How precise does my bookkeeping need to be re food?

[venus89]

I've just been giving an estimate for the price of food I've been giving the kids so far - saying 50p per session. But I've heard you can get in trouble for doing that. Do I have to work out exactly what each bowl of cereal costs, and each banana? Or can I say that, on average, a bowl of cereal is 10p, a piece of fruit is 10p, a glass of milk is 5p.....?

[crazybones]

I've just been giving an estimate for the price of food I've been giving the kids so far - saying 50p per session. But I've heard you can get in trouble for doing that. Do I have to work out exactly what each bowl of cereal costs, and each banana? Or can I say that, on average, a bowl of cereal is 10p, a piece of fruit is 10p, a glass of milk is 5p.....?

Wow - where are you shopping for fruit? :laughing: 5 apples cost me 94p today, 4 oranges 68p and 6 tiny bananas were 98p.

[venus89]

Wow - where are you shopping for fruit? :laughing: 5 apples cost me 94p today, 4 oranges 68p and 6 tiny bananas were 98p.

I used the self service checkout for my apples this morning and it kept insisting they were cheese scones.... But once that was sorted out (by a real, live person) then it was £1.63 for 8 apples (though they were quite large). Blimey - do I have to feed these kids? :laughing:

[crazybones]

I used the self service checkout for my apples this morning and it kept insisting they were cheese scones.... But once that was sorted out (by a real, live person) then it was £1.63 for 8 apples (though they were quite large). Blimey - do I have to feed these kids? :laughing:

So there you go, you have done yourself - 20p per apple :laughing:

[venus89]

Ah..... but what if I cut that apple into 10 pieces, give 9 to the kids, and eat one myself. Will the taxman know that only 9/10s of the apple - ie 18p - was actually eaten by the kids?

[crazybones]

:laughing: :laughing:

[son77]

I have to admit, I just guestimate. The prices change all the time & I would have to keep track of it all the time.

Food shopping is bad enough without having to analyse the bill at the end too :panic: .

[sarah707]

I work it out over about a month, pretty much accurate...

Then follow that for a while until prices go up, then do it all again :D

[Schnakes]

I work it out exactly...one of the children who comes to me costs nearly £5 per day to feed!! :eek:

It takes ages to work out, but at least I know Im claiming what I should be - I reckon if I had rough-guessed it would have been a lot lower than that, and after my tax bill this year Im looking to claw back every penny I can! :cool:

Sx

[Rasharoon]

I do my shopping on a weekly basis and as I need to feed 2 mindees an evening meal, I go through the receipt and with the items I've bought I divide each one by six (2 mindees and 4 family), then multiply by 2 (for 2 mindees). With household items like loo roll and kitchen roll (for wiping hands after washing etc), I calculate half the cost. Average spend is about £15 to £20 per week.