Today a woman called me, wanting a 2 tiered fondant cake with a royal icing tiara, pearls, and gumpaste roses on the top for a baby shower. I gave her a quote and she said the dreaded "let me tell you what budget I am on"
So she tells me that she is a single mom, and on foodstamps. That is understandable, so I try to think of things that would make it more affordable, like just doing buttercream (which she doesn't like) and a smaller cake, and just really simple. I offer to do a 6 inch cake with a rose and some leaves at the base, and small bow on the top and JUST buttercream, eventhough she was really pushing for fondant.
But she wants the nice cake for $15. She goes to my website, and says that she wants the topper for the cake that is on my Avatar. That thing has about 10 gumpaste roses and TONS of hydrangea blossoms on it.
Instead of telling her that it is out of her price range, I just tell her how much the topper itself would be. She is shocked and she says "Oh, you know what, I think I just need to learn how to make that myself."
In the end, we decided on the 6 inch buttercream cake, but I can't help but wonder if the order will actually go through.

She'll spend a lot more trying to learn to do it herself than to have you make it for her, at your price.

Oh, that's too bad. You can't even get a simple sheet cake for that price at most grocery stores. The RI tiara itself would be that price. (I've never actually done one, that's just what I've read ) I hope your order goes through for you. Btw, I LOVe LOVE LOVE your avatar picture. The colors, roses, topper, well - everything is bEaTiFuL!

Thanks!
Well, she hasn't called back. Oh well!

You can't get a 1/4 sheet at our local grocery for under $20.
I can understand why she wants to give her child a nice cake but at the same time you wouldn't call the mechanic and say you are on food stamps and broke so you want your engine rebuilt for the price of an oil change.

For $15 she would get a 8 x 2 from me with basic designs and a poorly written (my freehand is horrible) message.

At least she didn't ask if you take food stamps!

you should've asked her to barter with you.......maybe she could come scrub all your cake pans for a month and pay off the cost of labor on the cake??? lol

I think she needs to go lo the local store, and see what she can get for $15...

I think I would suggest the buttercream cake as well, small and simple. Then suggest she spend $5 on silk flowers from walmart (or better yet a dollar store) and attempt to make that topper. I think you're great for even working with her and her "budget". We've all probably hard times. Personally I would never buy one of my own cakes and I only charge $1/serving. She has a right to a cake, but she must understand that she will have to take what she can get with that budget.

Now sisita, you know a home baker doesn't have all of the overhead that a store does, that's why can can pretty much give our cakes away for a song!! I mean, come on! It's just a box mix with some frosting slapped on it....WE should pay THEM to take it off of our hands!!

I hope the sarcasm came through on that....

I agree that it's a great thing to have a nice party if you're (apparently) hosting a baby shower, but $15 budget is nothing for a cake. I hope that there aren't a lot of people coming to the shower.

That sucks, kinda funny though... hopefully she wont call you back - I dont even think it would be worth your time to do it for $15. At least you were nice about it I'm working on opening up a shop out of the dallas area, and am worried about running into a bunch of people like that.

In my local grocery store (part of a state-wide chain), the cakes- sheets and tiered- are eligible for purchase with the food stamps.

Edoted tp add: Summernoelle- just noticed that you are from Dallas. The store I was talking about is HEB! The cards that show the price for their versions of the 2D/3D cakes has a bright dayglo orange sticker saying "WIC approved" or "Food Stamp approved"

you could also suggest that she have you make and ice a small cake just plainly, she can make some cupcakes (great suggestion BTW), then she can go to the dollar store and get one of those plastic crowns to place on top of the cake you made. Then she can get the same idea for a price that is a bit more in her range.

>>In my local grocery store, the cakes (sheets and tiered) are eligible for purchase with the food stamps.<<<

Do you have any idea what one must go thru to be eligible to accept food stamps??
*NOT* worth the hassel.

$15 would not cover your ingredients for that. Never mind your utilities, pans, boards, foil, etc, and OH YEAH, your precious, precious time!! Good for you for not caving in.

I DO understand being on a budget and wanting something nice, I just DON'T understand it when people want a stranger to pay out of their own pocket for it.

I agree with the previous poster -- this lady should make some wonderful cupcakes with sprinkles for her daugher. Pink and purple for a princess!

I am glad that you tried to work with her. We are not a blessed to have tons of money, but would still like nice things. I don't blame her for asking. Some people truly do not understand the cost that it takes to do what we do.

We didn't have a lot of money when I was a kid, but I know that I felt special to get grocery store cakes. I realize that we cannot give our products away, but trying to accommodate to a point is very nice and could make someone very happy!

I also realize that there are people out there that are just trying to take advantage, but I try to give everyone a chance.......

Stephanie

[quote="At least she didn't ask if you take food stamps! [/quote]

Am I the only one that thinks this comment was in poor taste, to say the least. This person has no clue about pricing, that's a given but that's no reason to make fun of her like this.

This may be bad, but I just tell someone like that I don't think I'm the right place for them to order their cake from. I just know they are going to be a pain down the road.

I have a bride that wants a big wedding and can't afford it. I feel so bad for her. Too bad she didn't have a family member or a friend that could help her understand what she can afford and not afford.

I understand that some customers have no idea what goes into a cake, the work, cost, let's not even think about cleaning the kitchen after the fact. I can't even see going to anyone with only $15 to buy a cake with all she wanted.

vicmic,

I'm sure she didnt mean it in a super rude way.... I wouldn't be offended....



You dont want to know my opinion on the fact that I work a full time job and pay ALOT in taxes to find out that they can buy a cake w/ stamps that they should be using for milk and bread.

IMHO.. none of us know what the actual meaning behind her statement was.. so we should not assume anything. If she was saying it to be up front and honest or just to get sympathy...either way you look at it, she still would not be able to get the style of cake she requested.. $15 is just not enough.

Wow, I've been gone all day and just read all the posts.
I felt bad for her. She told me that she had already gone to Kroger and ordered a cake, and was paying for it in food stamps, and wanted to order an additional one from me. Like I said, I can work with you on price, and I won't turn away people just because they need to order something really simple, but is it really a good idea to call a custom cake maker?
Anyway, my husband just lost his job, and we got our laaaaast pay check Wednesday. Even though he has been interviewing, it is still scary to not know where the next check is coming from. And I tell you what, if I didn't have money, I wouldn't spend it on a cake!!! (And I really love cake)