How many charge for food?

[bec123]

I used to charge for food but put my prices up (back in 2009) - I charge £4 per hour which includes a cold lunch and a hot home cooked evening meal and snacks and drinks. Just lately I've noticed how much my shopping bill each week is increasing and I'm just wondering if I should start charging for meals again? I was thinking £1.50 per day (inc. lunch & tea) or just the 1 meal if the child only attends on a part time/half day basis. What do you think? My daughter's school charges £1.80 something for a hot dinner each day so I don't think £1.50 is a lot of money. I would appreciate your comments/views - thanks x

[muffins]

I charge £1.50 for lunch but try to encourage them to send a packed lunch, £2 for hot diner but free for after schoolies who pay a session fee for 3-6pm at a higher rate anyway!

[samsstars]

My under 5s bring their own packed lunches, and during the holidays the bigger kids bring a packed lunch too. I find that easier.

I provide an evening meal for £1.50 - and I don't think that really covers it! Our school charges £2.30 for a hot lunch, so I am thinking of upping it to £2.00. I cook everything from scratch and use good quality food so I think my parents are happy to pay it! They haven't said otherwise!

[moggy]

Personally, I do not charge separately for meals as I like to keep it a simple 'all inclusive' fee, which is what most CMs do round here.

I like to have everyone eating the same food together so I do not want to get into any discussions with a cost-cutting parent about bringing packed lunches/dinners or not giving a child dinner because they'll eat at home even though rest of us eating, or if one day I actually didn't do morning snack because they weren't hungry and happy playing but still charged them because I invoice in advance... or any similar discussions about meals!

I like to keep my invoicing easy too, I just add up the days per calendar month without having to think about whether they ate lunch or dinner or not for each day.

Mine are all under 3s though and they actually don't eat a large quantity. I keep my food bill down by buying fresh/seasonal/non-processed foods and avoiding the expensive over-commercialized stuff, I cook from scratch and use lots of home-grown produce.

[samb]

I have thought about charging before as quite a few minders are doing so here now but here's why I decided not to...
1. I like everyone to eat the same so don't want them to say they'll just bring their own
2. I don't have the space in my fridge to refrigerate everyone's packed lunches and dinners to be heated up and so they wouldn't have the option of paying for the meal or bring your own, they would just have to pay
3. I like to be my own boss and I feel that by providing a meal I can decide what I will cook, with what and how (obviously happy to take parents views into account but I just feel more in control doing it inclusive
4. I feel as though other minders in my area have much larger homes and gardens than me and so I need to compete in other ways as I am in a flat with communal area
5. I feel that by working out an average cost for meals and putting it all through my accounts works better for me as then I have my usual hourly rate, minus my expenses (inc average food costs) will mean I end up paying less tax. Surely if you are adding the hourly rate and food charges, then you cannot minus food costs an expense too and then you would end up paying more tax? I could be wrong on that that is just what I am under the impression of?

[Tatjana]

All food is included in my fees. I prefer to cook what I like and would not like lo's to have their own packed meals as I know this would cause problems amongst them.

[lozzy23]

I charge £1.00 for cold lunch and £1.00 for hot meal in the evening. All LO's have both lunch and evening meal and after schoolies have the evening meal. I also cook everything from scratch and when children start with me, I ask parents about their child's likes, dislikes, allergies and any food they do not eat for cultural reasons and base my menu on that. Had no complaints so far and have been asked can I supply a take out service for parents when they arrive in the evening.

I do not charge for snacks.

[The Juggler]

mine is a nominal amount really (I don't do evening meals for which I used to charge £2.00) but the £1/day per child helps :thumbsup:

[Daisy De]

Hi

Have been a childminder for 19 years and have never supplied meals, in my early days no one in my area did and although some do now I have never started and don't intend to.

I can understand how people would think lunch boxes would cause problems at the table but to be perfectly honest it never has. Parents provide the food they want their children to eat and I think because they know I will see it, its generally very healthy. I even find, as it would with childminder supplied cooked meals, children tend to eat better when they are all together. Some children have packed lunches, some have things I heat up for them, I will say though this is lunch time meals not teatime, they have all gone home by then.

I can also say I have never had anyone question this at all, maybe they have heard I am not the greatest cook :blush:

Am I in the minority?

[angeldelight]

Hi

Have been a childminder for 19 years and have never supplied meals, in my early days no one in my area did and although some do now I have never started and don't intend to.

I can understand how people would think lunch boxes would cause problems at the table but to be perfectly honest it never has. Parents provide the food they want their children to eat and I think because they know I will see it, its generally very healthy. I even find, as it would with childminder supplied cooked meals, children tend to eat better when they are all together. Some children have packed lunches, some have things I heat up for them, I will say though this is lunch time meals not teatime, they have all gone home by then.

I can also say I have never had anyone question this at all, maybe they have heard I am not the greatest cook :blush:

Am I in the minority?

I've never thought not to provide meals

But yours sounds the easier way to me sometimes ha

Angel xx

[kindredspirits]

I charge £2 for lunch and £3 for dinner. Although it adds up me and dh don't eat at the same time as mindees so it's covering the cooking cost as well as good quality ingredients. And of course my time and effort :D

[loocyloo]

i used to charge for meals, but when i moved, the local minders are all inclusive! so not only did i have to drop my fees, i had to include food! :rolleyes:

i was advised (when i was charging) that a good base to work from was the cost of a happy meal for a main meal!

[Tatjana]

I forgot to add it's a part of my 'home from home' environment that is part of my setting.

[ziggy]

I used to provide meals at no extra cost but now all mine bring packed lunch or food to be re-heated, it has made my life much easier.

With the ever increasing cost of food I would never go back to cooking meals. Plus it means we have a lot more time, I was never happy being in kitchen cooking with toddlers about. Other thing is, if food brought isnt eaten it's not my money and time being wasted.

[jillplum]

I don't provide any meals. little ones bring packed lunch, never caused any problems. I provide a healthy snack for all after school then they all have their main meal when they get home. All mine are gone by 5.30pm. Works for me.

[Jo Jo]

I don't provide meals haven't since I started childminding a year ago but I do offer to provide meals at an extra cost if the parents wish they are as follows - breakfast £1 lunch £1.50 and dinner £2.00
I do provide a morning and afternoon snack though which consists of fruit :thumbsup:

[Rubybubbles]

I used to provide it in my last area I worker (bucks) but since moving here (hants) I get parents to provide lunch and evening meal if past 5pm!

It works out great for me I'm afriad and would not go back to providing main meals lol!

I do buy snacks, but our snack is fruit/rice cakes/breadsticks/toast/cheese I have saved lots my shopping bill has gone down so much since doing this way!