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Paid childcare

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

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Original poster

Kitty for nanny - advice

17 replies

Tweakie80 · 19/04/2016 20:53

Hello

I have a nanny starting shortly. It's the first time I've used a nanny so just wanting a bit of advice re the kitty. It will only be a small cash kitty I'm thinking around £20 a week as she will be looking after my 1 year old during the day so probably taking him to a playgroup each day which are around £1-£2 and my school age child has after school activities already paid for by me. So the £20 is for these playgroups/any little bits of shopping ie milk etc (I have big shop delivered as no supermarkets near us) I will obviously leave more in school holidays to cover more outings.

My question is what do you do regarding recording the spending? It seems a bit overkill to ask the nanny to note down or provide receipts for these small expenses but I've read a few threads suggesting that is what people do and even some suggesting it is required for HMRC?? Any advice...

Tia

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IvyLeaf · 19/04/2016 20:54

My nanny does keep a record, she writes down playgroup costs and if they go to soft play/NT place she'll get a receipt.
I only leave £10 a week, it is plenty. Nanny takes my two to - the library, a play group, soft play once a week and £10 leaves change.

TheoriginalLEM · 19/04/2016 20:59

I read this and thought - how nice, they are buying their nanny a cat!

I would have thoguht the receipts would only be necessary for HMRC if she were buying stuff out of her wages and then giving you the receipts and claiming it as expenses so a cash kitty wouldn't neccesarily need receipts as the money isn't hers per se (i think!). Unless its you that is claiming the nanny as expenses? Then i would have thought that the kitty would be just the cost of living, it doesn't cost you this money for your DC to go to the clubs because you have a nanny, they would go anyway so...

Sorry, not much help really, but maybe she might like a kitten?

TheoriginalLEM · 19/04/2016 21:12

Is the nanny expected to buy her own food/drinks when out at these places?

chocchipbrioche · 19/04/2016 21:16

Hi there,
I'm a nanny and my bosses leave me £20 a week for activities with their 18 month old. I work in North London and playgroups here are £3 a go. We also go to soft play at £7 a go and swimming at £7 a go.
Often I have to buy shopping either to top up things that have run out or things they've forgotten so if I need to use the kitty money for this they then put in more. I always keep the receipts and also write things down in a little book. I've been a nanny for 20 years and have done this is each job.

nannynick · 19/04/2016 22:08

Generally I start calculation at £2.50 per child per day. That therefore gives you £25 for the week for 2 children. You then adjust it from there to suit the circumstances. Your proposed £20 for the week may well be right, possibly even a little high for term time. It will be different during school holidays.

Tracking expenses is useful as it enables you to adjust the weekly kitty to nearer the actual spend amount.

Artandco · 19/04/2016 22:14

I would also leave an extra £100 that she knows is for emergencies rather than regular. Means she has enough in the house always if say she felt baby needed to go to hospital or doctors or similar and can grab taxis. Or you can ask her to use if you realise you would like her to buy a gift for party/ new suncream and swim stuff for child before you travel etc or anything else you might only remember once you have left the house already that day.

Artandco · 19/04/2016 22:17

Also depends on costs in your area. In ours a toddler playgroup is £5 per child, swimming is £15 for one adult and one child. So £20 a week would be tight if you wanted them to do a few things, have money for summer ice cream and picking up odd groceries.
Maybe take a look at what various things cost.

A good way also is to buy some annual passes for local places like farms or swimming or similar so they can use unlimited and the costs not part of weekly kitty.

nannynick · 19/04/2016 22:18

With a school age child there will be frequent things to pay for connected to school - cake sales, fund raising, book fairs, so an emergency fund can certainly be handy.

Artandco · 19/04/2016 22:19

Ah yes school age child. Leave a pot of 50p and £1 for the 101 they need for school

Yerazig · 20/04/2016 06:49

I'm a nanny I usually do two pre paid classes so Gymboree swimming etc. And usually just get given a load of cash to last me, but usually spend around £20 a week. And usually a couple of hundred would be left in the house incase of an emergency for meeting example if we needed to get a taxi to hospital that sort of thing.

RattieOfCatan · 20/04/2016 07:17

I was going to say about costs in your area too, down here that would be nothing if you had a week where you wanted to do an activity. Obviously you don't want her taking child to soft play and farm parks each week but on a week where she may do one of those it would need to cover entrance fee and possibly drinks/food.

Also it's nice to have a regular activity with a charge, I take mine swimming once a week and whilst it is a prepaid class, if she stopped the classes I would like to continue the swimming every Wednesday tradition. We also go to a garden centre after swimming each week and have a drink/biscuit. That was on suggestion of the mum as she had a similar routine with the previous child and it was their treat time together which she wanted to continue for little one but it is nice and it's the kind of thing that feels very natural, it's our weekly slot of downtime and people watching ;)

It's also worth thinking about if there is anywhere that she could use nearby with yearly passes available. If you have a few national trust or English heritage places close by a membership could be worth looking into if you want your child outside a lot. Kids places often have membership options too which might be worth considering if it is a place they'll go frequently, especially in the summer with the older child as well as they can be bloody expensive.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 20/04/2016 07:55

I thought that too LEM 😄

Callaird · 20/04/2016 20:58

I think it's best to ask her to keep a note when she first starts. Buy a small note book, put it, a pen and kitty money in a box in an easily accessible place (but not where the children can reach it or where other visitors can see it) ask her write down anything she spends and put any receipts she gets in the box. If you find after 4/5/6 months that she's doing it regularly then you can stop checking!!

I spend a lot more on kitty a month (£300 upwards but I buy clothes, shoes, food, petrol for their car that I use) my boss doesn't check receipts anymore, she'll sometimes look through what I've written in the book but generally doesn't question it.

Do add a little more if your nanny likes to craft with the children (we spent £7 on foam, card and stickers to make a calendar for my charge who is asking about days of the week and seasons at the moment.) or if she likes to bake etc,.

My charge does 3 classes a week, all prepaid and each class is £7. We try to do free things on our spare day/s.

Original poster

Tweakie80 · 21/04/2016 06:46

Thanks very much for everyone's responses. Forgot to say that the nanny only works 3 1/2days a week so I think £20 should be enough during term time however if it's not I'm happy to increase. Playgroups are only £1-£2, some are free and you normally get a drink provided. If they went to soft play or an outing I would expect the nanny to pay for her drinks/food from the kitty.

It was more the recording of it that I was wondering about. Most people are saying that's it's normal to ask to note it down so that's what I'll do. Thanks!

OP posts:

eurycantha · 21/04/2016 11:36

I look after a one year old ,I have a diary ,large/ notebook ,that I jot down what we've done and any future plans ,shopping needed ,also any medicines given that day .I always put down what we've spent ,my boss will put £40 in the kitty when empty and I just note down what we've spent ,generally I get receipts for large spends such as shopping ,petrol ,Craft bits.mb knows what bounce,car parks cost so dont bother with receipts as much for those ,but I do write down the activity and cost.

Blondeshavemorefun · 21/04/2016 16:58

Recording down big things is ok but one temp job I had made me write down every single penny and once I was out by 20p

Can only assume it was on parking but they got very annoyed I couldn't count for it

They are the same with their perm nanny

Trust has a big part to play in it

Some things you can't get receits for - M&T - ice creams etc

Most of my perm jobs don't ask me to write down kitty for things like £1 parking /M&T etc

but I do get a credit card so big things go on that or entrances to soft play /lunch etc so it's obvious where it goes

ChablisTyrant · 21/04/2016 17:05

I don't bother asking for receipts or monitoring it. Life is too short and you are trusting this person with your precious child. We leave a lot of money but that is because she often buys kids party presents and runs errands for us. I think it does depend on whether your fridge is well stocked for them.

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