I am a cake decorator. I began at home. I went to work for a small bakery. Now, I work for Sam's. I have read several posts about grocery stores having crappy, cheesy...cakes. They are, without a doubt, CHEAP! Sam's is a wholesale club. We don't make any of the stuff from scratch but we do a fine job decorating them. With all that said:

This is what makes me laugh hysterically (in my head, of course)...

a group of women want to order a wedding cake...we don't do wedding cakes actually....we offer 3-10" round cakes that may be displayed on a (cardboard and styrofoam) 3 tiered cake stand....we don't do side decorations....your choice of gumpaste sprays or whipped or bc ing flowers. price altogether would run from 47-56 dollars...stand included.

"uh. um. do you have anything cheaper?" I kid you not! One of them asked me that. "sure do! how about a 1/2 sheet for 14.95???"
Oh yeah, the one I hear the most is "Costco has them for.... and they have pineapple filling and chocolate mousse!" One insisted that I make her a pineapple filled one because she can get it from there....I'd hate for her to know where I'd pull her filling from...oof...sorry...."maybe you should get your cake from Costco"
I've never been there but I've heard it's nice.

with all that cheapness goin on, it hasn't affected the demand for what I do. I do not have a problem telling them to go elsewhere

Well, it's time for me to head back in.

lol some people want cheep non formal weddings...I miss the formal wedding. Mine will be ultra formal and I will not skimp on the cake since it is one of the most important parts.

I have shopped at costco for years and have never seen them offering wedding style cakes, they have carrot cakes and regular old sheet cakes for about the same cost as Sam's Club, no big savings.

It amazes me how cheap people are when it comes to their wedding cakes. They will spend hyndreds, if not thousands, on dresses they will only wear once (if they are lucky!), but when it comes to their receptions and cakes they spend as little as possible. Most of the people I know won't go on and on about the bridal dress, but they will rave or dink the reception in a heart beat.

people want cheap cakes but they expect them to have all kinds of unique decorations. they want it to look extravagant but dont want to pay for it.

all4cake: You are cracking me up! See guys we aren't the only ones that people try to talk down in price...even the grocery stores aren't cheap enough in their prices!

I will say this though....every business has this problem. I have a little shop that I sell coffee, sandwiches, muffins, etc ....I always get complaints about my prices. They pay them, but still complain. I charge $1 for a cup of coffee(good coffee!!) and they tell me its too much. They are appalled that I charge $1 for bottled water or $2.00 for a jumbo sized muffin.
I just laugh...what else can ya do.

what can you say people are cheep...unless thay are on our end of the deal and understand how hard this stuff is.

Very, very sad and pitiful ...

Now that's funny. Some people are just a little too cheap. I'll be the first to admit that I am a bargain hunter, but I'm also a firm believer that you get what you pay for.

I would hate to see the rest of that wedding if that price was too high. I am all about a small simple wedding, but c'mon...... You have to know that Sam's is just about as inexpensive as you are going to get!

ge978

You should tell them to go to Starbucks!!! For a cup of straight coffee it will still cost you more than $1.00 - and that's just for the 12 oz. size! It's funny isn't it - how people will spend up to $8.00 a DAY on coffee - but don't want to spend anything on wedding cakes?? I mean that's a formal celebration and you're feeding a lot of people usually.

They wanted a cake for under $56 for a wedding? Are they completely insane? I mean - sure if it's only going to be 25 people then don't get a traditional "wedding cake".

Costco has fillings? We don't have those here.... anyone know what they normally charge for sheetcakes w/ fillings? Or do they not do sheetcakes w/ fillings.... that's interesting that they have them though.

all4cake - You should have told her to go buy the filling from Costco & bring it to you and you would put it in the cake..... I wonder if they would even sell her "just the filling".

Okay sorry this ended up long - but you know what else I don't get? When they say I can get it at such and such for this much.... SO WHY didn't you buy it from such and such a place??? Why are you telling me? Usually it's not the employees that can change a price anyway..... and most I would think don't even care what the price of something is - so the employee will tell you to go somewhere else too!

Doesn't the cheapness of people get amusing sometimes? Frustrating, but amusing!
I remember getting a call for a birthday cake from someone who lives in one of our affluent gated communities (whatever). I said that an 8" round is $20. She said "I really didn't plan on spending that much!" And this was with complimentary delivery! Okay, now we know how some folks can afford to live in big houses and be so thin. They don't eat cake.
Oh, and I did get a cake order from someone who WORKS at WalMart. I was buying supplies, and she asked, "You making a cake? Must be huge!".
We spoke a bit, I gave her my card and she was very happy with the order she placed soon after.

I am one of the cheapest people out there and I only spent 6,000 on my wedding. That being said, I didn't expect to spend less than 200 on a wedding cake and it wasn't even that big. We had a traditional Polish reception and a full out dessert table, so I opted for only a 100 servings of cake. We had 200 people and it actually worked out fine. But seriously, who gets a cake for under 100 and expects it to be less than that. Just buy a sheet cake then with your pic on it cause that is as good as it is going to get and that person gets the award for tackiest wedding cake ever!!!

There are just "some people" out there... I have only been asked a couple of times, but I have to remind those people that they are getting a "home made" product that they cannot get in a store, plus I provide complimentary delivery, and I really go out of my way to make their cakes special. The WORST was when my own uncle complained about the price I charged for a 2nd cousins' wedding cake. I'm not close with them at all, so I gave them the 50% family discount..... and I'm getting complaints! So, I have a "no-no list", of people who I just won't work with in the future!

All4cake, just wait, when one them dies, they will be complaining about the cost of the flowers, organist, casket, vault, limo ride to the cemetery or even the plot itself.

When I was a waitress a long, long, long time ago, we had a penny taped to the cash register for those who split the bill and didn't want to pay the extra cent.

"Money, money, money, money, money, money, money
Get a little, get a little
Money, money, money, money
Mark, a yen, a buck or a pound
That clinking, clanking, clunking sound
Is all that makes the world go round
It makes the world go round " --- "Money" from Cabaret Soundtrack

Imartsy - I had a very small wedding but like yukisaru I wanted formal. Since we had to pay for everything and could only afford cake/punch and lite food - I made sure the cakes were awesome. I went to a boutique bakery in downtown Dallas and had the most awesome cakes I've ever put in my mouth. And the cakes cost as much as my dress. After nearly 15 years my still-punch stained dress is stuck in a closet but people still talk about how awesome my cakes were.

On the other hand I just went to a wedding where they had initially asked me to do the cupcake tree for the grooms cake (was to be part of my gift to them) - they ended up with a grocery store cake and so proud of the fact that they got the ugly (brown and green blech) non-special cupcakes and brides cake for the bargain price of $250. People were taking a bite and tossing the rest. Oh yeah - the brides cake was three tiers with a simple scroll on the front - but the middle cake's scroll was shifted off-center of the top and bottom...I guess you do get what you pay for...

And this cheapness issue is one of the things that makes me nervous about really trying to start a business. But we live in an area where there are not a lot of bakeries and our local mart and grocery cakes are pitiful!!! We also have a fairly affluent area growing up around us - so it might be the perfect place.

I understand that all aren't able to go all out on a cake...It may not be in the budget...those are the ones who are grateful for what you do have to offer. 3-10" rounds with a gumpaste spray on each and the sturdy(but somewhat cheesy...it can be spruced up though) stand for like 56 plus tax.

I just get annoyed when they stroll up with their champagne thirst with a generic beer budget.

and a whole lot of A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

here in Switzerland, food (just like everything else) is definetly overpriced. I am running a small tea/coffee shop, where we sell and serve coffee (from all around the world), tea, hot chocolate, home made cakes, tea acessories and books. Anyhow, we have modest prices, since we see no point in overpricing. So when around the 250ml mug of lipton bag tea costs 3,90CHF, we charge for 500ml pot of good open tea between 5-8 CHF depending on the price per 100g (because we as well sell open tea). and guess what: there are people who complain... I always send them to the nearest cafe to check upon the prices and quality... Unfortunately, some people will never understand that what you pay should be what you get: good quality costs. Some tend not to understand that you can have a cup of Tschibo Coffee for 3.50CHF but for Jamaica Blue Mountain one needs to pay a franc more
Chauntelle, would you mind telling me if your Polish by origin? It would be nice to know that I am not the only one here

I find that the wealthiest people are the ones that try to talk me down in price the most.

Seems like the poorer the person the more they want to prove that they can afford the best, if i know a persons situtation i will give them a deal on the cake if they need it. Or when i price out a cake and its over the top and i think gee i wouldn't pay that for a cake, i give them some different options in a similar style so that they can pick what they want within thier budgets.

Now for someone not to want to pay $56 for three 10 inch cakes with gumpaste flowers is incredible, i would charge more then that just for the flowers.

Anyone ever heard of the "Rich dad/ Poor Dad" guy? He says he hates people who are rich but cheap. He kinda says "what's the point of being rich if you're going to be that cheap?" I agree!!!

And sometimes those people that complain about some things will go spend a lot of money on something else.... like complain about the rent, but go buy a large screen TV to stick in their studio apartment...... or they'll say they don't have enough money to pay their bills and will go out and buy a DVD player - that they don't really need. It's all about what you think really matters I guess.

I totally agree on the dress thing though - buying an expensive dress to wear once - I got my dress for a bargain b/c I think it was the last year's design, and I think I actually could wear it again if I wanted to take it out of it's box - if I had anywhere to go that is.... it had a train you could take off, so the dress itself was kinda form-fitting and had a straight skirt.... I figure I may wear it again someday - get some use out of it! I wore my "prom dress" to 2 different proms and on a cruise.... (and I didn't even go to my own prom- that would have been 4 times for the same dress - got my money out of that one!)

This just reminded me of the time I was working in a bead shop and a customer came in to purchase beads to match a blouse she had bought. This sweet little old lady (not so sweet after all!) was asking all kinds of questions about stringing a necklace and wasn't understanding what I was telling her, so she finally says to me "Can you string them for me and I will pay you $20.00", so I say okay, fine. Normally I would have charged $40 for designing and stringing a necklace, but a little old lady? Anyway, I do the necklace and the lady comes to pick it up (she left her blouse so that I could match the beads to it) and is thrilled with her necklace. She pays me and leaves. After she left my BEST and OLDEST friend says to me "Why did you only charge her $20n when you could have charged her your full price?" She's old and probably on a fixed budget, I tell her. My friend looked at me and said that the label on the blouse should have told me that she was not on a fixed budget because the blouse came from the priciest boutique on the Hill (Palos Verdes)........ I was steamed but I let it go...... 2 months later the lady comes in all upset that she broke her necklace and would I restring the beads.... Sure, I say, but it will cost her $40.00. Well, she felt that it wasd too much money and asked to talk to the owner, so I pointed her into the direction of ther owner and that was the last I saw of her. Later, the owner came into the bead room and told me that the lady complained about me wanting to charge her $40.00 for restringing her beads and the owner told her that she was lucky it was only $40.00 because she would have charged her a lot more. (I love that lady!) Anyway, the last I saw of thre sweet little old lady!

Wow are people cheap. I'm afraid to start a small cake business because where I live is known for acting rich but when it comes to food complains it costs too much. for instance my future sis-in-law complained that a new resturant was to pricy. My husband and I went there to check them out and their food was great and a great price. We got 2 huge grilled chicken sandwiches ( his had ham and swiss added ) with fries and coffee for $13.92 without tip. How is that expensive? I just don't get some people, they expect to recieve the whole cow for the price of a gallon of milk.

mkolmar

That is so true! And so funny! I think that phrase might find it's way into my daily life.....

Talk about cheap, when I worked retail, we had people come in, buy new drapes, sofa covers, bedspreads and other housewares and then bring them back 3-5 days later because "Gee, they don't fit". This always happened around the holidays so we knew that they were window dressing for the guests. You could tell they had been used. It happened all the time!

And get this, my SIL went to have her kids pics shot at a very high-end photographer. They actually told her to get the kids something really dressy at the store and after the shoot, return it. I couldn' believe it. (She didn't do it). So many out to save a buck.

The remark about taping the penny on the register reminded me of a friend of mine, who would take a calculator out at the diner...I said to her once that if she could save a quarter, she'd buy an umbrella that didn't have the fabric, just the spokes on it, just so she can say she saved 25 cents.