how can I compete with that price!

**Pixie dust** · 18-01-2012, 05:00 PM

A childminder in the next village to me is charging £2.80 an hour which is inclusive of all meals, snacks and activities. She works with an assistant surely they can't be making much money. She is not full but we are all quiet in my area at the moment.

All the others in this area charge between £3.50 and £4.00.

**rosebud** · 18-01-2012, 05:05 PM

One near me charges £10 for a whole morning including dropping off at nursery. I charge £18 but am full, she only has one little one despite being so cheap. The old saying you get what you pay for tends to be true I think.

**babs** · 18-01-2012, 05:05 PM

how does she afford assistant on thAt ..

**stardust** · 18-01-2012, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by babs

how does she afford assistant on thAt ..

There is a childminder who is local to me and she doesn't pay her assistant. Her assistant is family, maybe it the same as that?

**snufflepuff** · 18-01-2012, 05:41 PM

Similar thing happened here, average fee is £3.50....new childminder sets up charging just £2 per hour.
She seems to be a really lovely lady, and did well in her first inspection so must be doing a great job....but she cannot possibly be making any profit! She only has one mindee though so her low price doesn't seem to have attracted parents. She needs to value herself a bit higher- I'm sure she deserves more than £2 per hour.

**miffy** · 18-01-2012, 05:44 PM

Thankfully not all parents are just about the cost and if something is too cheap it often puts people off.

Miffy xx

**Mookins** · 18-01-2012, 07:14 PM

£2 an hour! she must be bonkers..theresno way in this world id look aftersomeones child for £2 an hour!... as a parent i would also worry why she was so cheap! xx

**Demonjill** · 18-01-2012, 07:33 PM

Too cheap and it would def put me off when things r too cheap

good luck to her but spoils it for eeveryone else its sometimes hard enough trying to justify our charges as it is

**buildingblocks** · 18-01-2012, 09:22 PM

I know of someone locally who is remarkably cheap but she can charge low fees as she doesn't need the money - hubby has a really well paid job and she does it for love.

When I first started out hubby's money paid the mortgage and the bills and mine paid for the fun stuff so if I didn't have children in it wasn't the end of the world we just tightened our belts a bit and cut down on meals out. Then we had the conservatory built as a playroom and then a loan for the garden and now I have to work