Domestic Helper Food Allowance

[TMAC]

Help!

My Helpers have just shared our food up until now but now they want to have a food allowance.

I'm totally happy to do that but I think the $300 provided for in the contract is inadequate. I'm not sure how much to give them (2 people) because I often buy imported foods and they want to buy local foods.

Obviously they are always welcome to anything we have in the house in addition but I'd love some ideas of what would be a fair (and fairly generous) food allowance.

Thanks!

[hello_there]

We give ours around 1000/ month for food/travel (bus)/sundries. She always has a couple hundred left over at the end of the month and tells us that next months allowance can be reduced accordingly. When I was still eating at home frequently enough for my helper to purchase groceries for me I just had her throw whatever she wanted into the cart with our food and she got a 500 allowance for travel, etc. Some people will probably say that her allowance is too big, but considering the amount of work she does for me, I think its fine and it keeps her comfortable.