Well, I live in Russia and I cannot say that wine will be a good choice, because tastes differ etc., but snack is a really good idea, it depends also on a type of package you use. E.g. we gave people appls in a beautiful box or in a small busket and guests really love that, that was really surprising for me, because it was just ordinary apples, nothing special, but it is important for guests that you are caring person and mindful to their needs. That’s why these small unimportant in the first glimpse step is very important.
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Exactly! I put a few bananas and individually wrapped snacks in a basket on the counter and a bowl with some apples and oranges in the refrigerator, and people love it and it’s just a few extras from what I buy for my family.
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I’m done providing more than a clementine, a small chocolate and a bottle of water in the room.
In the past months I have guests completely wipe me out of the snacks I provide for them (nuts, chips, chocolate), and what’s funny is not one wrapper from those snacks anywhere! So, they are taking them with them for their continued journey. I wasn’t spending much, but it made me shake my head!
When I used to rent the whole house, if they stayed more than 2 days, I would leave a bottle of red and white, with a note telling them to help themselves to their preference.
I was able to meet one particular set of guests as they were leaving and noticed them carrying the bottle of their choice to their car…it was not opened! Probably was going to be someone’s Christmas present.
Edited to add: And actually, I’m done with leaving the bottled water up there for them! I just got a Made in the USA Anchor Hocking water pitcher that has a lid on it, so I will put my filtered tap water in it, leave them 2 glasses. I am sick of contributing to the wastefulness of bottled water.
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Yeah, I think after I’m done with the package of bottled water I bought I’m going to put a water filter pitcher in the fridge. But I “cater” to the week or longer family crowd, so I do plan to keep a variety of breakfast items (depending on whether weekend or week), coffee, and microwave popcorn available.
I keep basic breakfast items also, not juice because I don’t drink juice. But I always have yogurt, granola bars, instant oatmeal, berries, bananas. But again, I’ve had people wipe me out! One guy once ate 2 yogurts a day, 2 oatmeals, granola bar, bananas. And he paid $45/night. I have upped my prices.
You sound like you offer similar things to me: I put stuff up there that unused portions will be eaten by my family, so I only put things up there we like. But I look at the length of stay, # of people, and only put enough up there for maybe 1/2 the time they stay if it’s a week or more, and if it’s a weekend maybe 2 options per person per day for their stay. I expect to be cleared out, because unless it’s only a day or two, I don’t put enough up there to completely feed them the whole time.
LOL! There is a girl after my own heart. I provide NOTHING except free advice, 
and 99% of guests love me.
You might really start to notice all nickel and diming this impacts your bottom line. I buy Folgers at Costco and transfer it to a mason jar that says COFFEE on it and guests are none the wiser that it an’t fancy, peaberry organic estate whatevs.
At your price point, even $5 a guest impacts. And it has literally no bearing on reviews or guest satisfaction.
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I do the same! I’ve got a selection of pretty glass jars for herbal and green teas, each one labelled (camomile, lemon & ginger etc) with a label from the so-called top brand with the nice design. But then I top them up with store-brands and nobody tells the difference. I suddenly feel like a lousy cheat 
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I offer a cute little tea and coffee bar. I purchased a bunch of shakers and sugar pours from dollarstore. They are filled with cocoa power, cinnamon, nutmeg, powered creamer and sugar. It’s a hit!! Guest feel like they are at Starbucks.
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We’re in the same business. I’m an elementary school sub in Los Angeles. Hey, love that wine, too!!! But I rarely if ever offer any to guests. I do have the tray of snacks–very minimal. Some granola bars, tea, coffee, instant oatmeal. I also buy a case of small water bottles and put a couple on the nightstand. It’s also nice to hand a cold one to a guest when they arrive.
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I sub all grades! plus the charters–which tend to have precocious kids that are just as difficult to manage as the punks! We just got a daily rate raise for the upcoming school year. $156 for class 2 subs. Class 3 earn $169 per day.
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You are braver than I doing the upper grades. I can’t stand them, and I suppose all kids are going to be difficult these days, but I work in rough areas of South Los Angeles. I only do elementary and pretty much only special ed, mod/severe disabilities. Pre-k is my favorite. We get paid a bit more, but again, this is Los Angeles :o
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I do preK sped, and the kids are often a handful. The preK regulars are a handful and the classes tend to be large. Good thing there is an aid.
Sometimes the upper grades are EZ EZ days… Teachers don’t impose a minute by minute lesson plan and don’t expect all that much from you plus you get all the planning periods. High school can be among your easiest days … Or among your hardest due to behavior!
You’ve got it nailed as far as the spec ed assignments! I totally understand what you mean about it being either easy or incredibly stressful. What I like most about spec ed, as you mentioned, is not having to follow strict plans to keep lock step with the scripted reading/math program. Drives me nuts. Do you have the Special Day Class designation? It’s where they put the emotionally disturbed kids who truly are the worst to deal with.
No but I have taken those classes. The sped teachers often call me because I’ve got so much experience with those lower and upper el speds. I just did sped summer school subbing but mostly for the FSC room. There are two 6th grade speds who are very hard to handle.
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I spend way more than I should on all organic and abundant breakfast, coffee, tea, etc. The breakfast items include milk, juice, yogurt, several kinds of bread, heaps of fresh organic fruits, 6-8 different kinds of cereals (hot & cold), pancake mix, nut butters, etc. I also keep the pantry fully stocked with cooking oils, spices, vinegars, etc., which they can use anytime. It is absolutely NOT a wise business decision. In fact, the occasional smug guest actually complains that my breakfast didn’t have enough variety or some such, and I frequently have to remind people not to use the breakfast foods for lunch and dinner or take them out of the house for family picnics! It’s really offensive when that happens, considering how much I spend on these items. Now, I’m a business person, so I carefully calculate my profit margin, and I do it the right way: AFTER all associated bills (rent, utilities, cable, internet, insurance, supplies, replacement linens/towels, etc.). My profit margin is itsy bitsy. I absolutely need to stop supplying this breakfast bounty. But my business brain has failed to convince my human heart to stop doing it. I started my Airbnb with the model of running it like a traditional B&B, with the motherly hostess nurturing everyone who comes through the door, and I can’t seem to extract myself from that vision, even though it’s costing me about 1/3 of my profits. So now you see my soft underbelly, where the psychodramas live. LOL. Someone. Please. Stop. Me. 
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Hmm, one post on another thread about setting boundaries, this post about the inability to do so. Business or not, at the end of the day I treat others the way I want to be treated. Some people are primarily worried about being taken advantage of or not shown sufficient gratitude. I am primarily worried about being a good person and letting the chips fall where they may. Maybe if you cut back a little on the breakfast items, maybe offer items from 7 to 10 and then put them away so they don’t join the picnics you could gain back a little of the peace that some people try to take.
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Amy…stop it.
signed,
Someone
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Hi @AmyB,
Solution: hand over the breakfast management to someone else. Maybe the Snow Queen. :-\ Seriously, don’t you have someone else there who won’t do all those things? That sounds like a lot of stuff.
I’m particularly puzzled by the pancake mix. You’re expecting them to make pancakes? And nut butter. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds like something that one would find in a gourmet kitchen.
Ah, I see - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_butter. Sounds expensive.
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