CM Club: How much on average is your weekly mindees food bill

[moonstar04]

Just wondered how much you all pay out each week for your food bill for your mindees and on average how much per head.

For instance I do not charge extra for food , I include it all in my price so that I can claim cost back.

I have two mindees at mo and am spending on average approx £8 per head per week. Just wondered if this was about the norm? .

Hmm I really try not to think how much I spend on food and drink - think I would have a good cry tbh!

I spend about 15.00 per week on the full timers, which includes, breakfast, snack, lunch, and snack again, fruit juice,

Schoolies about 10.00 per week, this includes breakfast, afternoon snack, fruit juice.

Breakfast

Poached eggs on toast, Banana, Yogurt, , Milk.

Snack

Mango, Blueberries, Rich Tea, Fruit Juice.

Lunch

Fish pie, courgettes, mangtouts, Apples, Custard, Fruit juice.

Snack

Cheese, Biscuit, Carrots, Pear, Fruit Juice.

Juice is offered throughout the day as well.

i have 8 for breakfast each day so thats about a box of cereal a week each and 3 pints of milk a day including drinks and brews
so thats £2.20 per box of cereal and 50p per pint of milk

mid morning toast and fruit = half loaf of bread 50p plus 3 bananas = £1

dinner normally cost £1.50 per head depending but this averages out

afternoon snack x 10 children = loaf of bread £1, pack of crisps £2, bag of apples £1, bag of pears £1, ice lollies £3, biscuits 50p

tea x 4 children is whatever the family has so about £1 each or thereabouts

i dont charge for food its inc in my fees but dont anybody add up what i spend on food and tell me cause i dont want to know

i have been told to estimate £2 (approx) per child per day, obv more if they have more than one meal with you tho.

sorry, but that is in with my fee's just the amount business advisor told me to deduct for tax purposes.

When i started childminding i was also told by tax man to allocate £2 per child per day (i provide snacks and also a cooked lunch and sandwich tea.) So at the end of every month i can easily work out how much is for food and it doesnt matter about reciepts! I do also add when we go out for lunch etc on top though!

ooh am so pleased I can up my amount I can claim I have been claiming £1.25 per child per day as that is what a free dinner used to be worth when I was working at a school! Am going to up my claim now also do you claim for babies as well?

All my parents provide food, and the school child gets her breakfast before she arrives. All I provide is snacks and drinks, and I'm not sure how much that comes to

I keep my receipts and claim what I actually spent - I put all the stuff for childminding thru the checkout first so I get a separate receipt.

Its surprising how much it adds up. Last week spent £44, parents paid £19 for meals (11 lunches, 2 dinners plus snacks).
Some older children can easily eat much more than £2 worth of food in one snack sitting. You might be happy with that if you've got enough mindies eating far less than £2 worth per day tho.

Don't forget about wastage either. Eg I buy 6 bananas for snacks and by friday only 3 have been eaten and 3 have to be thrown away. By claiming the amount I actually paid for food for mindies, i'm claiming for the stuff that goes in the bin as well as what they ate.

TBH im sure i dont spend as much as i claim except in holidays when i would say picnic stuff sends my bills rocketing! I only have 2x 3year olds who have a cooked lunch and a sandwich tea so well within my £2 per person per day budget!!