I have taken the responsibility of collecting money, purchasing the coffee and pots for my work. Can anyone offer ideas of ways to do this reasonably. I have already taken a list of persons who will be drinking this coffee and I have 17 people. We need to purchase new pots and also buy cream and sugar.
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6 Responses
As far as good ways to run it, “with an iron fist” usually works. Don’t front money for people. Make them chip in before you get the stuff, or if you do front money for people, post a list of “people I still need money from” above the coffee pot. They’ll pay up faster that way.
figure out the total expense of the pots and and cream and sugar and divide it.
then monthly or weekly or whenever it runs out ask everyone to chip in to refill the coffee and cream and sugar supplies.
I think the first gal has the right idea. Lots of people probably think they’ll just sneak in for a cup “now and then” w/o paying. Make them use special mugs or cups or something, to ID them as paying members.
Buy a coffee maker that makes coffee into an insulated carafe, so it doesn’t sit and cook all day long. Or, consider a reg coffee maker, but buy a large carafe to move coffee into for the same reason. If you get a big enough percolator-type, it should keep coffee serving temp w/o cooking it further.
Keep coffee maker where someone can keep an eye on it, so people won’t sneak in to get coffee they haven’t paid for. Sending an email w/ a camera phone photo of a “thief” the very first time it happens will go a long way to stop future thefts.
You should ask for an initial $5.00 from each person. This will cover the purchase of a coffee maker, coffee, sugar, sugar substitute and non dairy creamers. Also get some tea and hot coca packages.
After you purchase these things. Make a note and monitor just how long these supplies last. When you run out of sugar or coffee that would be an indicator of how often you must collect funds. I’d say once a month you should collect like $2.00.
$34.00 should be more than enough to replenish your stock.
Keep a ledger of some sort. Also be aware that people may change jobs or be fired. Just make sure you tell everyone that if they leave or something what is already contributed to the fund will be forfeited by them. This will eliminate problems.
Have everyone who whats to participate pay say $8 each. Then spend the $136 on pots, cream, sugar and coffee. Then when you need more coffee, cream and sugar collect $5 each. As noted above post a list of members and check off who has paid.
Do a weekly, every other week or a monthly collection jar (using a coffee can with a lid that you have slotted works well!) Just make the coffee every day and tell everyone(in person AND with a sign on the coffee collection jar) that you have to pay so much for one cup of coffee ($0.25 is reasonable) OR so much every week, every two weeks or every month (whichever you decide!) $2 for a week, $4 every two weeks and $8 every month is a good suggestion price. Coffee costs, I don’t know, about or around $6 for a good sized jar of the good stuff and the coffee and creamer costs roughly $4 each and a pot from wal-mart costs $15-$20? If 17 people are going to be drinking this coffee if will pay for itself in one month! Just keep all the change once a month in a place at your desk or whatever so if you need to go and buy some creamer, or sugar or coffee and it isn’t collection time yet, then you will have it and wont have to use your own money!
Just a suggestion!