charges re outings

**newandlearning** · 27-07-2009, 12:41 PM

hello again.. and am soz.. should have posted under fees and charges..

am now wondering about the more expensive outings of the summer.. what do you do regarding charging for outings when you have membership for a place .. like an adventure park/national trust.. now I've paid for the membership already and got the adventure park annual pass to save money on the childminding outings.. but if the normal ticket price was £6.99 how much would you charge the parent?

just wondering.. thanks a lotXxx

**Minstrel** · 27-07-2009, 12:48 PM

I only plan on asking for donations for big trips. Maybe £10 each for the summer hols. I look at it that its my job that i'm already being paid for to care and entertain them and so if i choose an expensive trip i have to absorb most of the cost.

thats probably not very helpfl to you though sorry!

**Curly Quavers** · 27-07-2009, 12:49 PM

I was probably put the cost of the season pass through my books as a childminding expense and if the entrance is now free or under £5.00 I would not be charging parents.

**tigger** · 27-07-2009, 12:52 PM

I haven't actually charged any of my parents for any of the outings we've been on, I've just deducted it from the end of the year as expenses. (Probably where I'm going wrong)!

**angiemog** · 27-07-2009, 01:29 PM

I don't charge either. I look at which children I have on certain days and plan accordingly. I also look for BOGOF offers and places that offer free places for under 3s, 4s and 5s. I then always pack plenty of snacks and drinks to cut down on costs that way. To be honest though I wouldn't go to places that are really expensive on days when I have lots of littlies. I do tell parents when we are going out and generally they send children with money for icecreams those that don't I'll pay for them myself. For me it is part of my job and doing fun things with the children. Again as has been said previously I put it down as expenses.....

**PixiePetal** · 27-07-2009, 01:35 PM

Originally Posted by mfrancesmo

I was probably put the cost of the season pass through my books as a childminding expense and if the entrance is now free or under £5.00 I would not be charging parents.

I do this for my own farm park season ticket. Under 2's are free. Any others may be an odd trip which parent pays, if I ask before (£5.50) Or parents get their kids season tickets for me to use.

If I decide to go and not asked parents before, I pay. They will often give it back anyway.

**Playmate** · 27-07-2009, 03:13 PM

I put my farm season ticket through the books and if I have to buy any extra tickets they also go through and I don't charge the parents. Usually plan the trips when we don't have too many. Just got back, had a great day for just £5! (well I suppose if you count the £20 we pay per month it is more, but we usually make sure we use the farm 5-6 times in a year, which makes it well worth while)

**wendywu** · 27-07-2009, 03:21 PM

I have just taken mine to see Ice Age this morning because my baby is not with me. 5 children 1 adult came to £30 the parents will pay for this, well not for my ticket

I supplied the pop corn, sweets and the Mc Donalds after.

I did promise the parents i would make their children play out in the rain for the rest of the week

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 27-07-2009, 04:10 PM

I do something each holiday, usually involving a parental expense but I try to keep it to an average of £10 per week.

Today we are in because of the weather with DVD and then in the garden this afternoon

Tomorrow we are going to the local park and open space (there are 21 children between 3 of us) so they can run off steam or if cold we are gowing bowling (this costs £6.50 per head for two games including lunch and will take up 4 hours)

Wed I am off

Thursday is soft play at £2.65 plus Mcdonalds

Friday if wet with be the pictures for Ice Age (MCdonalds have children free with adult)

To keep expenses down I charge the parent for entry and the food is covered by me as I have included that in my fee (soft play already calculated in my fee)

There are a lot of things that can be done - in the school holidays we have one expensive trip. Last year was Legoland and the parents paid £20.00 which covered the childs ticket and part of mine, I paid the petrol and then Mcdonalds on the way home. We left at 8.30am and the last drop off was 10.15pm and I think they all got their monies worth as I didn't charge any extra as it was a day out

The previous year we did Longleat and brought a pass for £11.00 (parents paid £15.00) and we used that 6 times during the year. I pay for petrol.

**mushpea** · 27-07-2009, 07:20 PM

i buy the zoo seaon tickets, cost £25 per year per child over 3 so i have 3 to buy plus my own too children and mine at a cost of £40 i pay for all as i wouldnt want to have to not take a child cause their parents cant afford it, all of the ticketts go through the book even my own childrens as if i didnt take my own children then we couldnt go. we go to the zoo every week what ever the weather term time and holiday time, the rest of the time we go to parks and free events or things that only cost under £5, this friday we are going to the sealife center which is quite cheap but i pay for all of it including food cause i always worry that one parent cant afford it then no one can go.

**HELEN10** · 27-07-2009, 08:00 PM

I am the same as you Debbie, my parents have all agreed on £10 per week each child, we did the same last year as i didn't like keep asking for money to take them places that cost, as weather was so bad.

So now it is much easier i know how much i have to play with and work round that and carry forward any money not spent which will help when some weeks are more expensive than others.

HELEN10