Cash purchases..

Bubble82

Registered User
Mar 11, 2018
27
0
Morning everyone,

I was wondering if someone can help me please. I was wondering what you all do for cash purchases when you spend cash but with no receipts?

I have power of attorney for Mum who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's.

She's had some jobs done, which cash has been paid. The trades people could be contacted to verify if needed.

She also has a gardener, a lady who comes to her house to do her nails, hair dresser, window cleaner etc. Sometimes chip shop and so on.

Is it ok for me to just keep notes in a book of where it goes & the date?

This is all new to me, I don't want to get in trouble with anyone.

Just wondering what everyone does?

I keep all receipts where possible.

Thanks.
 

Amethyst59

Registered User
Jul 3, 2017
5,776
0
Kent
Good morning! I think that most people will give a receipt if you ask for one, but just keeping a record should be sufficient. I was very wary when I first started acting as my husband’s attorney...but feel more relaxed now. The thing that was pointed out to me was...who is going to be checking? Obviously if it were a major purchase, then that is different, but for small day to day transactions I don’t worry. We recently bought an expensive book shelf, and I have kept the order and the receipt...but yesterday I paid the paper bill, and didn’t keep the receipt. I actually, don’t even keep a record now. Of course, if I have paid by debit or credit card, the records can be checked by reading the statements.
Please bear in mind I am no expert, this is just how I deal with things.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
I kept all receipts and asked for them when I was caring for my mother because it was her money.

When I was caring for my husband it was our money so anything for the home, garden our clothes, holidays and incidentals didn`t need receipts.
 

Beate

Registered User
May 21, 2014
12,179
0
London
I've never been asked by anybody to produce receipts. As an attorney you do not have to do annual reports and justify every single penny that's been spent so unless you have someone suspicious in your family, I would relax and just write down expenses in a log book.
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,443
0
Kent
I've never been asked by anybody to produce receipts. As an attorney you do not have to do annual reports and justify every single penny that's been spent so unless you have someone suspicious in your family, I would relax and just write down expenses in a log book.

I think there is a big difference between managing a partner`s finances and managing those of a parent, especially if the parent will need residential care and LA funding.
 

marionq

Registered User
Apr 24, 2013
6,449
0
Scotland
I’m in a different situation but one that niggles at me. I don’t really know where I stand. My SIL is 82, profoundly deaf and cannot speak and has limited reading ability. She is otherwise fit and healthy. My husband looked after her affairs until he became ill with Alzheimer’s. She lives in Very Sheltered Housing and the management phoned me several years ago to say she was asking random strangers to lift money from the ATM for her.

Since then I lift cash at the start of the month and she takes what she wants from an envelope in a drawer in my sitting room. She likes this arrangement and all her bills are taken care of with DD. I phoned social services and suggested they take over but they said I was doing such an excellent job I should just carry on!

Nobody wants to be involved as her communication is so poor. POA is out of the question as she wouldn’t understand it. I am therefore in control of finances I don’t really have anything to do with and I couldn’t explain where the money goes other than large purchases I make for her from time to time. If she ever has to go into care presumably I would be asked about her affairs as she certainly couldn’t explain them.
 

Bubble82

Registered User
Mar 11, 2018
27
0
I’m in a different situation but one that niggles at me. I don’t really know where I stand. My SIL is 82, profoundly deaf and cannot speak and has limited reading ability. She is otherwise fit and healthy. My husband looked after her affairs until he became ill with Alzheimer’s. She lives in Very Sheltered Housing and the management phoned me several years ago to say she was asking random strangers to lift money from the ATM for her.

Since then I lift cash at the start of the month and she takes what she wants from an envelope in a drawer in my sitting room. She likes this arrangement and all her bills are taken care of with DD. I phoned social services and suggested they take over but they said I was doing such an excellent job I should just carry on!

Nobody wants to be involved as her communication is so poor. POA is out of the question as she wouldn’t understand it. I am therefore in control of finances I don’t really have anything to do with and I couldn’t explain where the money goes other than large purchases I make for her from time to time. If she ever has to go into care presumably I would be asked about her affairs as she certainly couldn’t explain them.

I guess as they've told you not to worry about it, and said you're doing an excellent job I would try not to worry, although I know I would too. You can only explain what you know. Maybe keep a book of what she takes & on what date.
 

Cat27

Registered User
Feb 27, 2015
13,057
0
Merseyside
I think there is a big difference between managing a partner`s finances and managing those of a parent, especially if the parent will need residential care and LA funding.

I agree Sylvia. I kept detailed records of Dad’s finances just in case.
 

Fullticket

Registered User
Apr 19, 2016
486
0
Chard, Somerset
If I drew £100 cash then, unless it included a purchase for something that had for instance a guarantee, all I did was tot up (roughly) where the cash had gone - car parks, cafes, odd purchases. I recorded the cash withdrawal (for which I had a receipt), entered that on the spreadsheet and providing I didn't draw £400 a week - which I would have needed to explain to myself, let alone whoever might ask - that was sufficient.
Anything that had a receipt went onto the same spreadsheet but under the different categories.
 

AD123

Registered User
Dec 4, 2012
40
0
I think there is a big difference between managing a partner`s finances and managing those of a parent, especially if the parent will need residential care and LA funding.

My MIL always used cash for everything. As fast as her pension was paid in she took it out. Everything carried on the same under POA. When she had to go into a home the LA saw the bank statements and I told them her benefits were withdrawn straight away. They never asked what the money was spent on.
 

Yellowduck

Account Closed
Dec 11, 2016
112
0
Essex
I think some people are a little paranoid when it comes to PoA. We are, in the main, family members, not chartered accountants!

I have been PoA for my Mother for 5 years and I do not keep any records other than what goes in/out of her bank account. In fact. I have been doing Mum's finances for the past 30 years since Dad died, but only recently under a PoA.

Quite often I have contractors to pay who do work on her property (or did as she has now gone into a home) and recent expenses over the past couple of years include Electrician £300 , tree feller £800, plumber £200 etc. Most of these offer lower prices for cash, so I just drawer cash out of her account and write on the bank statement what it was for.

Also we did all her shopping which was a debit card payment to Tesco's for £60 a week, which in effect could have been for anything! Now we probably withdraw up to £150 per month in cash to buy pull up pants / clothes / sweets etc, and generally, we do not keep/get receipts.

At the end of the day, I am doing what I feel Mum would want me to do. I have just given my son £200 for his holiday, as Mum always gave him and our daughter this sort of amount when they went away, and while we were away in January, he had to deal with Mum on several occasions when the paramedics were called.

I suppose, as an only child, I am unlikely to have anyone looking over my shoulder, but as long as I believe I am doing the best for Mum, than I am quite content.

Whilst it states as PoA we have to use Mum;s money in her best interests, I do not believe it states anywhere that we have to keep audited accounts and have a degree in bookkeeping.
 

Bubble82

Registered User
Mar 11, 2018
27
0
Thank you for your replies, this helps a lot. It seems I do similar, so I shall try to relax a little.

Thanks again.