what's an appropriate food allowance for an au pair? Post Reply

[twice_as_nice]

Hi,

just wondering if anyone gives their au pair money to buy their own food instead of just getting food in for them? I think I read about someone who did this once...

If you do, how much do you give them?

Think this approach will work better with our au pair as she tends to buy her own food as we can't always get the sort of food she likes, and I feel bad that she's having to pay for food herself.

Thanks!

[lamj1974]

Think it may have been me! We have always given an extra £30 a week for food. It works so well as our au pairs have always just sorted their own food out. Obviously she uses our loo roll, milk, bread etc! Hope that helps x

[twice_as_nice]

oops seem to have posted twice! Sorry!

[twice_as_nice]

Quite possibly was!

thanks very much, very helpful!

[Minatoku]

We give our au pair £50 per week which is not even £10 per day. But it seems that people give around £40 on average. I would feel guilty to buy organic meat for myself and only basic stuff for the au pair.

[BalhamMumWorkingFT]

We didn't get one at all?! I just bought her whatever she wanted from the grocery and she ate what we had... If she spent anything out with the kids I'd pay her back. She never complained and ate very well...

[supergirl]

i would find myself very uncomfortable giving my au pair or nanny some money to buy their own food. If someone lives in my house to look after my children, she eats like them which is like us and if she wants a snack she helps herself to whatever (except what is needed for the next meal).
How embarrassing too to get nuice stuff for you and basic stuffs for her...
When the kids eat sea bass for lunch for example, the nanny eats sea bass too and with them, well that is the way I was raised

[BFW]

Supergirl ...........but she might not like what you have bought or what you are cooking for your kids !

My nanny prefers buying her own things. We give ours £40 a week and obviously she then helps herself to basics which are around the house (coffee/ tea / sauces / butter / pasta / oil etc). She is much happier that way and would hate it if I told her she had to eat the same things that my kids eat !! She has been with us for 3 years so it seems this works well !

[SoConfused!]

Why so awful Petal ? I don't understand?

Our nanny sometimes eats with us and doesn't others. She is completely part of the family but the reality is that she is a young adult living in someone elses house and does not want to eat with us all the time which is compeltely fine ! After a day looking after our kids, i also understand that she might want time to herself and i would not impose our food and our habits on her. She likes certain types of food and prefers popping out and buying these for herself. She is part of the family of course but it is also a job - I would hate having to eat with my boss every day !

I guess its something that you need to establish with your own nanny/au pair before they start. But we give ours a food allowance (£40) so she can decide for herself.

[anett]

Hi there,


I used to work as an au-pair, lived with a lovely family for almost 2 years. The family had a nanny too and I went food shopping with her most of the time. So I could choose what I wanted to eat. Or she asked me what I wanted if I could not go. Why do not you take your au-pair with you and let her choose. After a couple of shopping I guess you will see what she likes and you can do the shopping without her. Or just ask her whether she is happy with the food you have in the fridge.
Giving money for food to the au-pair is actually a good idea.... I was never asked but I had the food what I liked. So I was happy....

[MGMidget]

If you pay a food allowance rather than providing food could this be regarded as taxable income though? I am not saying it is, but just posing the question. The au pair arrangement seems to rest on whether the au pair is living with you as part of the family, otherwise you may find minimum wage applies and that any income over £107, including a food allowance if that counts as extra income, requires you to register as a employer with HMRC. My understanding is that new rules from April mean that employer returns are required on each pay day if you pay a worker above the current earnings threshold of £107. I am not a tax expert but before you decide to give a food allowance I would do a little research to check if this is regarded as extra earnings. If it is and tips you over the £107 earnings threshold you have a new set of employment administration responsibilities which you may want to weigh up.

Our au pair eats with us or takes food from the fridge (we discuss if something is being held back for a planned meal so she doesn't take a vital ingredient). We buy her some foods and snacks that she likes for her lunch/snacks. We discuss her likes and dislikes and try to accommodate. Going shopping with your au pair is a good suggestion to help learn their likes and dislikes.

I also think that if your au pair is eating in front of your children it is good to have a bit of influence on what he/she eats in front of them. If she is eating all sorts of unhealthy junk your children may want the same.

[Mamatina]

I used to work as an live in nanny and now am on the other side of all that having a nanny myself. Never have i been asked what i liked to eat - you eat what you get and if you dont like it, well you can only hope next meal time you have better luck.
I was never offended not being asked
Also when did u last get groceries worth 30£? And what did u get for it? Certainly not even half a basket full in waitrose

[SoConfused!]

I think its just something that needs to be discussed with the au pair / nanny at the beginning. In our case we provide all the basics (washing powders, drinks, tea coffee, milk, snacks, condiments etc). The £40 a week is to buy anything that she might want extra (for example we don't eat a lot of red meat and she likes to have a steak every week). From chatting to her, i think she quite likes popping out and getting her own things but I don't see why this arrangement should be criticised ? Everyone does what works for them / their nanny ! It seems to work for us and she seems happy.

[supermummy]

I'm baffled as to why giving an au pair a food allowance is such a bad thing?! Some au pairs eat with the famiy and others are given more freedom / families prefer a bit of space. If you make the arrangements clear before they accept what's the problem? I'd have thought many girls enjoy having some independence ( when I wAs an au pair I did). There are other ways to make your au pair feel welcome and respected.

[Tils1]

Stating the obvious but different families like to manage it in different ways. As someone has said the key is to discuss it in the interview. We have always said they can help themselves to anything in the fridge /cupboard. Every week I also ask what they would like to be added to the delivery shop and try to get them to add things as we find its cheaper to do big shops than pop into whatever local supermarket. This is the way we shop so I dont see any reason that it should be that different.

We then have an ongoing kitty for things to do with the children and they can use that money to pop to the supermarket and buy things as well out of working hours as I completely get its nice to browse and pick things up. I do however ask them to put receipts in the childrens kitty purse.

I think the key is to discuss it at interview and not to worry too much about what others do but do what works for your family and circumstances. Good luck - I actually think food is one of the most difficult things to manage when having someone live in.....