Food Expenses

[Gizmo]

I know this has been done before but when I was writing up my first weeks expenses I dont know what to put for food expenses, I was talking to another cm and she told me most of the cms round here put in £6 per child per day, I dont think it would be as much as this, I have been keeping my reciepts and taking off everything that is for family use but I am getting myself a bit confused. Please help :blush:

[Spangles]

Sorry I can't help as I didn't ever provide food for mindees.

£6 per day sounds rather excessive if you ask me!

[sweets]

some CM i know put £6 down too. i think its a bit much. i put £4.50 but am thinking of raising it to £5. you are supposed to work it out exactly and do % of your weekly shop but i can't be bothered, lifes too short! lol.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

If you come up with a figure of £4.50 or £6.00 you anything else you need to jusifty to the IR how you got to it.

With food prices fluctuating it would take too long for me as it would need to be done every month.

I take my food bill (minus anything for family beer/wine/clothes etc) and divide it by the total of family members and childminded children, then multiply that number by childminded children. Takes 5 minutes and you will claim more back than guessing

i.e. 6 minded children and 4 family

£100 divided by 10 = £10 per head, multiplied by 6 = £60 claim. The number of minded children is how many you have in the week and as I provide snacks and meals was told to include everyone.

[margimum]

This seems quite simple. Has IR agreed this way?:idea:
I have been working on a £3 full time and £2 part time daily rate but it takes ages working out who's here on each day when i do my books.
Have we really got to take off the wine? Bet I wouldn't drink so much if it weren't for mindees:laughing: :laughing:

[Gizmo]

Thanks for this I have done it your way DebbieS26, once I started it it worked out quite easy, 1st weeks books now done:thumbsup:

[CCJD]

Hi, I put down £2.00 per session for each child ( a session is am or pm - will include a cooked meal- lunch or tea, a snack and juice. I justify this by saying that our local schools charge £2.00 for just a meal, no snack or juice- so I think that's reasonable. So for a full time child I allow £4.00 per day.
There are loads of ways to do this- so long as you can justify it, you'll be fine.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

This seems quite simple. Has IR agreed this way?:idea:
I have been working on a £3 full time and £2 part time daily rate but it takes ages working out who's here on each day when i do my books.
Have we really got to take off the wine? Bet I wouldn't drink so much if it weren't for mindees:laughing: :laughing:

The IR showed me this way so I know that it is okay with them

[zillervalley]

good advice would never of thought of doing that way
thanks

[SandCastles]

Thanks for the good advice, I will start saving my receipts and see what happens.

[nikim]

If you come up with a figure of £4.50 or £6.00 you anything else you need to jusifty to the IR how you got to it.

With food prices fluctuating it would take too long for me as it would need to be done every month.

I take my food bill (minus anything for family beer/wine/clothes etc) and divide it by the total of family members and childminded children, then multiply that number by childminded children. Takes 5 minutes and you will claim more back than guessing

i.e. 6 minded children and 4 family

£100 divided by 10 = £10 per head, multiplied by 6 = £60 claim. The number of minded children is how many you have in the week and as I provide snacks and meals was told to include everyone.

i do it this way too and was advised to do so through IR this way you can include cleaning materials and stuf like toilet rolls something which we seem to use a lot of :rolleyes:
i use 2 different colour highlighter pens on my receipts one for stuff just for the minded children and one for stuff used by everyone iyswim you will be surprised by how much it comes too :eek:

[Sarpix]

I've always wondered how everyone else does this. I usually highlight the food that I get specifically for the children and then claim that...It can be up to 40 pounds a week though...Does that sound ok? I've always found it easiest doing it like that???/:)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I've always wondered how everyone else does this. I usually highlight the food that I get specifically for the children and then claim that...It can be up to 40 pounds a week though...Does that sound ok? I've always found it easiest doing it like that???/:)

What about the food that they eat and you don't buy just for them.

I would give both ways a go next time you go shopping and see how much difference there is.

[Sarpix]

I know what you're saying but there are sometimes foods that I may buy for them that my fiancee may nibble (usually sweet foods like biscuits ete lol)

[pinklady]

If you come up with a figure of £4.50 or £6.00 you anything else you need to jusifty to the IR how you got to it.

With food prices fluctuating it would take too long for me as it would need to be done every month.

I take my food bill (minus anything for family beer/wine/clothes etc) and divide it by the total of family members and childminded children, then multiply that number by childminded children. Takes 5 minutes and you will claim more back than guessing

i.e. 6 minded children and 4 family

£100 divided by 10 = £10 per head, multiplied by 6 = £60 claim. The number of minded children is how many you have in the week and as I provide snacks and meals was told to include everyone.

Been using this method but not sure how to work it out for my new mindee that only does 2 days a week with me? I'm sure the answer is obvious but I just can't see it right now!

[Goatgirl]

Hi,
I do mine the way Debbie has explained it too. It was shown to me on my ICP course by an ex childminder and according to her that's what her accountant told her to do :) It works out alot more than a few pounds a day per child and she said to do calculations based on the full number of mindees regardless of whether they are here full or part time. Include anything that could potentially be used by/for the mindees...

bws,
Wendy :)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Been using this method but not sure how to work it out for my new mindee that only does 2 days a week with me? I'm sure the answer is obvious but I just can't see it right now!

It doesn't matter how many children you have on different days. just add up the total you have in the week and that is the figure you use.

[OrlandoBelle]

I have a Childminding accounts package on my PC that has a meal calculator on it. It works it all out for me. I base it on x2 snacks at 50p each, Breakfast 50p, Lunch £1 and evening meal £1.50, so £4 per child per day if full time.

So when I input which child has breakfast, snacks, etc, when it's all added up for all children it comes to about £196 per month.

I don't work out receipts for food, although I still keep them all of course.

[pinklady]

It doesn't matter how many children you have on different days. just add up the total you have in the week and that is the figure you use.

Thank you! :)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I have a Childminding accounts package on my PC that has a meal calculator on it. It works it all out for me. I base it on x2 snacks at 50p each, Breakfast 50p, Lunch £1 and evening meal £1.50, so £4 per child per day if full time.

So when I input which child has breakfast, snacks, etc, when it's all added up for all children it comes to about £196 per month.

I don't work out receipts for food, although I still keep them all of course.

If I am right that is 11 children per week. I claim double that with my 11. Might be worth trying your receipt and see if you can get more.

[OrlandoBelle]

If I am right that is 11 children per week. I claim double that with my 11. Might be worth trying your receipt and see if you can get more.

No Debbie, that's for 5 kids for the month, not a week.

[dobby]

I use the same package (lisas childsplay accounts one) but have put in higher amounts for snacks and meals. I review the amount each april and increase in line with fees going up. Am just doing accounts for 08/09 now (I know badly organised!!!) and averaging around £260 a month for av 5 children (varyied across year from 9-3!)

[janminder]

I was told that you have to keep all food receipts and mark items used by mindees so I go through my receipts and underline all the item amounts used solely by mindees and roughly work out a percentage amount for things like toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, etc that are used by my family and the mindees.