cm club How do you charge for the odd trips that cost around £6

[jazee]

I occasionaly take mindees out to a local farm which costs around £6 plus ice cream. Only would do once or twice a year - annual outing. [We do lots of less expensive ones which I don't tend to charge for].
Don't like to ask parent for full amount so last time asked for contribution of £3.50.
What does everyone else do?

I don't charge. I do a trip like that maybe once a week for each school holiday and just think about the extra school holiday money as paying for it. I make a lot extra in the school holidays so feel that one more expensive trip a week is fine.

I'm sure others ask for a contribution though.

It may depend to some extent on how you have set your hourly rate. My rate is at the lower-end of the scale and all my parents pay me for any extras - food, entrance fees for trips etc. Some people like to work with a more "inclusive" rate - whatever works best between you and your mindees parents.

I have an all inclusive rate. I used to charge less and ask for money for big outings, but then what do you do when one family doesn't want to pay? Not go?

I dont charge for extra trip as I feel the parents pay enough already, especially if it is just a couple of times a year. A couple of my parents have asked me to take the children to gymboree classes etc in which case I would charge but nothing else is charged for.

I dont charge for any trip that I organise because thats my choice and I wouldnt think it was fair to ask the parents.

I do one 'big' trip every season, i.e, farm visit, santa etc and bare the cost..

most days I walk to local park, woods so thats all free and I get a good deal at local soft play as a cm...

I dont charge either. I include everything in my hourly rate.

Some of my parents cant even afford to take their DC's out at the weekends, so they would not be happy to pay for me taking them.

I tend to buy a season ticket to the local farm park so its just a one off annual payment and then go nearly every week, I'm also a bit tight when it comes to buying ice creams, I keep a box in the freezer to have at home.
Any other trip is usually free or I don't charge,I've also noticed a few places ask to see the ncma card and then get a discount.i always check the website before going to see about discounts or group rates and then ask others to come and split the cost.