Canteen Expense Tracker

This tool helps track canteen expenses, categorize costs, and generate monthly financial reports for vegetarian and non-vegetarian operations. See the "How to Use" section below for detailed instructions on adding entries, generating reports, and downloading PDF/CSV outputs.

How to Use the Canteen Expense Tracker

This tool helps canteen operators, track expenses, categorize costs, and generate monthly financial reports for vegetarian and non-vegetarian operations. It calculates total costs, allocates shared expenses, applies a profit margin, and provides per-person charges. Follow these steps to use the calculator effectively:

1. Add Expense Entries:
   • Description: Enter a brief description of the expense (e.g., "Rice Purchase", "Staff Salary").
   • Amount: Input the expense amount in INR (e.g., ₹5000). Ensure it’s a positive number.
   • Category: Select a category (Raw Materials, Salary, Electricity, LPG, Rent, Other). Typical categories for local canteens include:
     • Raw Materials: Food ingredients (e.g., vegetables, grains, meat), often 35–40% of costs due to local market reliance.
     • Salary: Staff wages (e.g., cooks, servers), typically 25–30% based on Bihar’s labor rates.
     • Electricity: Lighting and equipment costs, ~5–10% (local commercial rates: ₹7.42–7.96/unit, per local Electricity Regulatory, 2023–24).
     • LPG: Cooking fuel, ~5–7% for commercial cylinders.
     • Rent: Facility costs, variable by location.
     • Other: Miscellaneous expenses (e.g., cleaning, transport), ~15–20%.
   • Type: Choose Vegetarian, Non-Vegetarian, or Shared (for expenses split between both, e.g., electricity).
   • Date: Select the expense date.
   • Click "Add Entry" to save the expense. It will appear in the table below.
2. View and Manage Entries:
   • The "All Entries" table displays all recorded expenses with their description, amount, category, type, and date.
   • To remove an incorrect entry, click the "Delete" button next to it. Entries are saved in your browser’s local storage, so they persist across sessions.
3. Generate Monthly Reports:
   • In the "Generate Monthly Report" section, select a month (e.g., August 2025) using the month input.
   • Enter the number of vegetarian and non-vegetarian persons served in the month (e.g., 50 vegetarian, 30 non-vegetarian).
   • Specify the desired profit percentage (e.g., 15% for small canteens, up to 50% for larger operations).
   • Click "Generate & Download Reports" to create:
     • Vegetarian Report: Shows total running cost, breakdown by category (including shared costs proportional to vegetarian persons), profit, total charge, and charge per person.
     • Non-Vegetarian Report: Similar breakdown for non-vegetarian costs.
     • PDF Downloads: Two PDFs (Canteen_Vegetarian_Report_[month].pdf, Canteen_NonVegetarian_Report_[month].pdf) with tables and summaries.
     • CSV Downloads: Two CSV files with the same data for easy analysis.
4. Interpret Results:
   • Each report shows:
     • Total Running Cost: Sum of direct (e.g., vegetarian raw materials) and proportional shared costs.
     • Breakdown: Costs by category (e.g., Raw Materials: ₹50000, Electricity (Shared, 63%): ₹6300).
     • Profit: Calculated as the specified percentage of total running cost.
     • Total Charge: Running cost plus profit.
     • Charge per Person: Total charge divided by the number of persons (if applicable).
   • Use these to set meal prices or assess financial performance.
5. Download Reports:
   • PDFs include a styled table of entries, cost breakdown, and this "How to Use" guide for reference.
   • CSVs list entries and summaries, ideal for spreadsheets.
   • Save these files for record-keeping or sharing with stakeholders.

Tips:

• Use realistic amounts based on local market prices (e.g., food costs, LPG cylinder rates).
• Ensure at least one entry exists for the selected month, or an error will appear.
• Check error messages (below the form) for invalid inputs (e.g., negative amounts, missing month).
• For accurate cost allocation, track shared expenses (e.g., rent, electricity) under the "Shared" type.
• Clear local storage (localStorage.removeItem('canteenEntries') in the browser console) if entries become corrupted.

This tool simplifies expense tracking and reporting for canteens, ensuring accurate cost allocation and profitability analysis.

Select Category Raw Materials Salary Electricity LPG Rent Other Select Type Vegetarian Non-Vegetarian Shared

All Entries

Description	Amount (₹)	Category	Type	Date	Action

Generate Monthly Report