Nanny Weekly Kitty

[jothorpe]

I'm about to employ a nanny for the first time, to care for my 2 pre-school aged children.

A friend of mine gives her nanny (who care's for 4 children, 2 pre-school aged, 2 school aged), £20 per week. During term-time I suspect that is fine, but during school holidays it is only £4 per day to spend on entertaining 4 children.

How do you calculate how much weekly Kitty a nanny should have to spend on activities? I don't pre-book any classes, and don't expect our nanny to take the children to classes - though there is a drop-in music group, softplay, that sort of thing locally, which the children are used to going to with me.

As a nanny I had a kitty that was always topped up to 50 on a Monday morning - very rarely used all of it except in school holidays. I probably only got through about 20 a week, but it was nice to have the flexibility if we wanted to go for a day out with friends somewhere slightly more expensive. It also went towards petrol for the car if my bosses didn't have time to fill it up.

I provided receipts etc or wrote expenses down in a book so my employers could keep tabs on what I spent if they ever wanted to.

Yes, £20 a week is what we plan to spend but it isn't usually that much; and our lovely nanny will use it if we run out of bread/milk etc. Make sure you keep receipts as otherwise the tax man will treat it as a benefit and tax her on it!!!

Be careful Jothorpe. We have always had a well topped up kitty but have a nanny who spends it all and more on total crap. Nanny would always eat out with the children when there was money around and buy stuff that the children just didnt need.

We now do all the food shopping to stop her buying the most expensive organic soup ....eating half of it for her lunch and then throwing it away because it went mouldy in the fridge.

Have a fuel card for her diesel too.

I dont think my nanny is dishonest in anyway but she is useless with money which is why she asks to be paid early every month because she has run out of money. I think she also spent our money as entertainment for herself whilst she should have been doing the ironing !

Frannikin I am impressed. If I left 50 in our kitty every week it would be gone. I found in the holidays she was spending as much as £100 plus per week on entertaining the children because it was easier to take them to the cinema and out for lunch than go to the park for a picnic. Now she has to ask in advance for funds.

at your nanny madamblackberry

50 was my employers choice not mine, but it's quite difficult to spend a lot on the children every week. Sooner or later they beg to stay at home and do painting (which I discovered after 2 weeks of planning activities every single day trying to be super-duper nanny).

Also I was free to buy art supplies or cornflour for gloop from the kitty without having to ask the parents so it wasn't just for going out etc.

My nanny gets £70 per month. She has a bus pass and I pay for activities, so no other expenses really. She also has a gym membership and the kids go there too. So there's quite a lot she can do at no expense. And if I ever ask her to pick something specific up, I pay for it. Like if I ask her to get some milk, or pick up up some nappies, I pay for them. She can spend the £70 however she wants.

DS1 is at school now but before he started my nanny had 2 pre-schoolers and I think £20 a week was plenty. There was one class I prepaid and another class and/or a playgroup that they might go to, and pay for from the kitty. Most of the time the kitty is used to buy thing we have run out of , but sometimes to stock up on paint and paper and other arts and craft kit.

Now Ds1 is at school £20 lasts about a fortnight in term time. We put in more than that in the holidays.

However, my first nanny was not nearly so economical. I would suggest running an expenses book with receipts at least initially, till you see whether you have employed a frugal or a spendthrift nanny. And I wouldn't put in each week either - never have. Nanny tells me when the kitty needs to be topped up.

in temr tine i typical spenf about £15 / week on our weekly activites for myself and 2 year old charge, 5 year old is at school. I work 4 days

tiny tumblers £5
Swimming £3.15
music £3.50
Tiny tots £3

In the holidays it is often much more, cause then i have 2 children to pay for.

I have lots of nanny friends and we often do free things eg play in each others houses and go to their nearest park which isnt too expensive.
I always take our own drinks... would NEVER buy a drink, but i do often ask cafes to top up our cups with tap water when the chidlren run out.
Most of the time i take a picnic but we do sometimes eat out, normamly something liek a jacekt potataoe and ebans or something... nothing too expensive or OTT. IF theyhave a pudding (i normally have my own eg fruit and yogurt anyway) it is normally an ice cream or ice lolly in the summer.

I would say in the summer i spend nearer £50 per week, sometimes quite a bit more, but other weeks quite a bit less depending on where we go, who we go with and what we do when we get there!

I care for 4 children, 2 school aged, 2 younger... and this week is real struggle money wise - as both older children are still on school holiday.
Today, weather was not good, so we spent the morning doing baking (bread and cakes). But this afternoon we went to the indoor play centre - which cost us £7.60 admission and £1.80 in drinks (they don't like us taking our own!). Indoor play is expensive, our nearest indoor play place would have cost £13.55 admission, thus we travelled (20 minute journey) to a cheaper place.

So I agree with you, that your friend's £4 per day isn't that great during school holidays - limits trips out to one or two a week.

It will depend on the nanny, some nannies like being out and about, while others are stay-at-home types. Personally I like getting out and about, find the children drive each other up the wall if stuck indoors all day - we thus try to get out each day, be it to the local park, woods, countryside walk, museums (went to RAF Hendon on Friday, long journey, but free admission).

Perhaps try allocating the same amount you would spend initially - asking that receipts are kept, so you can keep an eye on actual spending.

its good you are thinking of this, in my current job I pay for everything myself then have to beg almost for refund!

NannyL where are you based, I recognise the names of some classes, wonder if you're near my new job?
x

MightyMoosh
STOP paying. I am saying this as an employer. Tell them what activities you will do and how much they will cost and ask for the money up front. Or stop going. However, I'm wondering if this worries you that they will say,forget about the activities and do something at home everyday? As a mom, I would personally find that very hard and would never expect a nanny to do that, but maybe some parents would prefer to save the £15 per week...!

The only time I've ever not paid is when our first nanny was taking my daughter to mcdonalds with HER 20 year old daughter and son in law for a bit of socialising - THAT she could fund, as far as I was concerned. Threw loads of food away at the end of the week too ...I'm like an old woman when I get on the subject of that nanny, it's terrible!

when i was a nanny i did not have a kitty i just kept receipts for end of week and got reimbursed.i paid for haircuts,shoes,shopping ,outings.my bosses encouraged me to take kids out to cafes and resaurants most days.they were always happy to pay bill at end of week.

Nifty nanny im in hampshire... where are you?

Thanks for all your suggestions. Think to start with I'll put £20 in the kitty and ask that receipts are kept.

harriet, if i dont buy things there isnt enough food (mostly veg is the issue) and nannpies, wipes etc. but job is only for two more weeks so Im not making a fuss. And I do have money left from before christmas, when I do get money its usually loads which I spend over a few weeks then back to using my own. if I was there longer would pursue.