Claiming for food

[Carolh]

Hi, I started childminding three weeks ago now, and am loving it! Just starting to try and fill out my accounts sheet. What you all do about claiming for food when filling out expenses - do you allow a set amount per child per day or do you put in your receipts when buying food for mindees? Any advice would be really welcome - finding the accounts side of it a little daunting !

[nancienoodles]

Hi,
Unfortunately I can't help as I am in exactly the same position as you and I was just about to post the same question! I hope someone is along to help us shortly...!

[rickysmiths]

You can put in a set amount for each meal. However you need to use your food purchases to work out what it needs to be.

I always just put the cost of the food in my expenses until 3 years ago when I swapped. I kept a record of how many meals I was doing each week for a year and had my total food cost and worked it out from there.
You still need to keep all food receipts for at least 3 months for Food Hygiene purposes. I keep all mine with my other receipts anyway because if HMRC ever did an investigation you would need to show how you had arrived at your meal costs. With the way the cost of food is going up at the moment i check my costs once a month anyway.

[nancienoodles]

Thank you. Right, I've got no excuses for not sorting the accounts out now. Better get on with it...eurgh! :)

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I on the other hand use my receipts - lots of discussion in threads on the book keeping section of different ways people do this

[andreaschildcare]

you dont need receipts for food for HMRC just reasonable costs x

[Chatterbox Childcare]

you dont need receipts for food for HMRC just reasonable costs x

But you do need to prove how you got to those "reasonable costs" and you do need to keep the receipts for the environmental food agency

[jumping j]

I do a set amount for each meal.
I worked out the average costs for meals over a month.
I priced up how much each meal cost using receipts then worked out an average.
I've had to redo it a few times because of the price increases at the moment!but I find it the easiest way to do it because I tend to cook in big batches and then divide it up into individual containers and I didn't like doing 2 lots of shopping, one for family and one for childminding and then keeping all the food seperate at home.
I keep all my receipts together, just incase I need proof of costs and I keep the working out for average costs with the receipts.