We have a great new au pair for DC 11 and 13 - so more of a taxi driver, big sister, provider of meals etc. She's been here for about a month - longer if you count the two week break where she chose to holiday separately rather than join us.
As with many people, our monthly budget is fairly tight. We're better than many, but not lots of spare cash and counting the pennies very carefully towards payday.
Since our au pair came, our food budget has rocketed. Typically, we'd expect to see an increase of about £15-20 to add in another adult plus a few foods the AP especially likes for lunches etc. That's par for the course and I encourage our APs to tell me what they'd like - it's their home too etc, etc. Usually, when cooking, we cook for 6 and then there is a portion left that sometimes is eaten by the AP at lunch and sometimes taken to work by me or DH.
However, the current lovely AP is a big girl and she eats a LOT. I did my main weekly shop last Saturday (Friday today) with another coming today.
I did a top-up shop on Tuesday and the cupboards and fridge are still bare this morning. Plus there are no leftovers for anyone to have at lunchtime.
As an example, she's eaten 8 eggs, three packets of ham, a packet of bacon, 3 cartons of OJ, 3/4 of a roast chicken, 6 apples,and the homemade brownies that usually last a good week that were made on Tuesday have all gone. For her lunch she says she has a salad and some soft fruit with yoghurt and breakfast is muesli (that I buy for her as no-one else eats it) so what I have outlined is on top of the food that I'd normally expect IYSWIM.
We were hoping to have a family curry out this evening (and include AP, as we always do) but we can't afford it as I've spent £50 more on food this week than I usually do when we have an AP.
Do I need to just suck it up or could I say something? If so, what? I reckon the next few days are my only chance if I do want to say anything as after that will be too late. We've talked about reviewing things generally this weekend now the school routine is re-established.
Everything else is great so I do realise we may need to adapt, but it will impact on what we can do as a family a bit so I thought I'd ask.