Food charges.

[Happiness]

How much would you charge for breakfast? I work 8am till 4pm ATM and provide breakfast, lunch and 2 snacks. No idea how to charge for these. Also if I provide 2 snacks do I have to have to charge twice let say 50 pence per snack? Sorry I have just started childminding. My oh reckons I should hire an accountant to help me out. I think it's not necessary.
Any help and advise will be appreciated. TIA.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

This always causes lots of discussion. have a look in the bookeeping section and there are differing opinions.

Be clear about what you are asking. Is it what do I charge parents? or what do I claim?

Need anymore information, then come back and I will try and help further

[Happiness]

Sorry I meant how much do I claim for food? I have to start doing my expenses and really struggle with that. TIA. X

[Chatterbox Childcare]

You can either work out a "per meal" cost and use that each week or do an "actual" cost based on your receipts

this is all detailed in the accounts section

[Bluebell]

another childminder told me she did a flat rate of £10 a week for food costs and I guess probably miscellaneous items such as wipes and cleaning products. This seemed a really reasonable way of doing it and very easy to do!

You would have to work out what you spend your money on every week, how much you spend on food and how much you supply, you have to have a fairly accurate working out to base you average weekly claim on. This would be the same if you worked out a per meal cost - you'd have to price up first few weeks so you could give an accurate average cost.
Totting up your receipts must be a nightmare if you have your own children that are sharing snacks and foods and a family and a home to clean using the same cleaning wipes, cloths, detergents etc.

[Tinkerbell1979]

I just add up what I buy for minding. So if I buy 3 packs of strawberries I put through 1 as mindees will eat one punnet my kids 2.

Mindees eat on their own so I batch cook their meals and freeze so again easy to see what they eat. My kids at school all day then we eat as a family later once mindees gone home.

HTH

[Glitter]

I worked out roughly what it would cost to make some of my meals and claimed for that.
So snacks are 50p each, breakfast £1 and meals for under ones £1, and over ones £1.50 as they eat more.
I work out how many each child has had that week and put the total in my account book.

I found this easier than going through receipts to work out what was for child minding and what was for family.

Prices of food can vary in different parts of the country and depend on which shops you use so make sure you work out a reasonable cost.