What is the total cost of having an au pair then?

[chocolatequeen]

We´re thinking of getting an au pair, never had one before so want a bit more info on the costs associated. Apart from the ´pocket money´thing, can anyone break down the other costs they have incurred with an au pair - ie travel, insurance, extra food, extra bills, phone calls, internet, etc. If anyone can give me a vague breakdown of their additional expenses, I´d be really grateful!

TIA

just bumping this for you. Sorry, don't know the answer but would be interested.

Thank you!

I've bought mine a railcard (£20) because we live in the middle of nowhere, given her a pay as you go (putting a bit of cash on it intermittently because I'm nice), and taking her to france on hols (so that's an airfare and food I suppose). I let her make phone calls too, but she insists on using her calling card to phone the US so that isn't costing us much.
She doesn't eat much, like having another child in the house I suppose.
I pay her £100 for a 35 hr week because I'm incapable of paying her any less, most people seem to think £70 would be fine .
She brought her own laptop and just hooks onto our WiFi Broadband, so no additional expense there.
Car insurance will be more, haven't sorted that out yet.
Thats it I think...

Sorry couldnt give you a break down but it goes something like this.

£50 pw pocket money, if they are with you for a day out you pay for their meals and entrance fees.
If they are out with your child you give expenses for child and Au pair to eat.

I gave her a mobile phone with £10 to call us in an emergency.

You feed them at home.

Apart from the pocket money, it wasnt very different from having friends around eating and drinking.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention I put her on my car insurance to drive that was an extra £40.

I have an ap:

I don't think my insurance or my bills increase at all as a result of having an ap.

I have broadband for the house which the ap uses - no extra cost.

I do pay for her or my travel for the school runs - again I would have to pay for this anyway.

I think food is probably about £20? a week extra, possibly less.

I don't insure her on the car

I have a rule about using the phone for long distance calls (she has skype anyway so doesn't use it).

I may pay for her language school if it works out with her (she is new - it is about £200 a term I think, but lots of schools are free).

The biggest cost is setting up the room for the ap - ours has a tv, dvd and stereo, plus we had to furnish a room, but you might already have the furniture.

I can't think of any other costs.

we pay £70 a week for a 25 hour week although she is doing less at the moment as there is no school runs.

I would provide a laptop as well if the ap didn't have one - my last 3 have all had their own though.

Can I ask, in the evenings etc does your au pair sit with you as guests would or does she do her own thing? I suppose what I'm getting at is the 'cost' of having the extra body in your house and any loss of privacy.

Mine was great, she cooked our meal and shortly after went to her room for the evening ( I did put a digital tv dvd and sound system in there for her).

Meant to add that she ate with us as a family.

Oh yes, would presume she would be included for meals and things.

That seems to be a good tactic, provide a room she would want to spend time in. Wouldn't want someone to feel they had to be out of the way but equally they might feel awkward always being with you.

It's a very tempting option.

Well I was going to pay for language school for my shiny new aupair but his english is superb so he doesn't really want to do it. That's around 700-1000 but a lot of colleges do not charge for EU students.

Currently looking into another language course for him... This isn't just altruism, I'm worried he'll be bored rigid with only us and our friends and family for entertainment, quite frankly.

Thank you. It´s the hidden costs that add up I think, not just a straightforward pocket money and that is it. I would guess though that feeding another adult 3 meals a day at least 5 days a week would add up though?

Quattrocento, my last ap also spoke superb English. I am of the opinion that a happy ap is a well performing ap, so bought the Floodlight Catalogue for her. She enrolled on a gym instructor course which I paid for, in exchange for working more than the standard 25 hours per week. She is now a very happy young woman, when she had completed her one year with us, found work in a gym, and has moved out and embarked on the rest of her life, and is now a close friend of our family.

Now, I need to go find a new one, as the school run is driving me nuts as nursery and school are in opposite directions....

To the OP:
I paid ours the standard £55 per week, provided a nice bedroom with a cd player, no tv on purpose. I rather she spent her time with us, and kept an eye on the kids while watching tv! She could use my laptop when I was not working, again downstairs in our study, where she could be at hand if needed, rather than keeping herself to herself.
In addition, I bought her a Oyster card as she needed to use public transport to take the kids, but added underground to it so she could get full use of it on the weekends, bringing her pocket money and travel costs up to £290 per month. The course I paid for cost £295. I gave her a mobile phone, with £10 on it initially. It is in my interest that we can stay in touch when she is out with the kids. It is hard to quantify extra money on food, I just calculated another grown up in for meals. Good Luck!