normal and tbh if this is what she wanted then should have discussed it as interview, and sure you would have firmly told her no, or not offered her the job

nannies do eat at their place of work and usually what is in the cupboard, some employers will say buy their fav brand of food, ie i hate any beans that arent heinz

tell her a firm no

CelineMcBean · 20/10/2012 13:40

Hahahahaha. If she wants to eat special wanky food stuffs she buys her own. Your her employer, not her mum.

CelineMcBean · 20/10/2012 13:41

You're not your Blush

ihearsounds · 20/10/2012 13:47

Hahaha. No. In the real world, if the job includes food you eat that or you buy it yourself.
If she really wants a food allowance, tell her its £8.75 a week. Based on a feed a family of 4 on a fiver a day Smile

colditz · 20/10/2012 13:48

No. Se has a food allowance, it's in your fridge.

eastmidlandsnightnanny · 20/10/2012 13:52

no not normal even if live in she eats whats available as long as plenty available if she has food intolerances obv these need to be considered but should have been mentioned at interview.

Just buy the fruit and take out of packaging and tell her its organic she will never know!!

annh · 20/10/2012 14:38

It's also a tax dodge on her part as you would be handing her £30 net on which she is not paying tax. Not that you are going to do this anyway because it's totally unreasonable, if she wants to eat particularly expensive food she will have to buy it herself.

SavoyCabbage · 20/10/2012 14:41

No way. That's like a teacher asking the cook to roast a quail as she doesn't like chicken curry or whatever it is.

Your nanny doesn't have to eat the food. She can buy other food with her wages.

RobinSucks · 20/10/2012 16:50

Is she live in or out? The only time I've ever had a food allowance was when I was technically live-in but it was a separate bedsit within the house- they didn't want me coming in the main house to cook each evening so I got £25 or £30 a week, can't remember.

In my current job I buy all my own food as they never plan for me, they buy some food for the children but there is never enough for me, and they barely give me any float.

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 20/10/2012 17:04

Hmm I don't think it's that black & white tbh. If you have a live-in nanny (I presume she's live-in otherwise this would be a very odd thread) then part of that is their food. A reasonably stocked panty/fridge should be available to them. If the food you eat as a family isn't what she eats, then a food allowance is a reasonable solution. Of course this should have been discussed and agreed at the interview stage, however, sometimes you just make assumptions about the type of food that will be available and things need to be adjusted afterwards. £30pw is subjective - personally, I think that's perfectly reasonable.

frazzlerock · 20/10/2012 17:08

Sorry I have nothing to offer but I am howling at "reasonably stocked panty"
Chipping Shock

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 20/10/2012 17:57

Frazzle - really couldn't see why 'reasonably stocked pantry' was that hilarious, even though I'm aware it's a word more used where I used to live than it is in the UK, should have stuck to 'food cupboard' maybe... but then realised why you were laughing....

I wonder what a 'reasonably stocked panty' would look like Grin

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 20/10/2012 18:04

She is effectively asking for a raise which I think is very cheeky. As long as you've got reasonable amounts of healthy fresh food in you dont need to do this. I would tell her you'd add s couple of items on her list personally if they seem reasonable but let her buy anything out of the ordinary.

frazzlerock · 20/10/2012 18:08

Ahhhh....

SilverCharm · 20/10/2012 18:11

No way! She needs to pay for her own if she doesn't like what's on offer.

Blondeshavemorefun · 20/10/2012 19:09

I assumed was a live out nanny in the thread

If live in then yes food sometimes is paid for tho £30 seems a lot as assume nanny would eat with children breakie and lunch so only 5 meals in eve needed

Or do you pay for food at weekends for live in?

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 20/10/2012 23:16

Blondes - food all week for a live-in :) Though most nannies aren't there much at the weekends.

Also, it depends on the age of the children and the type of food the family normally eat, (if) she's live-in so it's 'home' as well, she needs to be able to eat what she would normally eat, not whatever the family normally eat and sometimes that doesn't become apparent until you have moved in.

Original poster
MummytoLO · 21/10/2012 10:56

Thanks very much all, that's really very helpful. Yes she is live-in but still on trial period.

I am a single mum and frankly money is very tight. I do eat very healthy so my fridge and pantry is full of fruit, veg, soy stuff, wholemeal bread etc.

I buy supermarket everyday value pears and bananas and she doesn't touch them, it's organic blueberries and grapes for her. I eat pasta, she wants organic chicken.

My LO is a baby still so I buy jars or cook for her separately. She only gives the baby lunch, I do breakfast and dinner.

I think based on your comments I will offer her to accept the food that is there or look for a much richer employer.

Thanx

OP posts:
BellaTata · 21/10/2012 11:06

It sounds like you have plenty of tasty food to offer her and with everything available I'm sure she could make a nice meal. I think it's cheeky asking you to hand over cash so she can do her own shopping, if there was any change I'm sure she would pocket, it seems a bit strange asking for cash instead of asking you to pick her up some specific things when you go shopping. Prehaps buy her some organic chicken, fish or burgers once a week but other than that she should be buying her own food if she doesn't like yours. I understand she's live in and it's meant to feel like her home, but she is there to work, not to be mothered, Celine already mentioned that.

nannykatherine · 21/10/2012 17:08

Yes. You have the right idea... She is taking advantage of you .

NotAChocolateRaisin · 22/10/2012 20:17

I've always done the food shopping for the family as apart of the job and just bought some things that I want as apart of that (within reason and always to share with the children. I'm not eating venison every night...although...)

ChippingInLovesAutumn · 22/10/2012 20:37

I think you have made a good decision.

If this nanny doesn't work out - you can add 'food' to the list of things you need to discuss at the interview.

PinkFairyDust · 24/10/2012 13:56

Btw as a nanny she should be cooking for your little one, maybe can do batch cooking and then you defrost it? May work out cheaper then jars for you

SwindonMummy · 25/10/2012 14:56

Sounds like my aupair.

She never mentioned any of her allergies (was asked) etc but when started she couldn't eat this and that and if she could she didn't like it or didn't even want to try it.

Our contract said aupair will be offered normal family food.

Once I made a mistake taking her to the supermarket with me and she was like a little child demanding all organic fancy foods.

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 25/10/2012 16:28

last year's au pair asked for smoked salmon "for her toast" and always had fresh berries on the list in the winter.

The trouble is - you can't really vet for 'consideration'. She'd never done her own grocery shop in her life and hadn't a clue about costs/seasonality etc.

It was pointless trying to engage though; we just didn't buy stuff we didn't think was appropriate.

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