After my whole "are some customers clueless" thread awhile back I decided to make some big changes. And it didn't hurt one little bit. A lady emailed me the other day and wanted a price on a simple 2 layer cake for 1 year old that wouldn't break the bank, I knew where this was going. She wanted me to commit to a price before I had all the details. I ask her if she meant a 2 layer single tier cake or a 2 tier cake. Well after the dust cleared and I got her tell me what she really wanted, it turned into a 2 tier cake to serve 50 with multicolored stripes and 3D fondant zoo animals that matched the invites. When I gave her the estimate of $100 she apologized for wasting my time and said that was way more than she would be able to spend. I recommended she try the local grocery stores maybe they could do a cake with plastic figurines on it that would be more cost effective.

But there was a time not long ago I would have done that cake for $40-$50. And then my fellow CC'ers opened my eyes. I had actually been paying for some of these cakes myself. I was using a ton of high priced ingredients and spending a ton of time on these birthday cakes and not making money and getting more resentful by the minute. I have also started turning birthday cakes away on weekends that I have weddings. I don't feel bad at all, just very liberated. Thanks everybody.

Good for you!

WOW! 100.00 would have been a deal! 50 servings and gumpaste animals, I would have charged at least 225.00 (if she wanted fondant).

Come on, CC'ers, all join in:

Hip Hip HOORAY! Hip Hip HOORAY! Hip Hip HOORAY!!!!

Cake Lady, very happy for you. It does feel good doesn't it. Your cakes are very nice, I would honestly consider raising rates yet again. The people who are willing to pay will find you. Safeway charges more than $2 a slice for a tiered cake (btw--their 6" somehow serves 16) weird, but I think that's how they charge so much less per serving is they say their cakes serve more. Anyway, congrats!!

Good for you! It's very liberating to turn down a bad deal.

You inspired me!!!

Time to sharpen my pencil! I am loosing money and time with my loved ones! Oh and loosing sleep as well! So very happy I have found this website, of course now its 2:30 a.m. and I am not baking or sleeping! Good night forum!

Congrats cakelady! Your my HERO!!!!

Now the BEST part is when they call around to the other bakeries and realize that (if they can find another that can do it) that you were the best price in town. That seems VERY inexpensive to say the least! Gets even better when they call you back and get something less "decorated" because they found out you were the least expensive too! lol

I have to agree with everybody else that $100 was still a bargain, depending on how many fondants figurines she wanted. At the cakery I worked at, she charged $30 per fondants figurine, just to give you an idea of what others charge.

Yay!!! Now, pass some of that goodness to me! I am still working on how to say um....N-O. Feels so dirty lol!!!I am getting there though!! Good for you! I can't wait until I can actually start charging for mine

I have one simple rule - if it takes me away from my family, I better be earning hard cash. I charge for everything - every last toothpick and papertowel. Every penny I spend and don't recoup is a penny my family doesn't have to spend. Even when baking for friends and extended family, I charge twice the cost of supplies. This covers the cake costs, utilities and the uncountable things like toothpicks.

Not to mention your time away from your family while baking and creating. We have to be paid for this. If I'm not going to be earning a real profit, I'd rather sit and play scrabble at the table with loved ones. Get it?

Even gifting cakes gets on my nerves. So, your niece asks you to bake her wedding cake as a gift. Heck no! Let's say that cake would cost her $700 at a bakery.... how many other aunts are giving a $700 gift and giving up days of their time to create this gift? If every one else is giving gifts like that, then maybe I'll step up to the plate. But no. That's insane! I have to charge at least 2x the cost. And we all know that's still a huge bargain for the bride. If they don't like it they can go get that $700 cake.

So, all that being said - good for you!! Stick to your guns!

And it just keeps getting better yall.....I just quoted a 3 tier topsy turvy and very detailed baby shower cake (by sarahscakes) at wedding cake prices. Take it or leave it but I can almost guarantee she won't get THAT cake from anybody around here for one cent less.

Now everybody is right, our time is valuable. All that discount work we do just gets us more discount work to do. Ingredient prices keep going up, utilities bills keep going up, my income and time with family keep decreasing. I'm not trying to be all that but I'm just not going to do it anymore if it's not worth my while.

It is valuable and I am upping my prices as well, and I don't even get much business. I'm not doing a cake just to do a cake, especially if it's not worth it. Time away from my 5 year old girl, husband, even my dog--not to mention the frequent annoyances that make mama grumpy. Gotta be worth it. . .

That is awesome!! I should heed the great advice. (just sometimes I am not sure if I am worthy of making a profit) You give me hope that someday I will realize what my things are worth. Everyone on CC gives me hope! You do such nice work and totally deserve it!! cheers!

Yeah!! I get torn on pricing my cakes sometimes. I have only sold them to friends so far and I feel guilty charging them full price. I just started selling cakes in April of this year. I keep track of all my expenses because I'm an accountant. I made $595 in sales from 13 cakes and a set of 50 decorated pretzels. My supplies were $326.41 (doesn't include labor or overhead) so that means that I only made $268.59 on my sales. So that means I'm only making 45% of sales for labor and overhead. That doesn't really cover my time spent though.

I'm glad that everyone is more on top of this than I am.

Christy

Just a quick update.....since I woke up and smelled the money that was leaving my bank account and adjusted my prices I am happy to report that no one has balked at the prices I have quoted. Now I feel much better but kicking myself that it took so long to do it....Live and learn.