What Should I Charge?
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Anonymous
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I'm a nanny for an infant. I get paid $400/week and $15.00/hour when I work later than my off-time or when I come in to do weekend/date night babysitting. It's my first "real" nanny position, so I did a terrible job at negotiating pay and other benefits. But since I'm just doing this until I go back to school, it's no big deal. I like my job, and I don't really have any complaints about it.
Anyway, a mom who's in the same class that I take my charge to asked me to babysit for her this Saturday. We met a few months ago and talked on numerous occasions, and her son's so adorable and happy. So of course I said yes. She said he should be sleeping the entire time, so I'll just be responsible for keeping an eye on him while I lounge around their place. So what should I charge for this? I think it'd be weird if I charge $15.00 since I'll just be sitting around doing nothing (rather, watching TV, on the computer, on my tablet, whatever). I like the mom, and I don't want her to feel like I'm ripping her off. Even I think that price would be a bit excessive. So I was considering $10.00 - $12.00. I don't really need the money. I just want to find a balance between offering a fair price and not making it seem like I'm "dirt-cheap" or "ripping-off" FWIW: I'll only be needed for 2 or 3 hours, and my commute will probably be 2.5 hours round trip. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. TIA! 
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Anonymous
You're going to drive 2.5 hours to babysit for an average of 2.5 hours? How does this make sense? Are your parents paying for your gas? |
Anonymous
+1 I have a 3 hour minimum, so I would never do it for less, but even so, a 2.5 hour commute would never be worth it to me unless it was something like an over nighter where I would be makin a significant amount of money. |
Anonymous
| Given the drive, if you're sure you're okay with that, I'd charge AT LEAST $15/hour for 3 hours minimum. Anything less is just not worth the time or gas especially if you don't really need it. |
Anonymous
I don't drive. I work in NYC so I just take the MTA (my employers give me an unlimited monthly metro, so I never have to pay for travel fare). Plus, I'll either already be out in the city hanging with a friend, or hang out there after I get off. And even if I'm not, the commute will only be slightly longer than it takes to get to my regular job, so I'm used to it. But I definitely see where you guys are coming from. I'll mull it over a bit longer. Thanks guys, and further comments will also be appreciated. |
Anonymous
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You should never work a job where your commute is as long - or maybe longer?! - than the hours you will work. No way. For a 2.5 hour round-trip commute I'd need at least 8 hours of work to justify it.
But EITHER WAY, why are you selling yourself short like this? Your rate is set for your time and your expertise, it doesn't go up and down depending on the time of day you are booked for. If you are worth $15/hr, then that is what you charge. Think if you worked from 5pm-10pm...would you charge $15/hr from 5pm-8pm, then lower your rate from 8pm-10pm bc the kids were asleep? REALLY? I am getting so frustrated by the nannies who don't seem to understand how this works. Your employers get paid their same salary regardless of whether they have an easy week, or get an afternoon off, or have a ton of work handed to them on Monday morning. You get paid your hourly rate no matter what too! You have NO IDEA what this night will look like - what if the baby is crying the whole time and won't sleep? What if he is asleep when you get there but wakes up sick? You're going to what, tell the mom when she gets home that although you quoted her $10/hr it's actually going to be more because it was such hard work? No way. Charge $15/hr for your time for babysitting, OP. |
Anonymous
| $15 an hour. Doesn't matter if the kids are sleeping or not. What is wrong with some of you nannies? |
Anonymous
| Just tell her that your sitting rate is $15/hr. That is what you charge your full-time family and that is what you should charge anyone else. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
Why bother doing it, if your commute is going to be just as long as your time watching the kids? That doesn't make sense, ESPECIALLY if you are only going to charge $10-12 an hour. If you charge $15/hr for your normal job, then charge that for babysitting. Most people realize that the less hours you have someone work at once (even if they kids will mostly be asleep, or "easy" to deal with), that you pay more for their time. No one would waste their time babysitting for someone else otherwise. It is not profitable and honestly, that is the reason that people give up their spare time, especially if you work all week long already. The other thing is, what is the common babysitting rate in your/their area? If it is $10/hr then it is more reasonable to lower your rate, but if it is $14-16/hr, then keeping your usual $15/hr rate is totally fine. I would only lower my rate in your situation if I was being asked to work over a certain number of hours (like 8-10) and had a commute of less than an hour. |
Anonymous
| Ok, just read past the first post and saw you work in NYC. You need to be asking for AT LEAST $15/hr. You are doing no one any favors asking for less. Parents will start to expect it from you all the time, expect other sitters to go for a cheaper rate, etc. |
Anonymous
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Wow...that is a very high commute for just 2-3 hrs. I wouldn't do it unless I got paid at least fifteen an hr., however many families are not cool paying this for "sleeping hours."
Call this woman and let her know your commute time. Let her know that you would LOVE to watch her son, but considering how much gas you would spend, it wouldn't make "financial sense" to drive that much and only make $10-15 total. I would either ask for a 4-hr minimum or charge $15/Hr. If she states that is too high because since the child will be asleep, you basically will be doing "nothing." I have heard this before and still do not understand the crazy logic. Responsibility is responsibility...NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!!! WTF??! If there is a fire, an intruder, you name it....You are 110% responsible for the child's safety and welfare. Bar nothing. |
Anonymous
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Wait...your commute time just driving to her place would be 75 minutes?? That is insane.
Can't she find another sitter closer to her home? |
Anonymous
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OP said she wouldn't be driving, just taking public transit which is already paid for by employers, and she would already be in the city. BUT, that is still no reason to be paid below $15/hr in NYC!
I get paid my usual rate of $20/hr when babysitting for one of my families on the weekends. The kids keep their weekday sleep schedule and are in bed by 7pm (I show up around 5:30-6pm normally). I am there until at least 10pm. They are sleeping almost the whole time. They eat with me (either take out they ordered in or I cook some pasta and veggies), we do something for like 20-45 minutes and then go brush teeth and get into PJs. Then both read (I read with the younger, the older reads by herself) for 20 minutes and then time to sleep. I usually clean up the kitchen (but normally not asked to), and then do my own thing until parents get home. They would never think to pay me less even though I spend only about an hour with them awake. They even offer to drive me home (about 10 minutes away) if they haven't been drinking, otherwise I can walk/take transit and be home within 30 minutes depending on bus schedules. |
Anonymous
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$20/hour for NYC.
You'd be insane to do it for less than $15. If you don't "Need" the money then take it and put it in an IRA for retirement. You must not be thinking of the future at all to make a comment like that. |