Most parents leave a kitty of petty cash for nannies to use to cover daily expenses. In term time this may just be £10 a week to cover unexpected activities as the majority of activities are pre-paid and the odd pint of milk, but in the holidays this can easily spiral. It’s important to have a good kitty management system for handling the money, and clear guidelines on what it can and can’t be used for.
A nanny purse which stays at work is easy to top up when running low. Nannies can also put receipts in the purse, or keep a small notebook to track expenditure. It’s often said that if you employ a nanny to look after your children and leave her the keys to your house you should trust her with your money, and this is probably true, but it can also be helpful to have an idea of what is being spent when and where to manage the budget a bit better. If a nanny constantly complains of being short of kitty money are the guidelines clear enough?
Kitty cash is usually for child related rather than household expenses. Expecting nanny to do periodic shops means leaving more money. Similarly if her mileage expenses or petrol for the nanny car comes out of the kitty it will need to be more generous. Common points of conflict are nanny’s own food and drink – should her coffee at soft play come out of the kitty or not – and the number of paid vs free activities.
Parents frequently leaving large sums of cash or wanting to keep track of nanny’s expenditure can set up a work credit card and enable an alerts system for peace of mind.