Food (Grocery) Budget/ Snacks Budget for Helpers

[cocomarie]

If it's meryenda only for morning and mid-afternoon, I set a daily budget -- before Php30/day then times 30 days, PhP 900, then I do my groceries with that budget in mind.  I buy her milo 1 big for the whole month and sandwich spread.  If she wants coffee I buy her the satchet kind and I tell her to ration the coffee or milo so that it will last up to 1 month.  Kailangan bigyan mo rin sila nang responsibilidad na i-ration yung meryenda nila, hindi naman natin kaya ang eat-all-you can na meryenda nila   I don't want to pamper the helpers kasi madalas nangaabuso sila. Any excess from the PhP 900 I let her buy pandesal at the nearby bakery.   

[iluvescadasport]

kami nagaallot ng food for maid everyday, including merienda. dati ginawa namin binigyan lang sila ng 1kilo sugar tapos bahala na sila. in 1 week, ubos na! e 2 lang silang maid. ngayon, ang binibigay lang namin sa kanila is coffee because we found out they don't put a lot of coffee, parang half a tablespoon lang. pero sugar parang 3 tablespoon ata! so what we did is every merienda and morning, we give them 2 tbsp of sugar each. sabi din namin, if too much sugar, aantokin lang sila and hindi sila makakawork.

pag morning, 4 pcs of pandesal each with coffee. lmerienda is 3 pcs and cofee or milo or juice. lunch and dinner, we bought food from the canteen nearby. mga P35-40 per meal. rice is P8. or pag hindi food from canteen, canned good yun ulam king.

extra snacks, sila na bibili.

ang tanong ko lang, yun mga toiletries, kayo nagprorprovide or yun maid bibili?

[mishmish]

^Before, nung hindi pa ako nagma-manage ng household, sarili nila ang toiletries, pero nung ako na humawak, I started to provide for them. Usually 2 pieces of soap (I buy zest jumbo), around 80ml of shampoo, sanitary napkins,  tissue - anytime pwede sila kumuha sa stock room -- good for a month yan, I provide toothpaste pero good for 2-3 months time. Kung naubos nila yan agad, they have to buy using their own money. I don't provide baby powder, lotion, cologne, and conditioner anymore, masyadong pampered na kung ganoon

[candy_tone]

sa amin hiwalay  food ng mga househelp we provide 300 per week. Currently we have 1 yaya and 3 househelp so 1200 ang budget nila sa food every week sila na ang bahala magbudget kasama na dun  merienda nila. I provide for my yaya lang like coffee, biscuits,sugar, butter, peanut spread or bread i just replenish them kapag ubos na sometimes i share what i eat with my yaya like breadtalk, Mary Grace cakes, Dezato Pan or corned beef or hotdog



Sa toiletries naman i dont provide them kasi baka maubos lang agad. It's not practical  dapat sariling gastos na nila yon....

[iluvescadasport]

^Before, nung hindi pa ako nagma-manage ng household, sarili nila ang toiletries, pero nung ako na humawak, I started to provide for them. Usually 2 pieces of soap (I buy zest jumbo), around 80ml of shampoo, sanitary napkins,  tissue - anytime pwede sila kumuha sa stock room -- good for a month yan, I provide toothpaste pero good for 2-3 months time. Kung naubos nila yan agad, they have to buy using their own money. I don't provide baby powder, lotion, cologne, and conditioner anymore, masyadong pampered na kung ganoon

if naubos nila agad, do they buy their own naman? Sa amin kasi we always monitor their toiletries. Every one or 2 weeks, we tell them to show us their toiletries. kung nakita namin paubos na, we buy for them tapos kaltas sa sweldo nila. nangyari kasi sa amin dati na naubos yun shampoo and toothpaste nila, tapos they didn't tell us. Napansin na lang namin ang bilis maubos ng toothpaste namin and yun shampoo namin tubig tubig na. 3x a day pala naliligo maid namin! tapos haba pa ng hair niya, almost till waist line!

[clueless]

ang tanong ko lang, yun mga toiletries, kayo nagprorprovide or yun maid bibili?

Ako nagp-provde. I do the groceries once a month only. Kasama sa grcery list ang toiletries nila and i buy a month's worth. But basic toiletries lang - shampoo, soap, sanitary pads, toothpaste. Deodorant, cologne and others they buy on their own na from their own money.

[mishmish]

^^ If naubos nila agad, they have to buy their own. I always remind them na huwag sila magsayang que bigay sa kanila o galing sa sarili nilang pera. So far hindi pa naman ako nakukupitan ng mga toiletries o nahuhuling nakikigamit sila

[twelvth_goddess]

We do our groceries every 2 weeks and I set aside 200-300 for my yaya's snacks. I usually buy milo sachets, assorted cupcakes and mini breads, cookies, and biscuits. My yaya wakes up early kase and since wala kameng ibang helper ngayon, sya lahat gumagawa ng chores and madalas nalilipasan sya ng gutom. Nung minsan nagka-hyperacidity sya and I felt really bad. So from then on, binibilhan na namin sya ng food nya para may makain sya kagad in the morning paggising nya.

[sistah!]

i provide toliletries and merienda naman. when i grocery, i buy coffee, biscuits and bread for them. toiletries naman, i keep a steady supply of soaps, lotions, shampoos for them. kuha na lang sila. i buy a different brand for all those items for them para they know na iba yung sa kanila. i also buy the cheaper brands kasi magastos kung pareho nung sa amin and it helps me track din how fast they consume those things. kung maubos nila before my next grocery, they have to buy na for themselves.

napansin ko nga, like you, yung househelp namin, ang lakas sa coffee. i tried buying the packs of coffee, cream and sugar pero ang bilis nila maubos. so now im back to the sachet ng 3-in-1 pero even that, they finish agad kasi 2 to 3 times yata magkape sa isang araw. ayoko naman sana tipirin pero nahihirapan din ako to keep up with their consumption. nung minsan naubos, aba humingi sa asawa ko ng kape kasi ubos na daw yung sa kanila. nakakainis lang kasi para makatipid, i buy bulk na. so i buy a lot of coffee na lang and biscuits. a week or so ago, tumakas yung yaya at maid ko. as in umalis walang paalam. in fairness mukha naman walang ninakaw na major pero kinuha lahat ng toiletries na stock ko for hh and coffee and biscuits sa pantry. so ngayon, i have to start stocking those things again for the new help.

[Kady_14]

Ako hindi. Pag bago ang maid I give her money and let her buy her own toiletries. If she goes on leave (off) I give her money too. Bahala na siya if ipapang date nya o ipang bibili ng toiletries nya.

Snacks and Coffee are provided, yung tinitimpla not the 3in1's kasi mas mabilis maubos yun. Snacks usually I buy yung mga biscuit na naka lata or sometimes minemeryenda nila yung tiring pandesal sa umaga. Makain kami and kasama sila madalas sa bilang kahit the pa-order ng pizza or anything we meryenda.

I make sure merong pera na naiwan kahit P100 if alis kami pambili nila kaso minsan imbes na meryenda pinapang load. lol

[twelvth_goddess]

In our experience, malakas mag-coffee and creamer ang mga helpers namin. So we bought separate coffee na for them. Sometimes yung 3-in-1, sometimes yung coffee, creamer, and sugar talaga. For sugar super lakas din nila eh we use muscovado sa house so binilhan na din namin sila ng white sugar.

[WandaWits]

I provide my maid 3 in 1 coffee and their own bread plus sandwich spread. Yung coffee good for 1 month consumption, pag naubos sabi ko she has to buy on her own. Yung ulam & meryenda pareho lang halos kinakain nila sa amin ng mga bata except of course, yung talagang food lang ng kids hindi pwede i-share sa kaniya. I also have canned foods na naka antabay at times that I can't cook & maiiwan ang maid sa house ng walang ulam sa ref. It's just me & the 2 kids lang naman cause hubby is not here.

Tanong lang mga sis, yung iba kase sa inyo too generous to provide the toiletries even the sanitary pad. Expected na ba yan talaga ngayon ng mga maid? Kase pansin ko kapag dating nila sa house para mag work they don't have soap, shampoo, toothpaste & sanitary pads. So what I do, i provide for them then explain ko sa kanila na pag sumuweldo na sila, sila na bibili ng toiletries nila. Kailangan ba na sagot pa natin yun? My point is, kahit hindi naman sila working sa atin they really have to provide for their own. Unless may BO or amoy, I provide the toiletries that I want them to use (ex. deodorant, toothpase & soap).

[twelvth_goddess]

^I know a lot of amo na they provide the toiletries to their helpers. I only did that on the first 2 months of her stay with us. Napansin ko kase na may iba syang ginagamit (which she bought using her own pay) like soap and lotion. Eh hinde naman ako willing na bilhin pa kung ano yung gusto nyang bilhin so my husband and I decided to just add 300 every month on top of her pay for her toiletries. It's not much  pero hinde naman sya siguro bibili ng lotion or soap na tag-200 plus

[Kady_14]

pansin ko din na di naman nila ginagamit yung binibili ko, dati ginawa ko kasi bumili ko Zest soaps and shampoos di naman ginagamit me preferred sila. Like shampoo gusto Palmolive (bumili ko ng malaking rejoice sa duty free yung pump bottle) bumibili pa din sila ng Palmolive, they also use yung "Baby Love" brands na local nun lang ako nakakita nun. At ma-lotion sila. Yun din ang dahilan ko kaya pinepera ko na lang, nasa kanila na yun if ibibili ba nila ng toiletries (titipirin pa nila) unlike if ikaw bibili maging abusado naman kadalasan.

[twelvth_goddess]

^True. And I think within reason din naman na they would want to use their preferred brands of toiletries. Sayang lang din kase kung bibilhin mo tapos hinde naman gagamitin so might as well perahin na lang. My yaya loves to browse through our neighbor's Avon catalogues and dun sya bumibili. Simple lang naman kaligayahan nya hehe

[jmljoven]

Ako I dont give them additional budget. I just see to it na when I do the groceries, may portion sila dun like coffee, creamer, sugar and bread. I dont buy in bulk na, kase imbes na makatipid, mas napapagastos pa ako. Like sa coffee, pag malaki binili ko, ubos agad in one week. Yung pinakamalaking gardenia, ubos in 2 days. I budget their coffee na twice a day lang, one sa morning and one sa afternoon. Yung bread naman, sa malapit na bakery na lang budgeted na din. Yung sa toiletries din I buy soap (safeguard) and shampoo only. Kasi nga since bata yung inaalagaan, important for me na malinis yung katawan nila. Monthly may allocation ako sa kanila nun. Kasi dati I buy everytime ubos na, e napansin ko di nagtitipid yung yayas. Yung safeguard, pinapanglaba ng underwear nya so ubos agad. Basta sa lahat, I see to it na sakto lang at di naman yung kulang talaga. Umaabuso talaga kasi pag pinagbigyan mo.

[iammechelle]

Ako, I allot budget for their toiletries. Pero hindi ito monthly. I monitor kung paubos na ang mga gamit nila. A week before na maubos, tinatanong ko sila kung magpapabili na sila. Ang binibili ko ay safeguard, sunsilk at sanitary napkin. Kung may preferred brand sila, sila na ang bumili ng sarili nila.

May experience rin ako sa malakas magkape at magmeryenda. Minsan kinakain nila yung mga pagkain na sabi sila. Isang beses, yung Tiger biscuits na favorite ng anak ko, kinain daw ng anak ko ng buong maghapon na sya lang mag-isa. Lakas naman kumain ng 4 y.o. old ko. Hayun, hinayaan ko na mag dusa at magutom. Ayaw ko rin kasi ng ubos ubos biyaya na kapag naubos eh bibili ka kaagad.

[imeego]

for the toiletries, i just give them soap, shampoo and toothpaste na good for 1 month na while for snacks, we provide coffee (3-in-1), milo and juice (in sachet) and a  big can of assorted biscuits..saka nagpapabili pala sila ng brown sugar for their own consumption everytime mag-grocery kami .sa ulam naman, same lang sa amin

[khriseeee]

O do my grocery shopping every 2 weeks only. I include in my grocery list the following:

-2 loaves of bread - cream bread, Herran's
-2 packs pandesal - usually Olsen's brand
-1 star margarine
-1 lily's peanut butter
-assorted instant noodles
-2 cans luncheon meat
-2 cans corned beef
-1 giant pack egg crackers
-1 pack sandwich crackers
-3-in-one coffee - great taste or san miguel
-juice - usually nestea
-veggies
-fruits - kiat-kiat, papaya, watermelon or indian mangoes
-fish
-ground pork
-chicken thighs/drumstick/livers
-safeguard soap

I stopped buying them magic sarap because my daughter usually shares their meals at lunchtime. I also decreased the amount of canned food I buy so I usually keep the luncheon meat or corned beef for back-up. If by the time I do my groceries again and they haven't used the canned meat, I don't buy.

I used to cook for hubby and I and made enough for them but they don't like my cooking. So I just let them cook what they want. Unless I made adobo or calderetta, then they'll eat it.

On toiletries, I don't buy for them except for safeguard. When they are new, I usually give them a set of soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, but the rest they buy. I buy safeguard also primarily for them to wash their hands whenever they touch food or use the CR. One time my mom bought my HH and yaya Olay soap (from S&R) and the HH accused my mom that it made her breakout.