I'm Getting So Frustrated With The FP!

[melilley]

Our FP sponsor just switched MMK Pro programs from the old version to the new version. I just received my monthly error report and I have a ton of errors! I have only had one or two in the past when we used the old MMK program. I just don't get it. I've been recording meal counts on my phone and my computer. Most of the errors make no sense to me at all! How can some children exceed the 2 meals and 1 snack limit, when others don't and they are here at the same times? It makes not a lick of sense! My fp sponsor has me recording Breakfast, AM snack, Lunch, and PM snack, she even called (before I knew I had so many errors) and we figured out new meal/snack times for all those meals/snacks. Now that I look closely, all the AM snacks were disallowed. Why do I have to record all of those meals/snacks if I'm getting in trouble for recording too many for some children? On the old MMK, I could record all that I served, but they only counted the limit.

Am I supposed to be just counting/recording the one snack?

Ughhh, I'm so frustrated and of course when I need to talk to my sponsor, she's out early!? And I just submitted for last month and I was recording it the same way so now I'll have errors next month. I know it's not that big of a deal to have errors, but I don't like having errors!

[AmyKidsCo]

Are you feeding more than 3 meals/snacks per day? If you are you will get an error message, but it's no big deal because you'll still get reimbursed for the 3 allowed meals/snacks, and the disallowed one will always be a lower-paid one.

I used to only record breakfast, lunch and PM snack because that's all that was allowed, even though I often fed the infants an AM snack. Then I read Tom Copeland's article about how feeding an extra snack could be worth a tax deduction of over $150.00. (http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2011/...time-food.html)

I decided to keep track of ALL the meals/snacks I fed but didn't want to record some in MMK and the extras separately so I worked things out with my FP area coordinator and her boss and am not recording all meals/snacks in MMK. We all know I'll get error messages for the extra meals but since I worked things out ahead of time it's not a problem.

Next year when we're doing taxes I'll have ALL meals/snacks recorded in MMK so I'll just need to use that one report for taxes.

Whew, that was long. Sorry!

[Meeko]

Don't fret!

My food program has us record ALL the meals we serve too.

I serve breakfast, am snack, lunch and pm snack.

I am only entitled to payment for 2 meals and a snack.

The program only pays me for those allowed meals and shows all the others as dis-allowed. This is not a problem!! What it does is allows the program to keep track of any extra snacks you can claim YOURSELF on your taxes.

I get a tax statement at the end of the year. It shows how many meals I served. How many I got paid for and how many I didn't get paid for. That way I can easily claim the extras as a deduction.

I used to carefully only claim what I knew I could be reimbursed for. My FP said to CLAIM everything and ignore the fact that the extras showed up as disallowed.

Hope that makes sense...I dont think I'm saying it right....

In other words, the dis-allowed meals doesn't mean you've done it wrong.

[melilley]

Don't fret!

My food program has us record ALL the meals we serve too.

I serve breakfast, am snack, lunch and pm snack.

I am only entitled to payment for 2 meals and a snack.

The program only pays me for those allowed meals and shows all the others as dis-allowed. This is not a problem!! What it does is allows the program to keep track of any extra snacks you can claim YOURSELF on your taxes.

I get a tax statement at the end of the year. It shows how many meals I served. How many I got paid for and how many I didn't get paid for. That way I can easily claim the extras as a deduction.

I used to carefully only claim what I knew I could be reimbursed for. My FP said to CLAIM everything and ignore the fact that the extras showed up as disallowed.

Hope that makes sense...I dont think I'm saying it right....

In other words, the dis-allowed meals doesn't mean you've done it wrong.

Ok, I totally get what you are saying, that is what I thought. The words "Disallowed" and "you did not submit an error free menu" just made it sound worse than what is..

The only problem is, is that we get perfect menu certificates that we can use towards the cost of trainings. I suppose I've only used them once so it would be worth not getting them if I can keep track of meals for taxes.

Thanks Meeko!

[TwinKristi]

I only record my FP claimable meals. If I serve 2 snacks, I only claim 1. I would think it's too confusing to claim everything and let them decide which. What if they wanted to do 2 snacks and a meal and not 2 meals and a snack? Or 2 snacks and breakfast rather than breakfast, lunch and snack? I don't know... I don't remember being told to claim everything I serve even if I can't claim it. :confused:

[Meeko]

Minute menu will always calculate the highest amount allowed. I always get paid for breakfast, lunch and am snack. I then claim the pm snack myself and thanks to MM, I have the exact number of pm snacks served all year right there in front of me. No adding up!

The in and out times recorded on MM tell the program which meals/snacks each child was eligible for. I 've been usung MM for many years and they have never got it wrong. Makes tax time easier for me.

[Michael]

Are you feeding more than 3 meals/snacks per day? If you are you will get an error message, but it's no big deal because you'll still get reimbursed for the 3 allowed meals/snacks, and the disallowed one will always be a lower-paid one.

I used to only record breakfast, lunch and PM snack because that's all that was allowed, even though I often fed the infants an AM snack. Then I read Tom Copeland's article about how feeding an extra snack could be worth a tax deduction of over $150.00. (http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/2011/...time-food.html)

I decided to keep track of ALL the meals/snacks I fed but didn't want to record some in MMK and the extras separately so I worked things out with my FP area coordinator and her boss and am not recording all meals/snacks in MMK. We all know I'll get error messages for the extra meals but since I worked things out ahead of time it's not a problem.

Next year when we're doing taxes I'll have ALL meals/snacks recorded in MMK so I'll just need to use that one report for taxes.

Whew, that was long. Sorry!

Don't know why your post needed oh be approved. Maybe it was the link. I am pushing your post back up.