I'm looking into the Minute Menu & Food programs to see if it's something that would interest me, based on all the glowing recommendations from users on this forum. =)
I started looking into it, but could use some advice. What makes this program worth $70/year. Is it basically the food program reimbursement? OR, is it equally great for keeping track of tax forms/deductions.
It also appears there's a threshold of family income that separates a tier 1 from a tier 2 reimbursement. It seems like a lot of work, for little gain if you fall in the tier 2 bracket (again, I researched briefly). Any information you could offer would be great!
Also, I tried to sign up for the 30 day trial, but it seems it's downloadable for pc's and not mac's. Does anyone have this program with a mac computer? I can go through customer service, but was just curious...
Patches 10:45 AM 03-19-2013
I'm tier 2 and it's absolutely worth it to me! I do EVERYTHING online. It's npt very much work and the money I get covers about a week of groceries or a little more.
Plus, I can keep track of all my financial stuff and I havent done taxes yet but I know it will be extremely helful at tax time
Patches 10:47 AM 03-19-2013
Oh and btw, the first check I got for the food program covered the $70. And I only had one or two kids the whole month
Originally Posted by Patches:
I'm tier 2 and it's absolutely worth it to me! I do EVERYTHING online. It's npt very much work and the money I get covers about a week of groceries or a little more.
Plus, I can keep track of all my financial stuff and I havent done taxes yet but I know it will be extremely helful at tax time
Thanks Patches! I really appreciate the information =)
sahm1225 12:29 PM 03-19-2013
Totally worth the money! You input all your expenses and earnings into it and then come tax time, you just print it all out. Makes taxes wayyyy easier!
Tier 1 & 2 were based on your local elementary school. You can call your food program (I have action for children) and they can tell you if you are tier 1 or 2.
MarinaVanessa 09:10 AM 03-20-2013
I think MMK Pro is excellent in of itself whether or not you participate in the food program. The $70 a year is worth it because it keeps track of everything from payments, mileage, deductions, attendance, meals, child information, and if you log the time that you spend doing daycare related things at home when the children are not at daycare then the program calculates that time along with the attendance times to give you your time/space percent (the % that is deductible on your daycare/household shared expenses like toys, utilities, cleaning supplies, etc). It does absolutely everything ... think Quickbooks for daycare. At the end of the year I can just print off the reports and hand those to my tax preparer. It even gives you completed W-10's (what clients need in order to file for the child care credit) and a schedule C (for your own taxes) and more. My tax preparer loves it and my taxes are done in a jiffy because of the program. It's totally reduces the amount of my record keeping time vs doing it by hand like I did before. You just have to stay on top of it like enter all of your information on a routine (weekly, bi-monthly or monthly etc) so that you don't have to enter it all at once at the end of the year.
If you have a MAC there is a program or application that lets you use PC programs on your MAC. I don't have a MAC so I can't remember what it's called but there is a way. MMK even lists what it is on it's website (Google Minute Menu for MAC and you should see a result written by MMK about it). It's tell you what it's called then it should be easy to google more information about it so that you can try it out for 30 days for free (MMK). If it costs you money for the program to be able to install MMK on your MAC don't forget that the program (as well as MMK) is 100% tax deductible.