I'm so effing mad right now!
My step-sister called me last night for some cupcakes for her friend's birthday party next Thursday. I say, "No Problem...$2.50 each"
Disclaimer- my cupcakes are priced within the other cupcake price range in our area, but mine don't just come with Buttercream (standard).
She wanted 12 Oreo cupcakes, 12 red Velvet, & 12 Vanilla with Guava filling.
My oreo cupcakes= Vanilla cake with chunks of Oreo baked in the cake, topped with Oreo BC, Chocolate fudge, and an oreo cookie.
Red Velvet cupcake= Red velvet cake baked mini Hershey kisses, Cream Cheese frosting and sugar spinkles.
Vanilla with Guava= Vanilla cake, filled with guava, cream cheese frosting, and coconut.
I think those cupcakes are reasonably priced at $2.50 each.
She says it's to much and that it's insulting because she has referred people to me. Truth- she's referred one. I explained to her that people fail to realize it's my electricity, my time, my gas to go get the ingredients.
More words were exchanged, but basically she said "Well those companies have a location and rent to pay." My response, "I have a location too- mu house. And I also have rent to pay- it's called a mortgage."
Easy for someone to judge someone else when they themselves don't pay for rent/mortgage nor water.
First, let me say that your cuppies sound AMAZING!! And I am sorry that she is doing this to you. 2.50 sounds VERY reasonable for the amount of work (and ingredients!!) you are using! If she want cheap cuppies, tell her to go to Walmart and buy those boring vanilla cupcakes they have there!! 
First, let me say that your cuppies sound AMAZING!! And I am sorry that she is doing this to you. 2.50 sounds VERY reasonable for the amount of work (and ingredients!!) you are using! If she want cheap cuppies, tell her to go to Walmart and buy those boring vanilla cupcakes they have there!!
Thank you!
Did I also mention that if she were to go to another place, she would have to drive there and pick them up?? I'm taking the cupcakes to her for free because we work in the same office together. I could've have easily charged her for delivery.
tell future verbal references of they've referred ppl to you to this...."you get a {{insert % amount}} family discount AFTER a sum of say 10-20 paid orders are satisfactorily completed".
Sadly, it sounds like she wanted to look good to her friend, at your time & expense. JMO.
Thank you everyone for your support...
Just for giggles, I called one of the notorious bakeries to see their prices and guess what- they also charge $2.50 /each but they don't even fill their cupcakes!! 
It's just a flavored cupcake with buttercream and one sugar ball on top.
I also looked at another bakery and they charge $2.75/ each- and they don't fill their cupcakes either.
Go figure... 
why why why WHY DO PEOPLE THINK that just because youre doing it out of your home they deserve to pay less?!!?!!? I assumed it was a well known fact youre just gonna pay more for home made! it tastes better, its cleaner and we dont buy our ingredients wholesale so of course its gonna cost some more.
I had a "friend" who had the same reaction. she had the nerve to say that since I wasnt giving her a d/c( more than the 10% I offered) then I wasnt a good friend. I tolf her if SHE was my friend, she wouldnt have even asked for one cos she knows I need the money and how much work goes into things.
after I started this business I did in fact find out that a lot of people are going to assume theyre getting free stuff, or super cheap stuff from you, and take it personally when you say no. Those people arent friends. Sweetie if I were you I would just sell to people who APPRICIATE my work. Good luck!
I had purchased an expensive insurance policy from a "friend" b/c it was her own business. Did she call me to do her cake? NO. wasn't even invited to the wedding. I switched insurance also. Ditto on ANOTHER "friend" that just got married. Not even a single phone call to do her cake....and no invitation either.
oh well. Probably not really my friends then...right? I still talk to them when I see them...but that's not very often. SOME "friends" can be the worst haters. Other friends will lift you up and boost our business, thankfully I have more of those than the first two.
cakeforte, Im sorry to hear that. no theyre NOT your friends.
Oh, Babarooskie, this almost sounds like an updated fairy tale. You need to change your screen name to Cinderella!
Answer A) Well my dear you're always welcome to do it yourself."
Answer B) Well my dear if it's WalMart you wanted then by all means, go to Walmart!" 
Thank you everyone for your kind words 
I still haven't heard back from her..she did say some nasty things to me that shouldn't have been said...so we'll see what happens. I know you all would understand and appreciate the time, work, and effort that goes into what we do. People have no clue- they think we mix the batter, pop it into the over, and viola! decorated cake (or cupcakes) ready to go...
This isn't Cake Mania!
I have to agree with everyone... Your cupcakes sound FABULOUS!! I am not as experienced as you are I'm sure.... But ....I have a similiar situation.
I enjoy making cakes for my family and " my " friends...and use my cake as part of their gift. I use fondant / gumpaste decorations, and take alot of time to make my cakes. Around my area, there are not alot of people that do use the fondant decorations.
My new DIL has asked me on numerous occasions to make cakes for her friends, but their is no mention of payment. I have went ahead in the past and told her to purchase the ingredients, and I'll make the cake. This last time, I told her NO. I knew if I didn't stop it then... I would always be expected to do it!
SO ... I think you did the right thing!
yes your cupcakes sound awesome! and expensive to make, so I definately understand your price which is not bad for 'gourmet' cupcakes.
those to me are gourmet flavors. Those are the kind that I like to do too.. So I completely understand where you are coming from...
this is why I am building an excell spreadsheet right now with all my different flavors and prices. I break down every single ingridient and every flavor.
For chocolate and Vanilla flavors I have a 'Basic' and a 'gourmet' choc. and vanilla since those are the most common flavors.
Basic uses the bare mininum lower price ingredients- extracts, and gourmet uses the pure extracts, more expensive extracts,etc.
if you want more you have to pay more..
I am pricing out
fillings, icings, cakes, fondant, gum paste, cake boards, ect.
I only do cakes/ cupcakes for family and friends but this way i can calculate the 'almost' exact cost of what they want so I can break it all down and tell them what is costs me to make them. once they see what it acutally costs us (not getting wholesale bakery prices) on things, maybe then some people will understand we HAVE to charge what we do...
good luck
Carrie
SOME "friends" can be the worst haters. Other friends will lift you up and boost our business, thankfully I have more of those than the first two.
I couldn't agree with you more. There are some people that just love to see you miserable because it makes them feel better. As soon as you have an upswing and are doing well they become negative and/or disappear. Your happiness is just too much for them to handle.
I call it "The Fat Friend" syndrome.
I understand! your problem. My dad isn't speaking to me right now because I haven't made my (nephew he is raising) a birthday cake. Sorry-paying customers FIRST!!!!! Oh, and MY DAUGHTER TOO! Her birthday was the very next day. He hasn't looked her direction, wished her happy birthday, kiss my butt - nothing! He can just get over it! BTW, she just turned 10.
I do what I can, but I'm only one person, just as you are. As soon as my $$ tree blooms, I'll just go out back and pick a few dollars and make you a cake! I want to yell that at my family sometimes.
Friend and/or family they can all stink. You are not alone.
I had a neighbor call me for 2 dozen cupcakes last year for her daughter's birthday. She wanted fully decorated "Princess" cupcakes. I told her they would only be $20.00 for 2 dozen. I thought I was doing her a huge favor because she was my neighbor. She called me back and told me that she got 4 dozen cupcakes for less than that at Walmart.
My sister went to the party and said the cupcakes were old, very dry, and not "princess" looking at all. Then the neighbory told my sister that I was too expensive. My sister looked at her and said "well you get what you pay for, her's are at least edible" Then she turned around and left her standing there with her mouth open!!
People have no clue.
once they see what it actually costs us
Whoa! Not sure I'd share that information ... those that are that concerned with price would likely start to criticize where you shop "butter is $x.xx at xxx" etc.
It's great info to keep for yourself tho to make sure you at least cover your costs.
If you really feel the need to justify your prices, why not make up a comparison chart quoting bakery/Walmart prices? At least that way the cheapskates know where they can shop!
I understand! your problem. My dad isn't speaking to me right now because I haven't made my (nephew he is raising) a birthday cake. Sorry-paying customers FIRST!!!!! Oh, and MY DAUGHTER TOO! Her birthday was the very next day. He hasn't looked her direction, wished her happy birthday, kiss my butt - nothing! He can just get over it! BTW, she just turned 10.
I do what I can, but I'm only one person, just as you are. As soon as my $$ tree blooms, I'll just go out back and pick a few dollars and make you a cake! I want to yell that at my family sometimes.
Friend and/or family they can all stink. You are not alone.
Wow that has to sux! I'm sorry to hear! I did a cake last week for my Aunt took me 13 hours over a 4 day period. My sister was supposed to pay me for the ingredients. She never did and she left back home yesterday.
Well... I went into work today (we work together)..and she didn't say one word to me.
Oh well...I keep telling myself, "It's her loss." 
once they see what it actually costs us
Whoa! Not sure I'd share that information ... those that are that concerned with price would likely start to criticize where you shop "butter is $x.xx at xxx" etc.
It's great info to keep for yourself tho to make sure you at least cover your costs.
If you really feel the need to justify your prices, why not make up a comparison chart quoting bakery/Walmart prices? At least that way the cheapskates know where they can shop!
ok fyi, I dont share my entire spreadsheet thats for my own personal use so I can calculate the exact price. once I have that price THAT is what I inform my family and friends. I dont see a problem telling them exactly what it cost me to make them. they get the end price not all the details..
I had a neighbor call me for 2 dozen cupcakes last year for her daughter's birthday. She wanted fully decorated "Princess" cupcakes. I told her they would only be $20.00 for 2 dozen. I thought I was doing her a huge favor because she was my neighbor. She called me back and told me that she got 4 dozen cupcakes for less than that at Walmart.
My sister went to the party and said the cupcakes were old, very dry, and not "princess" looking at all. Then the neighbory told my sister that I was too expensive. My sister looked at her and said "well you get what you pay for, her's are at least edible" Then she turned around and left her standing there with her mouth open!!
People have no clue.
Ha, my hubby did something similar for me once. I worked in a grocery store bakery. His shop needed a retirement cake. They wanted to buy one from the store, but I told DH I could do one for them at cost from home. The guy retiring helped us out a lot when we first moved there. So I was willing to put in the hours as a gift. When they found out what my "at cost" would be, as opposed to the store's price, they said mine was too spendy. So they got a very poorly decorated sheet cake (I wasn't on shift that day...which is why I could have made it at home) that tasted like cardboard and glue.
The guy who had decided not to take my cake was complaining about how awful the one they got was. My husband looked him right in the eye and said in front of everybody "If you weren't such a cheap-***, you'd have gotten a beautiful gourmet cake, entirely fresh and made with love. But you decided the extra 10 bucks was too much to spend to thank MSgt. **** for everything he's done in service of our country." Oh how I wish I could have seen his face.
MrsMabe---that's a good story! Your hubby has allot of nerve.. Do you think he would mind if I borrowed some? LOL
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