Quick question about parents paying monthly

**Cazz** · 10-08-2010, 05:59 PM

I've never had anyone pay monthly before and just wondered how you invoice?

Mindee is coming Tues, Wed & Fri's and I suggested fees payable on the 1st Tuesday of the month and I would give an invoice the previous week so they know what to pay.

Only thing is, some months it will be 5 weeks i.e. November 30th is a Tuesday so November's fees would be 5 weeks. Then December fees due on the 7th would be for 3 weeks! Hope you can understand what I mean!

Is this the normal way of charging or is it best to do it 4 weekly, despite the dates/month?

She is coming to sign the contract first thing in the morning so I need to get the invoice ready this evening as she's paying me first month's fees as a deposit. (Not starting until October 1st)

**Stillgoingstrong** · 10-08-2010, 06:07 PM

I do 51 x weekly divided by 12. Do 51 weeks as I always close for Christmas

**Cazz** · 10-08-2010, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Stillgoingstrong

I do 51 x weekly divided by 12. Do 51 weeks as I always close for Christmas

That's going to be too complicated in this instance because it may only be from 1st October until the end of June but now she's not sure if she'll need him to come during next year's summer holidays, so I'm going to have to charge monthly in advance as we go.

Thanks anyway!

**Cazz** · 10-08-2010, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Stillgoingstrong

I do 51 x weekly divided by 12. Do 51 weeks as I always close for Christmas

Do you only have 1 week off a year?

**Stillgoingstrong** · 10-08-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by Cazz

Do you only have 1 week off a year?

Ha no!!! I have others at diff times which we work out as we go, usually 3 weeks, but def Christmas

**Stillgoingstrong** · 10-08-2010, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Cazz

That's going to be too complicated in this instance because it may only be from 1st October until the end of June but now she's not sure if she'll need him to come during next year's summer holidays, so I'm going to have to charge monthly in advance as we go.

Thanks anyway!

So what does she want you to do in the holidays then, let the place go if she's not going to pay to keep it for her lo, and when does she plan to decide ???

**Cazz** · 10-08-2010, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by Stillgoingstrong

So what does she want you to do in the holidays then, let the place go if she's not going to pay to keep it for her lo, and when does she plan to decide ???

When she originally enquired she said she just wanted 1st October until the end of June, so I said I wouldn't charge from end of June but she would have to leave me a deposit for the place to re-start in October.

Now she's mentioned the summer holidays I've said she can let me know nearer the time but I can't guarantee there will be a place available. I don't think she's the sort of person to mess me around so I'm happy to leave it open for now.

**Stillgoingstrong** · 10-08-2010, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by Cazz

When she originally enquired she said she just wanted 1st October until the end of June, so I said I wouldn't charge from end of June but she would have to leave me a deposit for the place to re-start in October.

Now she's mentioned the summer holidays I've said she can let me know nearer the time but I can't guarantee there will be a place available. I don't think she's the sort of person to mess me around so I'm happy to leave it open for now.

Ah that ok then I'll let her off!!! Feeling a bit miffed atm with people as got mucked around about the holidays so am being more than a little sharp

**ladybug** · 10-08-2010, 06:28 PM

I have 2 parents who pay me monthly in advance, I invoice the last week of every month for payment on the 1st day of the month. I list the hours for each week of the following month that they require, then as I give the invoice a week before its due any queries get sorted out in time!

**moljak** · 10-08-2010, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by ladybug

I have 2 parents who pay me monthly in advance, I invoice the last week of every month for payment on the 1st day of the month. I list the hours for each week of the following month that they require, then as I give the invoice a week before its due any queries get sorted out in time!

That's what I do too

**Andrea08** · 10-08-2010, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by ladybug

I have 2 parents who pay me monthly in advance, I invoice the last week of every month for payment on the 1st day of the month. I list the hours for each week of the following month that they require, then as I give the invoice a week before its due any queries get sorted out in time!

me too but if there are 5 wks to a month i try not to split a payment i work mon - fri and want to be paid the same... but one parent refuses to pay me for

e.g. the friday 1st until the following month...

invoice how you want to be paid not how parents want to mess you about x

**appleblossom** · 10-08-2010, 07:19 PM

Hello. I'm new here. Been minding for 19 years and still loving it. (But hate the EYFS)

Most of my payments are monthly.

Sometimes I invoice for 4 weeks and sometimes 5.
For example for August I invoiced four weeks from 2nd to 29th. The week beginning 30th August will be invoiced with September, which will be 5 weeks, from 30th August to 3rd October.

I ask for payment to be made on 1st Monday of the period the parents are paying for. They will be paying their next payment on 31st August because 30th is a Bank Holiday. This usually works OK, but I do have one parent who gets paid on the last day of the month. I have to be careful to invoice this one differently because if I invoice for 4 weeks and there is half a week left to carry over to next month they don't have the funds to pay me on time.

I also have one who pays me in vouchers. That is never paid until the Wednesday. Yet as this child only attends Wednesday to Friday I don't mind that.

I keep track of what they have all paid by entering it on the attendance record as they pay it. I use a monthly attendance record and usually have them ready a month in advance for recording payments on. In fact one of my parents paid too much on 1st August, so I have recorded the excess on the September record in order that I will remember to deduct it then.

Hope that's not too confusing. I've tried lots of ways of doing this over the years and find this works best for me. If I was to divide the total estimated cost over 12 equal payments it would get too confusing if anyone (including me) had extra time off or if any mindees needed extra hours. I also mark in pencil on the attendance records any holidays either myself or mindees are having to assist when working out the fees for the next month.

**green puppy** · 10-08-2010, 07:31 PM

So if she needs you for the nine months- is that right?- can you not split the fee over those nine months instead?

**Mookins** · 10-08-2010, 07:47 PM

Personally i would do it calendar monthly invoices some will bemore than others but a lot easier to figure out (in my head)

thats what i plan on doing anyway

xx

**Roseolivia** · 10-08-2010, 08:09 PM

When i write my invoice i write w/c 2-8, 9-8, 16-8, 23-8, 30-8 for August,
September would be 6-9, 13-9, 20-9,27-9. The parents pay me the 1st day of the month that they are with me.

**TammyN** · 10-08-2010, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by Roseolivia

When i write my invoice i write w/c 2-8, 9-8, 16-8, 23-8, 30-8 for August,
September would be 6-9, 13-9, 20-9,27-9. The parents pay me the 1st day of the month that they are with me.

i do this too, i hand it out week before due and ask for payment before the 1st month, it works well and this way it encourages them to tell me of hols as they must give notice before i write invoice or it doesn't count

**crazyhazy** · 10-08-2010, 08:37 PM

I am just starting out too and have said fees payable on the 1st monthly, it means the day changes but so do most peoples pay day. So, for sept I have charged from the 1st-30th obviously not for weekends but just detail each week in my invoice. It means my pay doesn't vary as much with 4/5 week months, but I'll be less when I take hols but will budget for that x

**rickysmiths** · 10-08-2010, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by Roseolivia

When i write my invoice i write w/c 2-8, 9-8, 16-8, 23-8, 30-8 for August,
September would be 6-9, 13-9, 20-9,27-9. The parents pay me the 1st day of the month that they are with me.

I do this but I am paid on the first Monday of the month and some months are 4 weeks and some 5 weeks.

If Tuesday is the 7th December then the Tuesday before that must be the 1st of December so surely your parent will pay you on that day not on the 7th and so pay for 4 weeks in December?

**sweets** · 10-08-2010, 08:42 PM

Originally Posted by Roseolivia

When i write my invoice i write w/c 2-8, 9-8, 16-8, 23-8, 30-8 for August,
September would be 6-9, 13-9, 20-9,27-9. The parents pay me the 1st day of the month that they are with me.

this is what i do too. it only takes 10 mins at the end of the month to work out. i send my invoices out around the 25th of the month for the following month.