Food costs for live in nanny housekeeper

[BrandyAlexander]

Hi. Over the last few months I have noticed that our nanny has been adding stuff to the grocery shopping. It started off as one or two things and it's now adding up to an additional £30 per week. She's adding lots of treats and doing her own lunch with things like smoked salmon. I never had this problem with previous nannies and want to nip this in the bud by agreeing a fixed amount with her. She's not British and says she doesn't always like what the rest of us eat but will eat the same at least half the time. She earns £25kpa live in so I don't see why I am funding every treat. (At one point she chucked in her Sanitary pads into the shopping but I put a stop to that).

What would you do? Thanks!

I would just tell her! All meals and drinks should be supplied, however she has what you are having, you supply something different within your budget or she buys it herself. My bosses do not pay for any of my treats. if I fancy some chocolate or crisps, I buy them myself. (I would include cakes, bakes and pastries in this but my charge and I make any cakes/biscuits we fancy! Yummy fruit scones this week)

I would just say that you have budgeted x amount for food shopping a month, which includes her food and you really cannot afford to buy the extras she would like, that she eats what you have in and buys luxury items herself.

That said, what does it say in her contract?

I think that is a bit cheeky to be honest. When I was live in my boss and I generally cooked separately as I'm quite a fussy eater, a lot of the times I would eat with my charge.
I looked at it as she needed to provide me with three meals a day of a healthy diet. If I wanted cakes/crops/chocolate I would get it out of my own money. Unless Ofcourse she felt like some as well then I would get it for both of us out of the kitty.
And when I was on a diet buying ready meals and diet branded snacks I would buy that myself as I didn't believe it should come from her as she was happy to provide food and I just didn't want to eat it st that time.
I think you need to sit her down and say you need to budget the food shopping she can add X amount worth of food if she isn't happy with the meals planned for that week.

Thank you Callaird and Squiffy.

I went back and checked the employment contract with her and it makes it clear that she was to eat the food that was provided and that if she had any special dietary requirements, she needed to tell us before she started the contract. As she didn't say anything that isn't a factor.

My old nanny (who had the same contract) used to throw in about £5-£10 of treats in for herself and I didn't have a problem with it.

I think I will say that I don't mind her chucking in the odd thing but, if for example, she wants to make smoothies that involve every expensive tropical fruit known to man, then she needs to fund that herself. I just need to grit teeth and actually be able to say it.

Thanks again!