Mindee's & shopping ??

[funfunfun]

What do you spend on mindees shopping food etc im mainly asking about as im not sure about what is an acceptable amount to put through. This will be my 1st week minding ............looking for advice ?????

Also if i spend under £10 on food items do we have to keep the reciept anyway ?? !!!

Thankyou

[singlewiththree]

I've worked out a price per meal based on what the schools charge and the meals I cook. I charge £2 a main meal and £1 a snack in my books. I keep all my food receipts, as you have to for food standards incase there was a problem with food poisoning.

[funfunfun]

I've worked out a price per meal based on what the schools charge and the meals I cook. I charge £2 a main meal and £1 a snack in my books. I keep all my food receipts, as you have to for food standards incase there was a problem with food poisoning.

Am i right in thinking you do one big shop no seperates and then charge say £2 dinner £2 tea and £1 snack thats £25 a week if you have a full timer ??

[mushpea]

I put 2.50 per meal through my books which also included snacks and drinks in this price. I didnt charge the parent as your not supposed to charge for it and put it through your books aswell and i found i could put more through the books than i would want to charge a parent.

[funfunfun]

I put 2.50 per meal through my books which also included snacks and drinks in this price. I didnt charge the parent as your not supposed to charge for it and put it through your books aswell and i found i could put more through the books than i would want to charge a parent.

£2.50 is that per child / per day ???

or just £2.50 per meal in total ?

[funfunfun]

Can anyone clarify for me please ? :)

[loocyloo]

i do a weekly shop and work out what items and or percentage of items are for mindees food ( then toilet rolls, cleaning stuff etc ) and put the total as an expense.

i charge parents for meals - and this i put as income, along with the fees.

i did use to claim a set amount per child on my expenses, but it was pointed out to me that i was actually spending more than this, once i included snacks etc, so that is when i started working out what i spend each week and putting that through.

hope that makes sense!

xxx

[TheBTeam]

You can charge parents for food as long as you put it as income in your expenses, you can then put the amounts through that you spend on meals for them as expenses, and there is some discretion as to how exactly you calculate your cost for doing so.

[Mia'smummyx]

I may be doing it wrong- someone please tell me if i am!!!
I highlight everything available for mindee from the shopping list, add it all up, then divide by how many people in the house, at the moment-- 3, me, my daughter and mindee.
Then i get the price per person and just put the price for mindee in.

[funfunfun]

You can charge parents for food as long as you put it as income in your expenses, you can then put the amounts through that you spend on meals for them as expenses, and there is some discretion as to how exactly you calculate your cost for doing so.

Thankyou , i wont be chargeing for meals this included in my fees however i cant seem to justify that it would be £2.00 or £2.50 per meal if that makes sense ?? Thats what i mean how would you get £2 for an average meal

I have heard about the percentage bit my brain is just frazzled .

[TheBTeam]

Thankyou , i wont be chargeing for meals this included in my fees however i cant seem to justify that it would be £2.00 or £2.50 per meal if that makes sense ?? Thats what i mean how would you get £2 for an average meal

I have heard about the percentage bit my brain is just frazzled .

It depends on what you provide, but a lot of people use the theory that it cost this much for rubbish from mcdonalds, for school meals etc and these are mass produced, so to produce a decent home cooked meal on a much smaller scale is at least in comparison.

I also provide things like fish and salmon fillets which can cost over a pound for the fish alone, plus extras to serve with it, and fruit/yoghurts/deserts, so it can easily cost this kind of money.

[Donkey]

I put through my books...

£1 for snacks, £1 for breakfast, £1 for lunch and £1.50 for an evening meal.

I looked at a few typical meals I did and devided it by the number of portions I made. got it to £1.50

I think putting £2 or even £2.50 might be pushing it, unless you were serving them loin of venison!!!!

[Donkey]

It depends on what you provide, but a lot of people use the theory that it cost this much for rubbish from mcdonalds, for school meals etc and these are mass produced, so to produce a decent home cooked meal on a much smaller scale is at least in comparison.

I also provide things like fish and salmon fillets which can cost over a pound for the fish alone, plus extras to serve with it, and fruit/yoghurts/deserts, so it can easily cost this kind of money.


exactly, it depends on what you serve them!!
I live in a impoverished area so parents don't expect organic/etc from my cooking, so I cook to a budget as I don't charge extra for meals and only charge £3.35 an hour I cook what I can afford. :D

this week were having, sheperdess pie, melanzane alla parmigiana, kids mixing and matching toppings for baked potatoes (they get a potato then bowls with all sorts in to pick and choose) good quality fish fingers chips and beans and then bacon and mushroom omlette.

if your charging extra for meals and that is what the parents will be paying for meals then put that cost through your books as the expense but then make sure your spending close to that!

I aim to have at least 1 meat/fish free day per week, this week were having 2 meat/fish free days.

[funfunfun]

so if i were divide up my shopping , I get the total cost hightlight what is used for minding then divide by the number of ppl in the house ?

[Zoomie]

I actually looked at what a ready meal cost in the supermarket.

A kids portion of spaghetti bolognaise costs £1.99-2.30 in my local sainsbury's. So my evening meal is cost is £2.10

A sandwhich costs abt £1.60, so I put £1.40 for lunch.

An a little portion box of cereal costs x, plus 1/3 pt of milk comes to 41p.

My snacks worked out to 33p each.

Thus a FT child for 3 meals and 2 snacks 5 days a week would be £22.85

BUT I charge fruit separately, as my mindees eat lots, but my family doesn't so 60% of that goes as an expense to the business.

[Goatgirl]

so if i were divide up my shopping , I get the total cost hightlight what is used for minding then divide by the number of ppl in the house ?

Hi funfunfun,
I do my calculation the same way as miasmummy. Iwas told this was an acceptable way to calculate it by the course tutor on my ICP, who had previously been a childminder and was told to do it this way by her accountant :).
The amount you include for the calculation is anything on the receipt that might be used for mindees. So everything apart from things you buy exclusively NOT for mindees. e.g. vodka:D , tampax etc
You also need to keep ALL food receipts regardless of the amount, for health reasons...

hope this helps :)

bws, Wendy

[funfunfun]

I actually looked at what a ready meal cost in the supermarket.

A kids portion of spaghetti bolognaise costs £1.99-2.30 in my local sainsbury's. So my evening meal is cost is £2.10

A sandwhich costs abt £1.60, so I put £1.40 for lunch.

An a little portion box of cereal costs x, plus 1/3 pt of milk comes to 41p.

My snacks worked out to 33p each.

Thus a FT child for 3 meals and 2 snacks 5 days a week would be £22.85

BUT I charge fruit separately, as my mindees eat lots, but my family doesn't so 60% of that goes as an expense to the business.

I wanted to ask though with the total amount on your reciepts do you highlight what you use for minding ??? to justify this amount you are putting down.

Sorry so many questions.....

[loocyloo]

[QUOTE=Flutterbyes;730146]

this week were having, melanzane alla parmigiana, QUOTE]

ooo, i love this, never thought to make it :rolleyes: please can i have the recipe !!! thank you :D xxx


also, i was told to think about the cost of electricity/gas etc when cooking the meal, cost of storing food in freezer/fridge, time spent shopping as it isn't just the actual food consumed! i don't particuarly think about these things, but they were listed as things to consider when working out meal costs when i did my childminding course many moons ago!

[loocyloo]

I wanted to ask though with the total amount on your reciepts do you highlight what you use for minding ??? to justify this amount you are putting down.

Sorry so many questions.....


yes. and if only using half for mindees, then i write how much half would be next to it on the bill and highlight that figure.
(ie; fishfingers pkt of 10 £1.50, i'll use 5 so 75p)

then i add it up and put the childminding total at the bottom, highlighted.

[funfunfun]

Thankyou

I have a mindee starting this week and i wasnt sure what was acceptable to put through .

[auntym]

Theres a couple of ways u can do it

eg: ur family = 4, mindees = 3, and you spend £70 on shopping you can divide by 7 and times by 3 so thats £30 p/w.

OR

eg: i rang tax office last wk and they told me my charges were fair and ok

.50p breakfast
1.00 snacks and juices all day
1.25 midday lunch
2.00 cooked tea

i gave the lady all my charges and she said thats sounds fair to me? lol

[Roseolivia]

I may be doing it wrong- someone please tell me if i am!!!
I highlight everything available for mindee from the shopping list, add it all up, then divide by how many people in the house, at the moment-- 3, me, my daughter and mindee.
Then i get the price per person and just put the price for mindee in.

This is what i kinda do. I highlight it then usually split into thirds and 1 third is what i claim. I also do the same with cleaning materials.