How often do you do your expenses....

[Rasharoon]

....weekly, monthly, yearly.

I realise it is up to the individual but just wondering if there is an easy way of ploughing through all the receipts. Have you guessed I've got bit of a backlog? :laughing:

[nannysue]

I do mine weekly, usually at sometime over the weekend. I find that easier as there is only a small amount to do rather than leave it longer and end up with a mountain of paper to shuffle around, and it takes no time at all.

[RedDragon]

Once a month-got to do mine very soon :)

[crazybones]

Errrrrrrrrrr - think that is what this big box file is :blush:

[FizzysFriends]

My official answer is at the start of every month.

In reality its when I have some spare time, which isn't that often at the moment.

[Rasharoon]

Well I've been sat here for the last hour and have just done October. I'm waiting for my other half though to work out all the utility bills as haven't inputted any of them onto any accounts. Only been nagging for nearly a year - funny how men can go deaf when they want :laughing:

[tulip0803]

I try to do mine immediately so that I don't get a backlog.

[sarah707]

Usually monthly, but I did a 3 month backlog at Christmas and it was awful... took me ages :(

[cher25]

I did last april to august's about 3 month ago. And havent done it since.:blush: I really need to get it done and keep telling myself i should do it every week.

[Tily Bud]

ive always done mine monthly but this year ive really slipped behind and have a real backlog :eek: :angry: :blush:

[miss mopple]

Im nowhere near as organised with it as I should be :blush:

Spent my entire morning off trying to catch up on it this week and failed to finish it so have promised myself I'll do it this weekend and keep it up to date from now.I sure I miss putting a lot of odds and ends through by being so slack with it so need to get a grip.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I keep a diary which I try to fill in daily which states where I have been, travel journey, money spent and then I put any receipts in the relevant page. I just record it all in my accounts when I have 5 minutes. Usually takes 1 hour per month if I leave it and now I have 8 months to catch up on.

[Chrissy B]

I keep a diary which I try to fill in daily which states where I have been, travel journey, money spent and then I put any receipts in the relevant page. I just record it all in my accounts when I have 5 minutes. Usually takes 1 hour per month if I leave it and now I have 8 months to catch up on.

That's a good idea using a book. I was just going to use a box file when i am registered and i've changed my mind now i like the idea of the receipts being page/day seperated, seems a much easier way of sorting it all out. :)

[miffy]

Errrrrrrrrrr - think that is what this big box file is :blush:

Sounds like me :D

Every year I promise I'll do them monthly but I never do - I am good at keeping receipts though and stick them in envelopes for each month.

Miffy xx

[mabel]

i too am guilty about pushing all the receipts in an envelope and come March
I am plodding through my backlog ready for when the tax man write to me !

But I have been like this for the past 10 years and it suits me

I am very good at collecting in what parents own me tho' !

[LittleMissSparkles]

I have suspension files for each month set up and chuck my receipts, attendance sheets and invoice copies into them for each month and then sort them month by month when i get the chance but at least they are seperated into months so makes it easier when i do get round to doin them properly lol

[christine e]

Whenever the mood takes me but the sensible thing to do is at the end of each week when everything is fresh in your mind, trying to think back a few months is very difficult you obviously have the receipts for the larger items but it is the little things that you forget and they do mount up so my advice would be to do them at the end of each week and I am going to try and do that too!

Cx

[marian]

I do mine at the end of each month:)

Marian x

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I keep the receipts for everything until it is written up otherwise I forget the little things such as parking costs

[Angela234]

I start the new tax year doing it monthly BUT i haven't done any since AUGUST :panic:


Angela

[ddw]

I think the right answer would be once a week. But in reality its when you have the time. I think i'm about 4 months behind:panic:
Not replied to many adds before, hope thats helped!

[breezy]

monthly or I cant cope :( :laughing:

[berkschick]

Weekly, only takes about 10 mins then!

[FizzysFriends]

Im going to catch up on mine tonight, well up until the end of December anyway.

[DCS]

i do it monthly

[PixiePetal]

Weekly or near enough. :)

I, like DebbieS26, have my diary which I scribble where I have been, what I have done anything I have spent -bus fares etc and put any receipts in there. If I write that I went to the farm park, I know that will mean bus fares, entry, snacks, drinks etc

If I get a week or two behind, it's easy to catch up.

[donnadoo2004200]

How do you put through expensies when you dont have receipts, for the cheaper things a banana or ice cream? also do you put expenses for toddler groups soft play area?

[sammy]

Well I've been sat here for the last hour and have just done October. I'm waiting for my other half though to work out all the utility bills as haven't inputted any of them onto any accounts. Only been nagging for nearly a year - funny how men can go deaf when they want :laughing:

sounds in exactly same position as me!! thankgod im not the only one

[Jelly Baby]

I TRY to do it after each month and have been fairly good so far! I have set an amount per child for food so that is usually the same each week, the petrol is the same too usually for school runs and i add on any days out after, bills are sorted out each % for each month which is the same and the yearly ones done seperatly at the back as only claimed for as a one off as such.

[Andrea08]

Usually monthly, but I did a 3 month backlog at Christmas and it was awful... took me ages :(

:eeeek: oh sarah how naugty of you ,,im dissapointed tut tut tut

and i was thinking you would be like me and do your accounts every friday!!

[marion123]

every week as it only takes about 15 min that way i can keep on top of them :)

[beerheaven]

I did do my accounts every week but EYFS has taken over!!
I 'try' not to let it go much past a month.......!! :)
I do write down odd items/mileage in my diary and I have an envelope for every month which I bung receipts into!

[RedDragon]

How do you put through expenses when you don't have receipts, for the cheaper things a banana or ice cream? also do you put expenses for toddler groups soft play area?
As a Childminder you would be expected to have these type of expenses - you just write the things down without a receipt (e.g. various sundries £..). In the summer I often walk past the ice cream van with 8 children in tow - I give in about once a week and of course I can't ask for a receipt (queue is usually to the bottom of the road) but I write it down and just hope Mr Taxman accepts that on a summer's day it's not unacceptable to buy your children an ice cream.

That's one of the reasons why MY expenses are so high - because of the amount of children I care for - I often only look after over half of them for just a couple of hours a week but I still have to buy them birthday gift/Easter eggs/Christmas presents etc.


If I wrote it all down I bet I didn't make a profit on those children but the thing is these children go towards me being able to buy things for the house - for example, when OFSTED came they said my fence wasn't secure enough - I then got a fantastic 6 foot fence put up and put it through the books because if I wasn't childminding I would have just made do with my old fence-but because it was a Safety issue to OFSTED I had to replace it - so although someone mentioned that they thought 2/3rds was too much for expenses in a way the expenses that I am using are still being used by myself and not soley on my work so I am still benefiting therefore I don't feel like I am only earning say £1.80 an hour once the expenses have been taken out.

The same with say treats - if I take the children to our local cafe I also add on my food and my children's food - because it's an outing, I wouldn't have gone if I wasn't minding so it's expenses.

I have had MANY sleepless nights (I'm a reall worrier) wondering if I am doing the right thing, thinking MR. T is going to be banging on my door but after reading and following the fantastic advice on this forum I have convinced myself that I am ok buying ice creams, safety items, good quality food that costs more than I would normally buy - and NOT feel as if I'm diddling anyone but still feeling as if it's worthwhile for me working (as of course I get all the perks of ice cream, posh fence too).