Babysitter - going rate in south east

[speedymama]

DH and I rarely go out together because we have no friends or family nearby to call on to babysit. Normally if we go out we do so when the boys are at nursery and we are not at work.

A girl at the DTS nursery has offered to babysit for us and because the boys adore her, we feel comfortable about this. She said that her fee is £8.50/h. I was a bit shocked because I was expecting £5-6/h. The guys at work think it is a lot too. If DH and I go out for 3 hours, we need to factor in £25.50 on top of what we spend plus drive her home so I won't be able to have a drink (If I drive, I do not drink at all because most of the time I am teetotal).

Just wondering what other people pay. She is about 20yo if that matters.

TIA

We pay £8 an hour - and use someone from the DC's nursery. In fact it is the nursery who sets the rate.
I make sure we get one of the ones who can drive so that I can have a drink (or 6!) and not worry about getting the sitter home/

a qualified woman from our nursery charges 6.50

That sounds a lot. We use a teenager from two doors down who only wanted to charge us 4 pounds an hour. However, we decided 5 was fairer. He is 18 and we like it because the boys know him well and if there was ever any emergency he could get his mum round in a minute or run to any of the neighbours who know him. Have paid 6 pounds to some other sitters (with their own transport) but if I had to pay more would probably stay home as would spend most of the time out fretting about the rapidly mounting cost!