Invoicing meals

[mumofone]

For those of you who charge extra for meals, how do you then charge customers for them? Do you add them to the monthly invoice eg 10 x lunches @ £1.00, 5 x dinners @ £1.50 etc??

[Sammy Jo T]

For those of you who charge extra for meals, how do you then charge customers for them? Do you add them to the monthly invoice eg 10 x lunches @ £1.00, 5 x dinners @ £1.50 etc??

That's exactly how I've planned to do it if that's any help :-)

[mumofone]

That's exactly how I've planned to do it if that's any help :-)

Thanks Sammy! :-) What, and you'll make a note each day of which meal (ie. Breakfast, lunch or dinner) child X had?

[Sammy Jo T]

Thanks Sammy! :-) What, and you'll make a note each day of which meal (ie. Breakfast, lunch or dinner) child X had?

Yeah I've purchased one of those page a day A4 diaries and thought I could write notes in there like what meals they had and any general notes for the day I might need to refer back to.

[Simona]

For those of you who charge extra for meals, how do you then charge customers for them? Do you add them to the monthly invoice eg 10 x lunches @ £1.00, 5 x dinners @ £1.50 etc??

I think it may help you to approach an accountant...just for a basic setting up of financial business....anything you invoice must be recorded in your accounts ledger and added to your monthly turnover.n your accounts...any invoice needs to have a number/reference

if you charge parents for 'meals'...will you then also claim for the food you bought on top? the cost of electric/gas for cooking? the petrol for driving to the supermarket?
If you fund the 15 hrs ...will you ensure you are not charging parents as your LA will audit you so you must have evidence of how you charge or not

Will you charge meals a month in advance or in arrears? what happens when a child is suddenly sick? do you refund the meal charge?
sorry for the questions...just trying to work out your system.

[mumofone]

I think it may help you to approach an accountant...just for a basic setting up of financial business....anything you invoice must be recorded in your accounts ledger and added to your monthly turnover.n your accounts...any invoice needs to have a number/reference if you charge parents for 'meals'...will you then also claim for the food you bought on top? the cost of electric/gas for cooking? the petrol for driving to the supermarket? If you fund the 15 hrs ...will you ensure you are not charging parents as your LA will audit you so you must have evidence of how you charge or not Will you charge meals a month in advance or in arrears? what happens when a child is suddenly sick? do you refund the meal charge? sorry for the questions...just trying to work out your system.

That's why I was going to invoice at the end of the month for the meals stating on the invoice which meals that child has had so if the child wS sick obviously the meals missed wouldn't appear on the invoice and thus not charged. I was going to do what sammyjo recommended and make a note in my diary which children had which meals on which days....

I don't think many CMs would have seen an accountant to be honest Simona, although it would be nice to do but not really realistic at my level, I'm just trying to work out something simple initially :-)

[Simona]

That's why I was going to invoice at the end of the month for the meals stating on the invoice which meals that child has had so if the child wS sick obviously the meals missed wouldn't appear on the invoice and thus not charged. I was going to do what sammyjo recommended and make a note in my diary which children had which meals on which days....

I don't think many CMs would have seen an accountant to be honest Simona, although it would be nice to do but not really realistic at my level, I'm just trying to work out something simple initially :-)

Fair enough....it was just a suggestion ..yes...it is an initial investment
I was thinking also about the additional paperwork and trying to visualise why you need it....just curious

If a child has attended your setting you record that in your register...time in and time out....is that not enough for you to count the meals the child has had rather than record anywhere else?

I assume you charge fees in advance?...so at the end of the month you invoice parents for the following month and add the meals provided the previous month?...is that right?

[TinyTinker]

I charge my meals in advance.....if they have booked holiday this will obviously reflect in the fees and no meal costs, but if they are suddenly off sick or whatever reason, they still pay fees and meals! I have already purchased the food allowing for their child's portion after all. My invoices are in columns with the date for each days expected attendance with the meals for that day in the correct column and totals at the end. I only charge 30p breakfast, 80p lunch and 1.10 dinner or 30p for a keep you going snack for those going home for dinner. I only refund fees and meal costs if we close suddenly for sickness/family emergency etc.

My LA say that you can charge for meals for funded children, but you have to give the option of bringing own food at no charge.

[moggy]

Careful you don't lose out when child is suddenly absent- you will still have bought the ingredients even if they are not there to eat it!

Also, have you worked out a response to the parent who says 'Johnny didn't eat his dinner with you that night so I don't need to pay, or when the child says they don't want lunch so you give a snack later in the day so do you charge for lunch or just snack?... it seems so complicated to me!

I guess it is meals offered that you are charging for, not necessarily meals eaten?

I do all inclusive so it is hard for me to imagine trying to count up meals!
I hope you find a system that works for you.

[Simona]

I was looking at one of my local schools' adverts for their Breakfast club on Tuesday and it triggered my question to mumofone

The ad said very clearly 'Breakfast is £2 regardless of whether the child eats or not'...it also made me think of clear wording and reviewing/reflecting on fees where meals are included.

[mumofone]

I was looking at one of my local schools' adverts for their Breakfast club on Tuesday and it triggered my question to mumofone The ad said very clearly 'Breakfast is £2 regardless of whether the child eats or not'...it also made me think of clear wording and reviewing/reflecting on fees where meals are included.

Thanks Simona, that's great and definitely "food for thought", excuse the pun ;-)
It'll have to be something I regularly look at to see how it's working but i take all your points on board :-)