Every year, I buy a lot of stuff for my Girl Scout troop.
Sometimes I even manage to save the receipts. I use a marker and leave a bold stripe across the top of the receipt, and if there were personal items purchased along with the troop stuff, I attach an adding machine tape and an explanation so I don't pay myself back for the personal items.
I usually intend to pay myself back 'after cookie sales and other fund raisers' but it doesn't always happen. I often write off a 20 here or a 10 there, too.
It's just not that important most of the time, (if you know me, you can tell I haven't missed any meals) and as I've said before, if I buy something and then want to use it for personal use, I feel okay about doing that if I paid for it in the first place. That means that many receipts never even make it into the envelope.
I hate the idea of having 20 troop checks written to me. Ten bucks here, 40 there. I prefer to let the receipts add up awhile.
Well, as I said yesterday, I've put in very few hours at work this summer so far. It's not making my checking account very healthy. So one of the things on my 'to do' list this week was to gather up all the receipts for what I've spent on the troop and reimburse myself.
I knew it was a fair amount, because it's been 14 months since I wrote myself a check. During that time, we visited a council property. I bought groceries, first aid supplies etc. at Costco and a couple other places for the entire weekend, and never paid myself back.
There are receipts for craft supplies, badges and patches, copies... it adds up. I did not realize how much it had added up, though.
Right now, the total is $391 and change.
::gasp::
:::hyperventilate:::
There is a total of $594.00 in our troop account right now.
We have two outings left. One this weekend and one in August.
I was thinking I'll take $200 or so and write the rest off. Not on my taxes, you understand, because one has to have a LOT of stuff like that to make a difference.
I do not want our last two outings to be penny-pinching and stressful.
Now I'm wondering if taking $200 is too much. I am considering waiting until the very end of summer and then writing myself a check at the end with whatever's left.
But if I were auditing someone's disbanded troop account, and the very last thing on the expense report was a check written to the leader, I know it would raise my eyebrows.
What do you think I should do?
I waited too long. I am a doofus.
It is all about supporting documentation. If you have receipts, no one will question it. And hold all those receipts that you aren't turning in and if someone does question it you can show them the ones the troop ran out of money to reimburse you for.
ReplyDeleteIt shouldn't matter, but I think in this case I'd turn in the newer receipts and not have them wonder why some are a year old. I think waiting to be reimbursed is incrediby common.
Knowing your troop the way I do, I would take the money that is owed to you and explain to the parents what is left and what could be donated or added to make the two trips comfortable and not penny pinching. I even know a mom whose daughter used to be in that troop who would most likely chip in . . . not mentioning any names, of course.
ReplyDeleteI'm with writinggoddess. She said exactly what I was going to post. Take the money owed and I know we'll all be happy to donate what is necessary to make the trips work comfortably.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know you work hard both in and out of troop time, so if I were you, I'd find a way to reimburse myself the amount due.
ReplyDeleteI know you're a Mom to everyone and you don't want to take from them, but it doesn't do any good for your family to go without because you're trying to be nice.
Well, yes, you waited too long. But hey, as the writinggoddess said, do what is the right thing, and that's to reimburse yourself. :)
ReplyDelete