How much does an au pair cost?

[Yorky]

Have recently realised that an au pair can be a short term option (I had thought of gap year students etc) I'm now thinking it might be a good way of getting a spare pair of hands when 2 become 3 in late May, surely there must be some students who want to work the summer holiday?

How much does it cost, realistically? I've had a look on au pair world and they only mention the au pair's pocket money. I know I have to feed and house her, but who pays for flights, language courses (do they have to do these, or is talking English at home enough?) travel to college etc. If we go somewhere interesting for a day out and invite her with us is it part of her working hours, or a day out - and who pays for that?

And what about phone calls when she is here? Do I pay her slightly less and let her have free use of the phone? An international phone card? Find an old PAYG mobile and leave the credit up to her?

From looking through other threads I understand that she is below the tax/NI threshold which must keep the paperwork simpler, anything else I need to be aware of?

TIA

i pay her weekly pocket money. have paid for a young persons rail card. Given her a mobile PAYG I top up every now and then.
She has use of the internet and can phone home (its free for us).

English courses and flights are their responsibility not yours.

Its the hidden home costs that are hard to calculate. food, water, heating etc.

Cost is about £150/week of which approx half is paid to her - see previous threads ad nauseum for detailed calculations on how this is made up.

Travel - they should pay themsleves

Language school - they should pay for themselves (though some families make a contribution), usually those that want to come jsut for the summer don't want to do language school and find being in the family enough.

Yes there are loads of students around for just the summer this was how we got out first one.

Days out depends our rule is if I need her to come it is part of her hours, if we are going somewhere interesting at the weekend I invite her but leave it up to her (and make it clear she can refuse) and it is not part of her working hours but I pay all her costs. E.g. we are going away for the weekend, she is coming with us, I could have booked a single family room in the hotel without her, now have to have extra room at my expense but DD will share with her. While we are away if she wants to go off and explore by herself (my kids not being big on Cathedral Museums etc) then she can whenever she wants. Any meals she eats with us are at my expense.

Phone calls - I only recruit from countries that are free on my calling plan.

Our outgoings are more like £120 per week..

We pay £70 for basic pocket money.
£5 month for the additional car insurance.
Food I'd say is £25 per week. Breakfast is normally muesli and yoghurt so less than a £1. Lunch is £1 for soup/pasta/sandwich fillings/bread and she joins us for dinner, so £2-£3 easily covers an extra chicken breast or piece of salmon and the extra veg.. At weekends our current AP will be out all day or overnight with friends somewhere so she doesn't eat that much with us then. She pays for all her bathroom stuff and I have to spend the same on cleaning products anyway..

Heating might be a little more each week - we have it on for an extra hour in the morning and it comes on from 2pm.

We also give £10 a week fuel allowance that gives hr enough to get to English and to go into town each week. We chip in to her Englush classes at the end of the year and i works out at another £10 per week.

Thank you,
I knew the pocket money would only be part of the story, but nice to have an idea of what else to calculate for