$$ Saving Tips W/o Loosing Quality
Decorating By Smsheikh Updated 8 Nov 2006 , 7:15pm by MissBaritone
I have just started to self teach myself cake decorating and hope someday to start selling my cakes. I feel like I have to spend a fortune to afford the materials and ingredients just to practice. What are your secrets to having quality cakes and frosting without going broke?
In my forum travels today I found a link to a great site! They sell the boxes in bulk and are very cheap, you'll need those for packing and selling.
http://bgpaper.com/Catalog/Baking_Supplies.html
Also if you check Walmart they always have stuff on clearance you can use in your baking. I've gotten a $50.~ pan set for as little as $12.~ when it went on clearance.
Also check eBay! I have a few eBay stores bookmarked as favorites with my ebay section because they sell only wilton products or only cake decorating products. Tonight for instance I got 2 pans for the price of one, brand new wilton sheet cake pans. I've gotten all of my stuff off ebay with the exception of boards and boxes and icing and cake mix lol.
If you want to use mixes, I'd suggest finding them on sale and buying a bunch! You can find recipes here on CC for doctoring a box cake mix and IMO once you doctor it it's home made 
As for your butter cream icing, this is the one place I wouldn't cut corners. Go for the name brand all the way. Crisco shortening, store brand butter has proven ok for me so far, Domino Powdered Sugar... I currently use the Wilton colors but only because I can't seem to find Americolor anywhere in big packs as of yet. I've seen them but can't seem to find them where I can buy them like that lol.
Make sure you get a couple of each tip, for quick color changes that need the same tips. You can get most of the tips for under $1.~. Alot of people here praise the Cake Icer tip, it's a little over $2.~ and doesn't take a coupler. The 3 star tip is worth the investment lol. It's not that expencive I paid $2.~ a some change for mine and it uses the large coupler.
I use disposable bags but you may find using Featherweight bags easier and cheaper for you. I found the largest Featherweight bag at Walmart for about $3.~ less then my normal cake decorating supply store. But alot of stuff at Walmart isn't cheaper so shop around.
Good luck with it hun and don't be affraid to ask questions 
Becky
Also, watch for Hobby Lobby and Micheals coupons. They often have 40% off coupons for one item(go everyday) and Hobby Lobby has a 50% off ALL wilton items you buy several times a year. Don't let the cashier tell you that is just for one wilton item. It is for everything you buy.
Also, Sam's has ingredients cheaper, butter, milk, powdered sugar, etc.
Buy in bulk when you can. I use a lot of Orange Peel for some of my cookie recipes. Buying it in those little jars at Walmart is about $3.00+ per ounce. I buy it in larger containers thru Sysco and my cost is about $0.15 per ounce. Flour in 5-lb bags at the grocery was $0.15 per cup. Flour in 50-lb bags thru Sysco is less than a penny a cup. Be careful though ..... I priced the mini M&M's for my cookies and it was cheaper per ounce/cup to buy them in the little bags at Walmart than it was to buy the 25 lb bag thru Sysco.
Indydebi,
Do you need a business license to buy from Sysco where you live? The Sysco here will not let you buy without a license.
Theresa
Since I have one, I never thought to ask if it was a requirement. Our GFS is open to the public so no license needed there. If it's not on the shelf, they can order it for you. A friend who runs a restaurant told me that the GFS (Gordon's Food Service) person told her that most items sold by GFS and Sysco are the very same thing, just different packaging.
I have a friend who has an arrangement with a person who owns a business. She orders some of her bulk items thru his business and pays him for them. He says it helps him when there is a min buy on something he doesn't use much of, but between the two of them, he can get a better price because he's buying higher quantity.
Use you're imagination
Kids play doh toys are great for working with fondant.
cookie cutters can be used to cut out icing.
A length of threaded screw can be used as a smocking roller
lots of DIY tools can be adapted.
If you're just practing use an upturned cake tin. when you're finished scrape the icing off, store it and use another day to practise some more
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