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View Full Version : Could you just have a quick look at these meal charges please



Cazz
09-05-2010, 11:09 AM
Due to the fact that I am losing all but one of my mindees soon I thought it was a good time to review my meal charges.

Currently I charge:- Breakfast 0.75p
Lunch £1.50
Tea £2.00

But I'm thinking of changing it and offering a 50p reduction for lunch and tea for the younger children (when I've provided food previously they don't eat much and it seems a high charge).

I've put under 5's as I thought that would generally differentiate between pre-school and school age children.

This is what it would be if I change:-

Breakfast - 0.75p

Lunch - £1.00 (under 5) & £1.50 (5 and over)

Tea - £1.50 (under 5) & £2.00 ( 5 and over)


Do you think you can charge these different price bands and if so do you think the charges are reasonable?

I need to know as I'm typing up a quote to give to somebody.

Thanks.

The Juggler
09-05-2010, 11:18 AM
I charge exactly the same as you for meals and from the start (only March this year) I have offered similar reduction for the under 2's apart from dinner. I charge £1.50 for breakfast and lunch together or 50p for breakfast and £1.00 for lunch. All snacks included in that price.:)

Cazz
09-05-2010, 11:20 AM
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Cazz
09-05-2010, 11:21 AM
I charge exactly the same as you for meals and from the start (only March this year) I have offered similar reduction for the under 2's apart from dinner. I charge £1.50 for breakfast and lunch together or 50p for breakfast and £1.00 for lunch. All snacks included in that price.:)

So you do the reduction for under 2's? I did wonder if I should make the reduction for a bit younger but the two I'm possibly taking on are 3 and a half and 5 so it would be quite a lot for her over 5 days if she wanted meals.

Do you offer tea?

I include snacks in my hourly rate as well.

Mookins
09-05-2010, 11:28 AM
i was going to include meals costs in my fees and just put my fees up,this then hopefully helps with regards to bills as to who had meals and who didnt

one less thing for parents to think about too

x x x

Cazz
09-05-2010, 11:32 AM
i was going to include meals costs in my fees and just put my fees up,this then hopefully helps with regards to bills as to who had meals and who didnt

one less thing for parents to think about too

x x x

So how much are you going to charge an hour then?

I just do the invoice saying however many hours at £3.20 and then underneath I put meal charges and enter a seperate figure.

I find this is easier for me when doing my accounts as some had meals and some didn't :rolleyes:

PixiePetal
09-05-2010, 11:32 AM
I charge £1.50 for lunch or tea. £2.00 for schoolies as they can eat you out of house and home!

Breakfast is rarely needed and I will provide on odd days - a bit of toast/cereal isn't going to break the bank and snacks/drinks are free (some bring their own anyway)

The Juggler
09-05-2010, 11:33 AM
So you do the reduction for under 2's? I did wonder if I should make the reduction for a bit younger but the two I'm possibly taking on are 3 and a half and 5 so it would be quite a lot for her over 5 days if she wanted meals.

Do you offer tea?

I include snacks in my hourly rate as well.

yes as my under 2's ate so little really it seemed unfair to charge the same. I find once they reach 3 their appetites pick up a bit! I do offer tea/dinner at £2.00 per meal. None of my under 2's eat tea at the moment so I haven't offered the reduction as yet but maybe I'd charge £1.50?

Mookins
09-05-2010, 12:00 PM
So how much are you going to charge an hour then?

I just do the invoice saying however many hours at £3.20 and then underneath I put meal charges and enter a seperate figure.

I find this is easier for me when doing my accounts as some had meals and some didn't :rolleyes:


£3.30 an hour all meals and snacks included

x x x

mushpea
09-05-2010, 12:05 PM
3.25perhr includes all meals snacks and outings.
when i first started i used to charge for meals but then the tax man told me i couldnt charge for meals and put my shopping thru the books so now i dont charge but put the meal costs through my books as this way i can claim more back,, ie i used to charge 1.50 for meals but now i claim back 2.50, i dont feel i could charge the parents any more than 1.50 as i dont think they would pay it then and as their children are here till 6pm and they want them to have a meal i wouldnt want them to go elswhere.

Cazz
09-05-2010, 12:30 PM
3.25perhr includes all meals snacks and outings.
when i first started i used to charge for meals but then the tax man told me i couldnt charge for meals and put my shopping thru the books so now i dont charge but put the meal costs through my books as this way i can claim more back,, ie i used to charge 1.50 for meals but now i claim back 2.50, i dont feel i could charge the parents any more than 1.50 as i dont think they would pay it then and as their children are here till 6pm and they want them to have a meal i wouldnt want them to go elswhere.

Doesn't that get confusing then - do you have to do a seperate shop and keep food just for mindees? How would you know how much have been used for mindees and how much for your own family? I don't think my little brain could cope with working that out :D

Cazz
09-05-2010, 12:33 PM
£3.30 an hour all meals and snacks included

x x x

That sounds really reasonable - have you checked out what other minders are charging near you?

I'm really undecided what to do about my meal prices!! (Think I might have to give a couple of childminders in the town a phone call this afternoon so I can try and stay competitive!).

Mookins
09-05-2010, 12:38 PM
3.25perhr includes all meals snacks and outings.
when i first started i used to charge for meals but then the tax man told me i couldnt charge for meals and put my shopping thru the books so now i dont charge but put the meal costs through my books as this way i can claim more back,, ie i used to charge 1.50 for meals but now i claim back 2.50, i dont feel i could charge the parents any more than 1.50 as i dont think they would pay it then and as their children are here till 6pm and they want them to have a meal i wouldnt want them to go elswhere.

i was going to do this too but the outings part i was thankfully pointed out was going to make me out of pocket, :eek: so not yet sure how this would work.... suppose it depends where you go....i could always state bigger outings ie: wroxham barns etc will be charged for...

food wise work out how much it costs to make say a large cottage pie and the veg for example that feeds how many mindees and put that through as costs

x x

Mookins
09-05-2010, 12:43 PM
That sounds really reasonable - have you checked out what other minders are charging near you?

I'm really undecided what to do about my meal prices!! (Think I might have to give a couple of childminders in the town a phone call this afternoon so I can try and stay competitive!).

some are £3.50 some are £3.20 some are £5.00 (she has bags of experience and qualified in just about everything though so understandable), the ones closest to me are about the same price but all booked up...the thing is if they want to negotiate the cost of fees then i can then negotiate the meals charges, if they dont want meals then il still be earning a reasonable amount (for our area anyway lol)

x x x

Mookins
09-05-2010, 12:51 PM
In fact i might even charge £3.50 and then if they dont want meals its £3.30 for an extra 20p and hour they havent got the worry of getting meals ready for the lol ones and im stillat a reasonable amount

thats decided then

x x :clapping:

Cazz
09-05-2010, 01:01 PM
In fact i might even charge £3.50 and then if they dont want meals its £3.30 for an extra 20p and hour they havent got the worry of getting meals ready for the lol ones and im stillat a reasonable amount

thats decided then

x x :clapping:

That's another idea - 2 hourly prices one with meals and one without meals. Only thing is, what if they kept changing their mind (possibly on a daily basis) if they want meals or not?!

Now you've got me thinking even more - I hate making decisions at the best of times :rolleyes:

Mookins
09-05-2010, 01:07 PM
That's another idea - 2 hourly prices one with meals and one without meals. Only thing is, what if they kept changing their mind (possibly on a daily basis) if they want meals or not?!Now you've got me thinking even more - I hate making decisions at the best of times :rolleyes:

id tell them kitchens closed and i quit:laughing: :clapping: :D

x x x

Cazz
09-05-2010, 01:10 PM
id tell them kitchens closed and i quit:laughing: :clapping: :D

x x x

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Like it!!

Blaze
09-05-2010, 01:19 PM
I charge £1.50 per meal (based on a school dinner round here being £1.90 - going to £2 in September & the schools being subsidised which I am not!) & £1 for snacks...As long as you declare this income, which I do - you can claim the expense of food.
HTH:)

peanuts
09-05-2010, 01:22 PM
for snacks, i charge different amounts for over 8's as they seem to eat me out of house and home at times.

Blaze
09-05-2010, 01:24 PM
So how much are you going to charge an hour then?

I just do the invoice saying however many hours at £3.20 and then underneath I put meal charges and enter a seperate figure.

I find this is easier for me when doing my accounts as some had meals and some didn't :rolleyes:

I do the same on my invoices:thumbsup:

AliceK
09-05-2010, 02:56 PM
I charge £3.75 per hour all inclusive. Includes all meals, snacks, outings and even nappies if applicable. Parents seem to appreciate the simlicity of it. All of my mindees have breakfast and lunch and some also have tea. I have worked out an avergage price for each meal that it costs me and I know how many have what on each day so I just put that amount through per week in my accounts.

xxxxxxxxxx

suzyblue
09-05-2010, 03:06 PM
I charge per hour and that includes everything except nappies. Babies bring their own food and that has always worked how ever I now have a baby that is on organic vegetarian food. (also low salt and sugar) She will not be eating what the others eat so for now I have asked the mum to supply her food but Im not sure whether I should have a separate charge to cover situations like this or to ask her to continue to supply her food?

AnnieM
09-05-2010, 04:18 PM
I charge £3 per hour, snacks and breakfast (if here before 8am) are included, I charge £1 for lunch which is usually cold, or soup, or something on toast and a pudding and £1.50 for an evening meal, which would be a cooked dinner and pudding. I currently only have one that has lunch and one that has a lunch style tea. I don't provide baby food, (until they eat what we eat mushed) formula milk, or nappies and parents pay for all outings. I have always found that parents like the flexibility of being able to provide their own lunches if they require and not having to pay in their hourly charge for outings that their children may not be able to attend. (i.e. if they are here a different day) It has always worked well for me, but I am increasing my prices 1st September to £3.25 per hour as I have to drive everyone to school and petrol prices have increased so feel it only fair that my prices do too, they have been the same for years.

Ripeberry
09-05-2010, 04:45 PM
I put meals down as an expense as I don't charge for them. For breakfast, lunch, tea and snacks for a 10hr day its £3.50.
If parents want to provide food then they can, but the hourly charge stays the same, whether they have my food or not.
Can't be messing around with food charges :cool:

Cazz
09-05-2010, 10:13 PM
Well I think I've made a decision after speaking to a couple of other childminders.

I'm going to charge £3.50 per hour which includes all food and drinks. If they want to bring their own lunch they can but I don't think I'll offer a reduction.

I've been told that I can put a meal charge through my expenses for each child - is there a set amount that you can put through? (I was thinking £1.50 for a lunch and £2.00 for tea which is what I was charging seperately).

If I provide food for everyone they can all eat the same and that will save the problem of my 2 year old dd wanting the same chocolate bar or cake as one of the mindees :rolleyes: