Food expenses

[PixiePetal]

I know we are meant to claim only for the food we provide not a set amount per meal but I am finding this a pain when I only provide 2 meals a week, usually served from a large dish I make for my family meal. ( shepherds pie, casserole etc) Some parents provide packed lunches which seems less hassle.

Costing fromage frais is fine but a few grapes, half an apple, portion of veg or a glass of juice is not so easy, like-wise ingredients for casseroles etc

What do other people do ?

Jen

[katickles]

Jen i struggled with this at first.

I asked all sorts of questions on here about it & must have driven everybody mad!

In the end i just had to work out what the meal had cost to make & take an average cost from that portion IYSWIM?

With regards to apples 1/2 portions, just take the avarage cost of an apple & charge.

I have now managed to work out a rough costing weekly for my mindees, some weeks it is short but others in my favour so it does even itself out.

Not sure about how the others are doing it, but i have felt that this is the best method for me.

When out on outings & i buy ice-creams etc they all go in as extras BTW

:)

[miss mopple]

I do a set amount per meal as there's no way I could keep track doing it any other way.

I put snacks in as extra too

[foxy lady]

i do a seperate childminding shop
i out the whole shop down a expenses and i also claim the milage.
i go around the supermarket with a trolly(childminding)
and my parter goes round with a trolly (home)
peoplr must think we are right greedy gits two trollys ha ha:laughing: :laughing:

[sarah707]

The tax man I met said averages were fine so long as you do it for a few weeks to show how you've worked it out.

Another way might be to see what you would be charged at eg Tesco cafe for the same food you provide ...except of course, yours is much better :D

[PixiePetal]

Thanks for replys, think I will keep a note of all the regular stuff in a book ( large free range sausages work out at 85p each) then when I make up a meal I can look items up. Mince I buy for family size meals, so can work out childs portion from there. Will be fine I am sure!

Jen

[Mrs M]

Ok, so am I making more work for myself?!!! I go shopping once a week and include both family and childminding food in it. I then go through my receipt, circle each item relating to childminding and work out how much of that particular price is to go in the accounts book. For example, yogurts = £1.50, my son will have half of them so 0.75p goes in the book. I add everything up on the weekly receipt and enter it under food for the child. Then anything else that I may need during the week goes in too. I was under the impression that we HAD to keep all food receipts in case there was any food poisoning issue so they could trace that food back to the shop it came from.

[brillminder]

i do an average too :)

[Kat]

Hi,

So we dont need to keep recipts? what about if all food cost for a week for example will be more then £10 we suosed to keep those recipts then?
If I will work uot all prices a meal for example : lasagne: £0.85 sousage + £0.40 veg etc will give me total of £1.50 can I just put in my account book ''meal'' £1.50 and it will be fine?

I am very sorry for such a description but I am new with self employed accounts..

Kat

[Pudding Girl]

I get the minding stuff put through first, ask the till operator to sub total, and then put mine through - I do it this way as we don't eat the stuff I buy for minded kids mostly (on occasion will do)

As long as you do it one way and stick with that method it's upto you how you put it through, as a whole like me, or working out meal costs - whichever way is fine :)

[Rasharoon]

I do childminding and family shopping as one then go through all the items I've bought that would be used for childminding then divide that amount by 6 (as I'm also cooking for myself, partner and 2 boys) then multiply by 2 (as cooking for two girls).
When it comes to loo roll, kitchen roll, cleaners I divide the amount by half and also claim this. Actually don't know if I can do this but why shouldn't I?

[littlegems]

on my ICP course we were told that you could do one shop as like a sample, then use this set amount in your accounts every week. does anyone do it this way?

[mimo]

Hi,


So we dont need to keep recipts? what about if all food cost for a week for example will be more then £10 we suosed to keep those recipts then?

Sorry but you do still need to keep reciepts for all you food even under £10 incase of an outbreak of food poisening.

I do all my shop in one go hightlight the things that will be used for childminding . I usally work out what the meal has roughly cost and charge per portion. With fruit I tend to do the same depends on how many children you child mind but ask the tax man to prove your 15 moonth old mindee didnt eat the whole bunch of grapes:littleangel: :littleangel:

[Minstrel]

lol
My 2 yr old could SHOW the tax man he can eat a whole bunch of grapes in one sitting.!!!!