[Jasmine31]

Well, a co worker of Joe's LOVES my brownie cake. She asked me a few months ago if she could pay me to bring it to her sons birthday party. She already had 1 cake but wasn't sure if it would be enough. She had done a favor for us by letting us use her truck to bring home my fridge from Costco so I told her not to worry about it and did it for free.

Anyhow she called up last night wanting to know if she could pay me to make "that brownie cake" for her niece. She said her niece just loves brownies and she loves my brownie cake so she called. I said sure. Yes people this cake is THAT good. People will call and offer to pay you to make it for them! Click here for the recipe.


So after I dropped Joey off at work at 6:30 I rushed over to smart n final and they opened at 7:00. Did you know it cost $2.00 to buy a dozen large eggs v.s $1.80 to buy 1.5 dz x~lg eggs? Anyhow I was going to make that cake x 2 so my family could have some but I was feeling so good I thought I would make us 4 loaves of bread and 24 mini stromboli.

Oh and why is my stromboli NOT in the sidebar? I don't know. I looked for it the other day and I guess I never put it up! Speaking of getting paid for baking/cooking. There is someone else at Joe's work who asked me several times to make them some stromboli! We don't really know them too well, not like we know the other gal. And it kind of felt like it was out of the blue.



Like for instance the brownie cake I have sent with Joe to work a few times, yes the whole cake! For him to share with everyone. So I am not surprised someone liked it and wanted me to make some for them special. But the stromboli I send in his lunch. I guess him warming it up in the microwave and someone smelling it is enough to make a person want some! LOL



The one they first asked about was the beef chimichanga one. They wanted to know how much I would charge them to make some. When he told me this I was stumped. At first I couldn't even remember HOW I made it. Then I remember I posted about it here. Yeah! Then I remembered ALL the ingredients. That would be tedious adding that all up!

Normally when you see or try food you like you ask for the recipe. Right? Do you ask some one to make it for you and you want to pay them? LOL Besides that I was thinking, they have never even tried it, how do they know they will like it? WHat If they don't like it and aren't happy with it? SO I decided just to blow it off.

Well I am usually at his work 1-2 a week for lunch. This person happened to be there and asked me in a round about way. I said, "Well I don't really know with the beef one". They said well let me know a price on a chicken one. Ummm...I don't even like the chicken one so the chances of me making it again are slim to none. LOL

As I am sitting there thinking I am going to strain my brain calculating this out with how much per lb, how many cups of cooked chicken per lb? How much chicken in the chimichanga? Is it too much? Not enough? Is there enough cheese? Are the seasonings right? Are they allergic to anything? And on and on and on...

Not to mention the fact I have not actually felt like being in the kitchen lately. I have been doing bare minimum.

So today I decided 2 cakes, 4 loaves of bread, 24 mini stromboli's. One tray in particular came out so nice looking I decided what the heck. I should call Joe and see if his co worker still wants to buy stromboli, but it will be cheese only. I did make chicken stromboli with mushrooms once but I didn't care for it.



I figured I would calculate what my base cost are and decide on a price and if they don't want to pay it, then it will surely get eaten by us. LOL And if they don't like it, oh well
I guess they can quit asking me to make them stromboli then hunh? LOL

There were 8 perfect looking mini stromboli's so I called Joe and told him to ask. My base cost(for ingredients) is .62 cents for one. SO I figured $1.50 each. That sounded fair to me. What would you charge?

I also tossed in a loaf of bread for the gal who wants the cake. I was completely stumped when she asked me how much cause I had never finished adding up my cost. I didn't want to go too high and be rude, but I didn't want to go too low and short myself either. She told me to add up the cost of the ingredients and my time. I can add up ingredients simple enough but time is another story. I won't get all intricate here and bore you to death so...



REAL grade AA butter cost alot! LOL SO I told her $10.00. She said that was fine. I finally added it up today. It will cost me $3.69 to make it. So not bad. WHat would you of charged?

I added up my new recipe I have been doing lately for bread too. My whole wheat one uses more expensive ingredients like olive oil or butter and honey but this other recipe I have is very simple and is easy to make. Bread flour, salt, yeast, water. I add it up and it cost only .38 cents to make! It is called Plain Bread. Sounds very boring but actually it is very soft and fluffy. It melts in your mouth!



Joe's co worker who is wanting the stromboli said Monday they want 6. So I threw them in the freezer. They want to try a loaf of bread too. So I am debating on that one. I know it's a lower cost item but seriously cheap white bread at the store cost about $1.50! So I am thinking $2.00. You know, since it was made with love and all. WHat would you charge?

I think my whole wheat bread cost is about $1.00. So if I ever sell that it would definately be $3.00!!

Those are just the food cost, not adding in what little bit of electricity/water or gas it would cost, bread bags. I get those pretty cheap at smart n final. I know there would be gas to the store but I go to the store every week anyways.

Wouldn't that be so cool if I could get a side business going baking for people? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions?

[CABunnyGirl]

Can this cake be used to make cupcakes?? Do tell...

And by the way - You should charge for the ingredients but you must also charge for your utilities, travel and your time to give yourself and your effort full credit.

A good stromboli would cost anyone $4-6.00 and a cake as good as yours appears to be is $10-15.00, maybe more. There is a woman here at work who sells home-made cakes and she charges $30!

We all know that people buy garbage food in vending machines and at work cafeterias and fast-food places, so something that's make with quality ingredients (and love) is well worth the extra cost.

Follow your passion, and don't give your talents away - people will pay for quality.

[Jasmine31]

Hi CABunnyGirl,

Can this cake be used to make cupcakes?? Do tell...

I think I need to find out today! LOL I mentioned that to my dh before but he said what he loves the most about it is all the frosting. He loves all of it but I guess the frosting is his favorite and he said he would get more cake and less frosting with it that way. LOL

I think the cake is smaller than you think. It is long, but it isn't thick. I do it on a wilton cookie sheet. The measurements are 16x12x1.

This is what 1 of the pieces looks like on that cake I did a few months ago. See it is short?



Here is a better picture of the stromboli if I make it exactly according to the directions:



See how huge those two are? What I did was take that and basically split each stromboli into 4. SO I would get 8 on those two big ones. My dh likes less salt and pepper.

So are you talking BIG stromboli or small stromboli? LOL Where do you see it for sale at? The first time I heard about it at all was on line.

There is a woman here at work who sells home-made cakes and she charges $30!

That is so cool. I would definately need to get alot more skilled at decorating. HAHA That is one awesome cake though. It really melts in your mouth. Everyone oohs and aahs over it when i make it.

On another forum someone gave me a rough formula to follow.

When I was a teen I used to sell some baked goods and hm candy...My friends dad had a restaurant, and this is what he told me to do.

First figure out the cost per item in ingredients only (we'll say $1)
Next, you assume the same price for time and effort and cooking ($1)
Any packaging is 1/2 the cost per item in ingredients (because in reality in a business that part is a tax write off) ($.50)
THEN, your profit should be the same, if not more, than the cost of your ingredients (so, another $1)

Your time and effort doesn't really cost the same as the ingredients in most places, but that plus the profit section helps round everything out. So, for example, the stromboli should be sold for $2.17. Round it out however you see fit.

You are definately right that I shouldn't short change myself. I am wondering how to go about just doing this. Obviously word of mouth would be great and we will see how it goes with that one lady who wants the stromboli. You know? LOL Maybe I should make muffins and cookies and send them to work with my dh and for him to say if anyone wants them they are .50 cents each. (Or whatever I figure the price needs to be)

Any given day the amount of people varies between 2 other people at work to 5 to even more on some days. He works for the parks so different people work different days and some days people from other departments come by, like lawn mower and tree crew.

Thank you for your advice.

[midwife]

Isn't this how Paula Deen started out????

Go, Jasmine!!

I would charge a lot, actually. A cake for a birthday party---$15 minimum. I can't get the pictures of the stromboli to show up here at work, but think about what you would pay for a lunch of that size. Would one fill a person up for lunch? I would say $4 to 5 minimum! Think about your talent and time! And if you are thinking about doing this long-term, it should be profitable for you! I know that I am willing to pay for convenience and quality.

Someday I'll say, "I knew her when!!" when I see you on the Food Network!

[zenor77]

How cool is that! I would love to bake for a living!

I think restaurants have at least a 200% mark-up if not more. So, I'd add up the cost of ingredients, time, packaging and then triple it.

[blueberry3]

You could definately get a side business going! Everything you bake looks so good, I am hungry now! I would love to do something like that too - it would be a nice get away for me to do something besides my office work. I am seriously afraid I am coming down with some of these ailments! LOL! Do you know how much magazine clutter I have!

[Rhighlan86]

That is how Paula Deen started out, she started a catering business with her sons a.k.a Lady and Sons the restuarant/catering company she now owns. With the price don't feel bad for charging over what it cost to make it because you should add in your time. Thats why goods from people can cost more because of their time and effort put into it. I'm sorry to say that the brownie cake doesn't look good to me but only because I dislike chocolate and brownies, but pass that stromboli over....yum I would definately say go for it as a side business if you would feel like cooking as much as you would potentially need to.

[Jasmine31]

midwife:

Isn't this how Paula Deen started out????

I don't even know who she is. LOL

Go, Jasmine!!

Yeah!!! I am excited!

I would charge a lot, actually. A cake for a birthday party---$15 minimum.

That cake is small! LOL It is made with a long cookie sheet. haha SO it is not thick like if you had made it with a cake pan.

I can't get the pictures of the stromboli to show up here at work, but think about what you would pay for a lunch of that size. Would one fill a person up for lunch? I would say $4 to 5 minimum!

Just one of the mini stromboli's is like 750 calories! LOL SO that is like dinner to me plus a salad. LOL Just one small one has 3/4 cup of cheese. Well I already told him and he told her $1.50. But if this gets going we can charge more later to other people.

Think about your talent and time! And if you are thinking about doing this long-term, it should be profitable for you! I know that I am willing to pay for convenience and quality.

Yeah that is something I need to keep reminding myself. I am so frugal myself I was shocked when his friend from work twice asked me to bake for her. The first time I tried to give her the recipe! LOL I know when I was working full time years ago I came home and didn't want to cook or bake anything. I was also working 6 days a week.

Someday I'll say, "I knew her when!!" when I see you on the Food Network!

You all are too kind!

zenor77

How cool is that! I would love to bake for a living!

I think restaurants have at least a 200% mark-up if not more. So, I'd add up the cost of ingredients, time, packaging and then triple it.

Time is going to be hard to figure out but I need to just take some time and clock it, make up a whole bunch at once and freeze it and see how long it takes. Yeah I love doing this kind of stuff!

blueberry3

You could definately get a side business going! Everything you bake looks so good, I am hungry now! I would love to do something like that too - it would be a nice get away for me to do something besides my office work.

Yeah I really do enjoy baking and cooking. Thanx for the compliment!

I am seriously afraid I am coming down with some of these ailments! LOL! Do you know how much magazine clutter I have!

I hope you feel better soon!

Rhighlan86

That is how Paula Deen started out, she started a catering business with her sons a.k.a Lady and Sons the restuarant/catering company she now owns.

That is so awesome!!

With the price don't feel bad for charging over what it cost to make it because you should add in your time. Thats why goods from people can cost more because of their time and effort put into it.

Yeah that is why I can't figure out someone wanting me to do it. I know the one lady who wnats the stromboli she said she works all the time and goes to school and doesn't have alot of time to cook. She likes the fact that I cook from scratch and everything is fresher than what one could get at the stores.

I'm sorry to say that the brownie cake doesn't look good to me but only because I dislike chocolate and brownies, but pass that stromboli over....yum I would definately say go for it as a side business if you would feel like cooking as much as you would potentially need to.

Who dislikes chocolate? LOL Yeah I absolutely love doing this. Maybe I should do like the dope dealer, start off cheap and get people interested and then once I get a better customer base I can charge a little more later. LOL

[mayness]

Originally Posted by Jasmine31

Normally when you see or try food you like you ask for the recipe. Right? Do you ask some one to make it for you and you want to pay them? LOL

This cracked me up... you're right, I normally ask for recipes, but when it comes to baked goods I almost never make them because I hate baking.

So from now on, I'm totally offering to pay people to bake me things. Thanks for the idea! lol Or maybe I'll trade some of my time cooking for their time baking... is 1 egg roll to 1 muffin an even exchange?

Anyway, that's very cool. I know a girl who sold cookies for some extra cash during college... started out selling them to her track teammates and branched out until all kinds of students, faculty and staff were buying cookies from her.

[KateB]

Don't price yourself too cheap. Walk through a bakery and look at prices. One of the grocery store bakery flavorless, greasy icky frosting 1/4 sheet cakes (about the size of a 9X13 pan) are AT LEAST $15. Remember what you are selling here is your time and talent. People buy baked goods because they don't have the time or talent to make them for themselves....NOT because they are looking for a bargin!! Also it is easier to start out asking for more $$, than trying to raise your price later. Good Luck with your baking!!!

[Rhighlan86]

I would buy from someone that I know bakes it and know that its going to be good, especially if I don't have time to cook. In WV the thing to buy is pepperoni rolls, I don't bake them at all because they are kind of a pain, but I definately will pay someone to make them for me . Put feelers out and see if theres anything else that you make that people would like. Maybe make a little list to start off with of stuff that you'd make and see what people think. It couldn't hurt to try.

Gotta say yes I am weird with chocolate, but if someone made a cake that was good enough to get me to like the brownies, you better believe I'd buy it from them

[tamaralynn]

Wow! Have you ever thought of starting your own "bakery" or catering? It seems you're well on your way

I make these AWESEOME Cinnabuns (they taste identical to Cinnabons). My friend gives me $20 to make them for her twice a year. It only costs me about $8 to make. ($3 for the butter, $3 for the cream cheese and I figure about $2 for flour/milk/eggs/yeast/flavoring etc.

I'd post the recipe... but do you really want it?? LOL

If so, PM me.

[Jasmine31]

mayness:

This cracked me up... you're right, I normally ask for recipes, but when it comes to baked goods I almost never make them because I hate baking.

You have me cracking up now! But really. They have food envy!! LOL

is 1 egg roll to 1 muffin an even exchange?

I LOVE egg rolls!!! I would so swap with you!!!!

Anyway, that's very cool. I know a girl who sold cookies for some extra cash during college... started out selling them to her track teammates and branched out until all kinds of students, faculty and staff were buying cookies from her.

That is so cool. I was telling Joey we can probably sell alot more cookies/cupcakes than we can cakes so I want to focus on that. I was thinking when I do make a fancier cake I can take some good pictures of it, I do anyway for my blog. Then if anyone asks, I or Joe can show them the photo album.

I also have another idea. I will get to it down below.

KateB:

Don't price yourself too cheap. Walk through a bakery and look at prices. One of the grocery store bakery flavorless, greasy icky frosting 1/4 sheet cakes (about the size of a 9X13 pan) are AT LEAST $15. Remember what you are selling here is your time and talent. People buy baked goods because they don't have the time or talent to make them for themselves....NOT because they are looking for a bargin!! Also it is easier to start out asking for more $$, than trying to raise your price later. Good Luck with your baking!!!

You are so right about this! I am definately going to keep that in mind and I did that yesterday. Read below. I need to tour some bakeries. You are right about trying to change prices later. It is hard to do although I know small increases are acceptable.

Rhighlan86

I would buy from someone that I know bakes it and know that its going to be good, especially if I don't have time to cook. In WV the thing to buy is pepperoni rolls, I don't bake them at all because they are kind of a pain, but I definately will pay someone to make them for me . Put feelers out and see if theres anything else that you make that people would like. Maybe make a little list to start off with of stuff that you'd make and see what people think. It couldn't hurt to try.

Pepperoni rolls? Like a pizza pocket or calzone or something? Yeah I am over here brainstorming. Read below to see what we did yesterday. Today I think I may send the kids out with some fresh baked bread and see if it sells!

Gotta say yes I am weird with chocolate, but if someone made a cake that was good enough to get me to like the brownies, you better believe I'd buy it from them

tamaralynn

Wow! Have you ever thought of starting your own "bakery" or catering? It seems you're well on your way

What is cool is my dh has worked as a breakfast chef for years before he met me and later worked at an Italian rest. so he knows his way around the kitchen too. He is the one who first showed me how to whip up some frosting using confectioners sugar. LOL I know he mentioned one time he wouldn't mind starting a catering buisiness. Right now he is on a kick to start a lawn mower buisiness. LOL

I make these AWESEOME Cinnabuns (they taste identical to Cinnabons). My friend gives me $20 to make them for her twice a year. It only costs me about $8 to make. ($3 for the butter, $3 for the cream cheese and I figure about $2 for flour/milk/eggs/yeast/flavoring etc.

I'd post the recipe... but do you really want it?? LOL

If so, PM me.

Those sound great! Please pm me the recipe. I am looking at more things to sell. I sent the kids out yesterday and they sold cupcakes for a $1.00 and cookies for .50 cents!! Here is a link to where I blogged about it. The cupcake kids!

You are all welcome to visit my blog and see what other stuff I have made. You don't have to register if you want to leave a comment either.



Anyhow I was so jazzed doing that! We made $25.00 total and the ingredient cost of what we actually sold was only $3.80!! The cookies sold really well, the cupcakes didn't do too bad. I was thinking today of sending out a few loafs of bread and seeing if they will sell too. The cinnabons sounds like something people may like to buy. I am trying to think of other stuff. I thought about muffins but I think people are more into a sugar fix. KWIM?

[Its Courtney]

Oh..my...gosh...this thread is torture! Everything looks absolutely YUMMY!!! I want to rush out to my local baker and get a slice of cake now!

Your cake looks like a Texas Sheet Cake...my FAVORITE!!! MmMmmm...my tummy is growling.


My best friend woke up one morning and told herself that she wanted to make cakes. Ya'll know...the really fancy ones! She does all SORTS of awesome cakes!! Two and three-tiered, fondant, she makes an amazing buttercream icing! It's such a neat hobby! Plus you can make some pretty great money from doing something fun!

I suggest checking out individually-owned cake websites for their pricings, and shave a couple of dollars off and use them as your own (since you're just starting out! The better you get, and the more orders you get, you can increase the price!) But I definitely think homemade cakes and fresh bakes should cost a little more than say, WalMart or Randalls, but should be less expensive than your local bakeries (since you're not technically a pro yet!)

Everything you made so far looks SCRUMPTIOUS!

[Jasmine31]

Its Courtney

Your cake looks like a Texas Sheet Cake...my FAVORITE!!! MmMmmm...my tummy is growling.

That is exactly what it is! Yummy!!!

Oh..my...gosh...this thread is torture! Everything looks absolutely YUMMY!!! I want to rush out to my local baker and get a slice of cake now!

hahaha Yeah these treats are really good that is why I called my blog Dangerously Delicious.

My best friend woke up one morning and told herself that she wanted to make cakes. Ya'll know...the really fancy ones! She does all SORTS of awesome cakes!! Two and three-tiered, fondant, she makes an amazing buttercream icing! It's such a neat hobby! Plus you can make some pretty great money from doing something fun!

That is so cool. I would love to do that some day. Is she licensed? If not how does she get around that?

I suggest checking out individually-owned cake websites for their pricings, and shave a couple of dollars off and use them as your own (since you're just starting out! The better you get, and the more orders you get, you can increase the price!)

Great idea. I was looking the other day. I found an msn top picks bakery and one was like $2.25 for cupcakes and another place said $140.00 to ship cupcakes to your home!

But I definitely think homemade cakes and fresh bakes should cost a little more than say, WalMart or Randalls, but should be less expensive than your local bakeries (since you're not technically a pro yet!)

SOunds like a good plan.

Everything you made so far looks SCRUMPTIOUS!

Awww thank you!!

Well the kids sold 4 cookies @ .50 cents each to a friend of his. My eldest son is 13 so the other kid is about 13. ell he was walking home from school and he told me his friend said he bought the cookies and didn't even get one cause everyone else ate them! He wondered if he could have a cookie?

I said of course no problem! lol Then he comes back later and Chris said mom, he wants to talk to you. So I go out to the garage and he is like,"My dad wants to buy a dozen cookies". WOW! I was like n/p. I had made cookies the day before and still had some in the freezer. That was Friday. SO I send them home with him and with a loaf of bread to try out.

I figured the next day I could send Chris to pick up the money but wasn't worried about it. Oh and I told him I would give them 12 for the price of 10. SO $5.00. Well Sat. morning I am on my walk and his parents pull up in their durango so I go to say hi. They said they dropped $20.00 off with my dh this morning!!! I was like, what? They (cookies) weren't that much!!

They were like, "We LOVE the cookies! We want more goodies!!!!"

hahahah Yeah I was shocked!! I said no problem. I said they were made with real butter.

Yeah I am super excited!!! I baked two days in a row but not Sunday so I had some extras left over. I grabbed 2 dozen plus 5 cupcakes for a freebie, I told them I would bake more on Sunday so I would send their other dozen over today.

WOW!!!!!