Real-life MMD: Should I charge my sister's colleague for bed & board?

Shinds

Is the colleague really a 'colleague'.? As if it was my sisters good friend, I wouldn't charge.

contrary_mary

Would your sister's colleague really expect to stay with you for nothing? I find that hard to believe and so when the question of payment arises you should be prepared with a sensible response according to what is on offer.

....and don't feel guilty about asking for payment if none is offered!!

Augustus_the_Strong

Speak privately to your sister and tell her that money is very tight, and you really can't afford to feed them both for a week, so could they pay for that side of things? but charging them for laundry, cleaning etc would be over the top.

BettySpofkins

sng165 wrote: »

You cannot charge the colleague without charging your sister - thats not fair

Completely disagree.

fiscalfreckles

roy_c wrote: »

I think the fact that you agreed to it beforehand you need to swallow it and see if something is volunteered which I'm sure something will in some form or another. Also it is a learning curve for yourself. If you charge now I think it will put your sister in an embarrassing situation.

If you are not willing to put the friend up, you shouldn't have agreed to it without properly discussing it. That is what's awkward now. If you would happily accomodate your sister, is one extra person really going to make that much difference?

kormachameleon

An old school friend who I hadn't seen for years contacted me last year as she was going to be an Olympics volunteer and needed somewhere to stay in London for 3 weeks. We weren't particularly close friends at school. I thought about it a lot and decided to charge her £20 per night - for this she got a sofa bed in her own room, a bit of breakfast (she left very early in the morning) and usually ate with our family in the evening. If I hadn't charged her I would have felt a bit resentful and she might have felt awkward. At the end of her stay she said she felt lucky to have got such a good deal, as other volunteers had had to pay a lot more.

minicooper272

I think if you explain it to her like this, then it's fair enough. Money is tight, and you can afford one mouth but feeding 2 will leave you hard up, so do they mind paying something for a week of food. It's not unreasonable, and better to ask before they come.

hairypitz

Speak to your sister beforehand. Explain you're happy to put her and her colleague up (presuming you are) but that it'll add extra to your shopping bill to feed all three of you for the week. Ask her if she has any thoughts about how to work it. If she and the colleague will be eating out or if they'd like to do a big shop with you. You could maybe take turns to cook, make nice but inexpensive things that are good to share like a big spag bol (and a bottle of wine), chilli etc. If food isn't costing you a fortune and you have a fun week with your sister and her friend for company you'll probably really enjoy yourself. So don't get too hung up on the cost of washing bedding and enjoy it. Maybe get the boardgames out or play some cards together or see if there's something fun you could all go out and do in the evening. Your sister and her colleague may decide to treat you. But even if they don't I'm sure it'll be fun.

happyinflorida

Is your sister's company reimbursing them for staying somewhere? Normally companies pick up the tab for staying at hotels and also for eating out each night - so if they are then ask your sister and her colleague to claim for their expenses and pay you.

If the company isn't willing to pay them then have they both been paid yet or is this a new job? Can they afford to pay?

If they can't afford to pay and you can, then pay for them and agree that they can repay you by doing housework, ironing, gardening, cooking - whatever needs doing that they can do - that would be fair.

tenuissent

Our village is twinned with a French one, and we happily feed and house our twinned families to promote international frienship. But one family asked us to look after their 19 yr old daughter for 4 weeks, which we did, in spite of it being in London during the 2012 Olympics. We arranged job experiences, relations housed and fed her, slight blip when she wanted her boyfriend to come and stay (answer was no), my daughter took her on as an au pair but because of the job experience (good for her CV) she was too tired to help with children. Ok, job done. But the next year she expected more of the same, no offer from her to help with her expenses, too busy with job to do baby-sitting or any other help.......so we will not offer her any more. Some people are sensitive and appreciative and generous - others are not.