The Grocery Store Cupcakes Are Cheaper, She Says! *snort*
Decorating By evasmama Updated 17 Apr 2009 , 5:38pm by hilly
So far in my kitchen adventures, I've only made regular cakes. My cousin recently asked me how much for some custom cupcakes for her housewarming party. She wanted marble cakes with hand-painted houses on the frosting. I told her $2.50 each, which I thought was pretty reasonable given the work involved (I'm a 100% from-scratcher). I even offered a price break for over 2 dozen (we have a big family).
She finally replied about her housewarming cupcake request. I actually laughed out loud.
We are going to pass. If you think about it... 2.50 a cupcake for a dozen is $30. If I got 2 dozen, which is probably what I will get the price would be 54.00. For cupcakes!! There is no way John and I would pay 50+ dollars for cupcakes. I understand you will be using 2 kinds of cake batter, but we can't afford 2.25 a cupcake. We have looked into (a local grocery store) and we can get 24 for 12.50. I have had their cupcakes and they are pretty good, I mean for just what we wanted them for, snack foods. I really wanted cupcakes so I didn't have to cut cake at the party. We just wanted people to graze and drink.
Thanks anyways. Hope you understand. We just can't pay 50+ for a single dessert at the party.
Seriously...does she think that $.50 each is going to get her GOOD cupcakes? From a GROCERY STORE?
Ugh.
That's an easy one. When someone tells me that *insert any cake/cupcake here* is cheaper at the grocery store. I have a simple response...are you ready for it.....
ME - "Good. It should be."
The solemn look on my face ends that right quick. There are other orders I've had to turn down, so don't EVEN think I am desperate for your cupcake order.
Wow. That was kind of fun! I think I channeled Indydebi for a minute. 
$60 for 2 dozen. She can't multiply.
She can't spell or use punctuation, either, and she's a HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER. Here's where my new-found "Consider the source" mantra comes in. I just keep repeating that to myself and it calms me down.
I don't know any grocery store that will hand-paint houses on the cupcakes.
I doubt she'll get even close to what she asked me for. She'll wind up with single flavor boxed mix cups with a big swirl of overly sweet, greasy lard icing. She doesn't know any better, and I almost feel sorry for her. Almost. 
People are clueless to the fact that it actually takes time to decorate things. They only think ingredients. Maybe their store bought cupcakes will have little plastic houses stuck into them!
Maybe if the grocery store doesn't have little houses to stick in, she can borrow the ones from her Monopoly game!
Seeing she's an English teacher........I bet you have to fight the urge to correct her errors and send it back to her! 
Ughhh.........now we know why some high school graduates can't construct a sentence. 
I would tell her exactly what she is getting for the money at the local grocery store. A dry, frozen, flavorless cake with some thick overly sweet lard icing without a house on it.
People kill me when they want your product but do not want to pay for it. They do not realize that your products are homemade from scratch which means you put extra effort and time into the product and they taste amazing.
I would keep it moving. Sometimes family don't seem to understand the concept.
I came thisclose to typing out in the email exactly the difference between a fifty cent grocery store cupcake, and a $2.50 one that I'd make. But, if she's happy with grocery store quality, it wouldn't matter anyway, so I saved my strength. Gotta keep my pipin' hand strong.
What I think is funny is she asked you for something very specific and very detail-oriented. And she price checked that with something very much not specific with no detail. So... the comparison is....????
I get grossed out when I look at store bought cupcakes and want to gag. I can't believe people actually eat that crap. I know parents bring them to my son's daycare for birthdays and I HATE that he eats that crap...
Maybe if the grocery store doesn't have little houses to stick in, she can borrow the ones from her Monopoly game!
Seeing she's an English teacher........I bet you have to fight the urge to correct her errors and send it back to her!
Ughhh.........now we know why some high school graduates can't construct a sentence.
Too funny!
What I think is funny is she asked you for something very specific and very detail-oriented. And she price checked that with something very much not specific with no detail. So... the comparison is....????
I know, right?
I get grossed out when I look at store bought cupcakes and want to gag. I can't believe people actually eat that crap. I know parents bring them to my son's daycare for birthdays and I HATE that he eats that crap...
I hate that schools require store bought goods whenever something is brought for the class. I firmly believe that the non-cooking moms felt so guilty and jealous that they made up some scheiss about food safety to get the school boards to make rules preventing the cooking moms from "showing off!"
I want to know how many people will accidentally swallow or break a tooth on the monopoly houses!
[/quote]I hate that schools require store bought goods whenever something is brought for the class. I firmly believe that the non-cooking moms felt so guilty and jealous that they made up some scheiss about food safety to get the school boards to make rules preventing the cooking moms from "showing off!"[/quote]
R U kidding me?!?!? I don''t have kids so maybe I just haven't heard of this but that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.
I want to know how many people will accidentally swallow or break a tooth on the monopoly houses!
Hmmmmmmm.......didn't think of that little dilemma, better go with the hotels instead!
Alice1230, yes I meant to comment on the "grazing" line too. Maybe she should just throw out a bail of hay and let the guest "graze" on that instead.
Lots of fiber
She gave way too much information....as if it is a surprise to you that she can get cheap cupcakes at the grocery store! I have people now and then that say my price isn't in their budget and it doesn't bother me---it's the people that try to guilt trip you about it that are annoying!
R U kidding me?!?!? I don''t have kids so maybe I just haven't heard of this but that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.
Yeah, most everywhere now, public schools anyway, you can't bring anything prepared at home. They say food allergies. Like if a kid has a food allergy to peanuts and even if I swear that I didn't use peanuts in my food, if my knife or spatula has ever touched peanut butter and now it touches the icing the kid could die. I'm fortunate, at my son's preschool they didn't say anything when I brought cupcakes for his birthday last year. And I'm really surprised that they do the parties at Xmas and Thansgiving where they have a sign in sheet to bring stuff. But at the public schools forget it. Very sad. 
First of all, Jammjenks, I love your response! I will file that one away in my head. Too true.
I hate that schools require store bought goods whenever something is brought for the class. I firmly believe that the non-cooking moms felt so guilty and jealous that they made up some scheiss about food safety to get the school boards to make rules preventing the cooking moms from "showing off!"
This is probably not far from the truth at all. Picture that very stereotypical upper-class working mom rushing around, feeling all important. She can swing by any upscale bakery to out-do the poor folks bringing in Wal-Mart cupcakes, but how can she out-do a homemade cupcake done in the child's favorite colors/flavors/designs? She can't. So it's not fair.
My elementary school had the same rule growing up, and the school my mom works at now has the same rule, too, about only storebought goods, so I assume it's pretty common.
I'm floored. I don't ever remember showing up to a bake sale in grade school with anything other than a home baked good. If you came with something that was bought you were "shunned"
The last bake sale I saw had ZERO home-baked goods in it. It's sad...the end of an era.
I say we have a revolution.
I know this is off the initial topic, but since people are commenting I thought I'd add my 2 cents. I'm a teacher (spec. ed) who happens to go to some of my students homes to do carry over work with some of the families. I've been in many homes over the years between student teaching and where I now work, so this is in no way a reflection on any one specific family or situation. Many of my families, I would have no problems eating anything they'd send in. There are those where there is no way that I could eat, or in good consciousness have my students eat anything sent in by that family.
The food allergy 'excuse' may be real, I have had plenty of students with tree nut/peanut allergies, milk allergies, egg allergies etc. and as their teacher, I'm used to screening snacks or having parents send in replacements during parties. In my experiences, the health issue and sanitary conditions are definitely another main reason why store-bought snacks are the preference. Most schools will not come out and say this because they don't want to offend parents or point fingers.
There are those 'teacher' stories of parents send in fowl-smelling food or a roach got into the container and all that yucky stuff. They're probably just 'stories' but the possibility is too great of a risk.
An to the the O.P. they are missing out on something great an unique to add to their open house. It is their loss, they'll have to settle for grocery store blob icing and, not personalized cupcakes like they envisioned. I know I've read a lot of hot-stuff on the pricing issues. While I just bake for friends I'll go ahead and say good for you for not caving to the $0.50 price!
I hate that schools require store bought goods whenever something is brought for the class. I firmly believe that the non-cooking moms felt so guilty and jealous that they made up some scheiss about food safety to get the school boards to make rules preventing the cooking moms from "showing off!"[/quote]
R U kidding me?!?!? I don''t have kids so maybe I just haven't heard of this but that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.[/quote]
At least my kids got through elementary school before they made that ruling. My friends DD's teacher "looks the other way" because she would rather everything be homemade.
Alice, I definitely wasn't implying that people don't think food allergies are real. I do think some schools use that as an 'easy' no-question excuse for why foods can't be brought in. I have cousins with severe food allergies and whenever there's a party, store-bought or not, the mom sends in a treat for the girls so there is absolutely no risk.
The health/sanitary cooking conditions are another big risk. Schools can't monitor parents homes and honestly, most teachers *know* whose house they wouldn't eat things from, but can't say and can't discretely hide homemade food from that family while serving food from other families homes. Store-bought is *at least* inspected (NOT trying to start anything between kitchen and non-kitchen bakers...using general terms that I've heard my boss use when discussing this topic) and therefore in theory not a health risk to the school or students.
Did that make more sense?
Alice, I definitely wasn't implying that people don't think food allergies are real. I do think some schools use that as an 'easy' no-question excuse for why foods can't be brought in. I have cousins with severe food allergies and whenever there's a party, store-bought or not, the mom sends in a treat for the girls so there is absolutely no risk.
The health/sanitary cooking conditions are another big risk. Schools can't monitor parents homes and honestly, most teachers *know* whose house they wouldn't eat things from, but can't say and can't discretely hide homemade food from that family while serving food from other families homes. Store-bought is *at least* inspected (NOT trying to start anything between kitchen and non-kitchen bakers...using general terms that I've heard my boss use when discussing this topic) and therefore in theory not a health risk to the school or students.
Did that make more sense?
this does make alot of since, it would also explain why some teachers will turn their heads. Lets face it you don't know how some people live. Take a look at some of those cleaning shows on TV who would of thought that people can live is such filth.
I was lucky my boys were always allowed to bring in stuff from home. And was always aware if someone had allergies. My son had a friend in grade school that couldn't have milk so when making his birthday cake that year i made sure to use no milk products so that the little boy could have cake with everyone else. Talk about a grateful mom.
Now as far as the OP let her have her grocery store cup cakes she wouldn't have appreciated the time and effort you would have to expend on cupcakes as it is.
R U kidding me?!?!? I don''t have kids so maybe I just haven't heard of this but that has got to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard of.
Yeah, most everywhere now, public schools anyway, you can't bring anything prepared at home. They say food allergies. Like if a kid has a food allergy to peanuts and even if I swear that I didn't use peanuts in my food, if my knife or spatula has ever touched peanut butter and now it touches the icing the kid could die. I'm fortunate, at my son's preschool they didn't say anything when I brought cupcakes for his birthday last year. And I'm really surprised that they do the parties at Xmas and Thansgiving where they have a sign in sheet to bring stuff. But at the public schools forget it. Very sad.
It's even more hysterical when you consider all of the "store bought" goodies that have been recalled lately or have actually killed people 
.
She finally replied about her housewarming cupcake request. I actually laughed out loud.
We are going to pass. If you think about it... 2.50 a cupcake for a dozen is $30. If I got 2 dozen, which is probably what I will get the price would be 54.00. For cupcakes!! There is no way John and I would pay 50+ dollars for cupcakes. I understand you will be using 2 kinds of cake batter, but we can't afford 2.25 a cupcake. We have looked into (a local grocery store) and we can get 24 for 12.50. I have had their cupcakes and they are pretty good, I mean for just what we wanted them for, snack foods. I really wanted cupcakes so I didn't have to cut cake at the party. We just wanted people to graze and drink.
Thanks anyways. Hope you understand. We just can't pay 50+ for a single dessert at the party.
Seriously...does she think that $.50 each is going to get her GOOD cupcakes? From a GROCERY STORE?
Ugh.
Just to get back to the original topic (although I agree that the store-bought thing is stupid although probably necessary to avoid dog hair)
Note that the point of her response is to say that SHE CAN"T pay that much. I just wanted to point out to you that you're not overcharging, you're just charging what this particular person isn't willing to pay. That's fine, there will always be people who don't want to pay what you charge. There will also be people who do pay what you charge, so don't start second-guessing yourself and lower the price!
She finally replied about her housewarming cupcake request. I actually laughed out loud.
We are going to pass. If you think about it... 2.50 a cupcake for a dozen is $30. If I got 2 dozen, which is probably what I will get the price would be 54.00. For cupcakes!! There is no way John and I would pay 50+ dollars for cupcakes. I understand you will be using 2 kinds of cake batter, but we can't afford 2.25 a cupcake. We have looked into (a local grocery store) and we can get 24 for 12.50. I have had their cupcakes and they are pretty good, I mean for just what we wanted them for, snack foods. I really wanted cupcakes so I didn't have to cut cake at the party. We just wanted people to graze and drink.
Thanks anyways. Hope you understand. We just can't pay 50+ for a single dessert at the party.
Seriously...does she think that $.50 each is going to get her GOOD cupcakes? From a GROCERY STORE?
Ugh.
Just to get back to the original topic (although I agree that the store-bought thing is stupid although probably necessary to avoid dog hair)
Note that the point of her response is to say that SHE CAN"T pay that much. I just wanted to point out to you that you're not overcharging, you're just charging what this particular person isn't willing to pay. That's fine, there will always be people who don't want to pay what you charge. There will also be people who do pay what you charge, so don't start second-guessing yourself and lower the price!
I did get that impression too. I think it's a matter of she would if she could but she can't so she won't. KWIM? She didn't sound snarky in her reply and didn't imply that the grocery store cuppies would be better, just sort of stated that it was out of her budget.
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