Anonymous wrote:$700 is workable, but if you are able to swing $800, you'll have a much better pool of candidates (and less potential turnover). I disagree with the people who say that you shouldn't try to cut expenses to be able to afford a nanny. It's all about priorities. If you each spend $10/day on eating lunch out, and you're able to brownbag it instead, that brings you from $700 to $800.

Completely agree about the priorities. My husband and I are both federal employees. When we had our daughter, our HHI was ~200k. But we paid $800/week plus taxes for our nanny. We didn't go on vacations or eat out, and it definitely was tight. And it was worth every penny to us. She became part of the family and, I think, really played a key role in our daughter's development. That said, some parents are fine paying $500/week for daycare or a nannyshare, and that's also totally fine if it works for them.

$700 is workable, but if you are able to swing $800, you'll have a much better pool of candidates (and less potential turnover). I disagree with the people who say that you shouldn't try to cut expenses to be able to afford a nanny. It's all about priorities. If you each spend $10/day on eating lunch out, and you're able to brownbag it instead, that brings you from $700 to $800.

The only way to know is to put together your offer and see if you are satisfied with the candidates you attract. I am in the camp of you may get lucky but it isn't a great offer.

I certainly wouldn't give it a second thought. 5 years of experience ago, I might have. Nanny me of 5 years ago took a lot of silly days off because I was young and silly. Nanny me of 5 years ago made some mistakes with the children that make me cringe to think about. Nanny me of 5 years ago needed someone to give me a lot of direction and feedback and not every employer wants to do that.

I was fortunate and worked for an easy going mom who was willing to teach me, and overlook my youthful indiscretions, and after close to a year she had a dedicated nanny trained to her liking and I eventually went on to much more lucrative positions.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, it doesn't sound like a nanny is realistically in your budget.

You may find someone who will take the $700 ( less if you take out taxes)
but they most likely not have great experience and you definitely want someone with experience caring for your infant 50 hours a week.

Or you'll get someone with a little more experience that will leave for a better paying position. I'm sure you do not want a revolving door off nannies.

If you cut your expenses to pay the nanny more you'll eventually regret it.

A share is possible, but that means having to negotiate the wants of another set of parents which is tricky.

Look for an excellent daycare center or home daycare.

That is insane. $700 will get you a decent nanny who is more than capable of caring for an infant.

Honestly, it doesn't sound like a nanny is realistically in your budget.

You may find someone who will take the $700 ( less if you take out taxes)
but they most likely not have great experience and you definitely want someone with experience caring for your infant 50 hours a week.

Or you'll get someone with a little more experience that will leave for a better paying position. I'm sure you do not want a revolving door off nannies.

If you cut your expenses to pay the nanny more you'll eventually regret it.

A share is possible, but that means having to negotiate the wants of another set of parents which is tricky.

Look for an excellent daycare center or home daycare.

Anonymous wrote:

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

It's really not that laughable. A $1200/week salary breaks down to be $22/hour with 10 hours of overtime.
This means that each family pays approximately $12/hour for a top notch nanny with years of experience and a degree.
That's a friggin' bargain.
$700 per week is not going to attract the best candidates.
It is definitely possible to find that diamond in the rough, but is guaranteed when sharing a $1200/week nanny.

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Please share whatever you're smoking. That is an ABSURD rate for a share. Absolutely laughable.

$700 a week is fine. Are you going to get a nanny with 20 years experience? No, but you could get a great person who just isn't quite as experienced. Do a lot of screening, trial days if possible and trust your gut.

nannydebsays wrote:OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Gotta disagree with this. Nanny shares can be huge hassles and if you can afford your own nanny, do it.

OP, if you have to cut other expenses to afford a nanny with more experience, you would be better off investigating a nanny share. You could stay within budget and still find a nanny with more experience. $1200/week for 50 hours in a share should get you good candidates.

Im interested in your position. What's your email OP?

Your pay is appropriate for a nanny with one to two years of experience. If you are open to hiring a first time nanny then this could be a great position. You might also consider hiring two college students since they tend to only have part. Time availability. Also, don't be afraid to throw in perks to make it appealing, like access to the kitchen for breakfast and lunch or additional pto, etc. It's not unheard of for federal employees to pass on their metro benefit to their nanny, for example. Make sure your ad is cleAr on the compensation though, so you won't surprise anyone with your terms.

You could also get a very well qualified nanny in a nanny share for $10 to $12 per hour depending again on what you need skill wise. At $13 per hour per family you could have someone with extensive training in child development and education who can do school readiness activities.

OP here. The $700 that I mentioned is before our share of taxes. We could probably cut some of our expenses so we could afford 800+taxes if that would make a significant difference.

What about a Nanny Share? Could be a great solution for you OP.

OP, if you max out your budget just to hire someone, how do you plan to pay employment taxes (about 10% of the gross wages), or offer raises and bonuses?

IMO, your more realistic offer is $600 for 50 hours, or $10.90/hour and $16.35/hour OT.

If your heart is set on having a nanny, you will likely have the best luck with the wages you can offer seeking out a younger person who currently works in daycare. The rate you can pay likely is higher than her current wages. She may have decent childcare experience and no nanny experience, and will likely use your position as a jumping off point to a different job with higher wages. She may or may not stay for a full year.

It's possible you might find a true jewel, but you'll need to do some stringent screening, and you'll likely need to manage this novice nanny pretty closely.

Frankly, in your shoes, I would try very hard to find daycare or family daycare, or look into a live-in nanny, who may take lower wages in exchange for lower living expenses.