Okay, so I’ve been making these cream cheese mints for, like, years. They’re always a hit at parties, baby showers, you name it. People are always asking me for the recipe, and lately, some have even asked if I’d sell them. So, I thought, “Why not?” But then came the big question: how much should I charge?
First, I needed to figure out my costs. I’m not a professional baker with fancy spreadsheets, so I just grabbed a notepad and started listing things out:
- Cream Cheese: Usually, a block costs me around $3, and that makes a pretty decent batch.
- Powdered Sugar: I buy the big bags, so it’s hard to say exactly, but I guessed about $1 worth per batch.
- Butter: I use, like, half stick for each, cost around $2.
- Flavoring & Food Coloring: These are cheap, maybe like 50 cents total per batch.
- My Time: Okay, this is the tricky part. It takes me maybe an hour to mix, roll, and shape the mints, plus another 30 minutes to get them on trays with decoration. How much is my time worth?
- PackagingI need some small box for it, each one may cost $0.5.
Adding It All Up
So, ingredient-wise, I was looking at roughly $7 per batch. Then I had to factor in my time. I figured, even if I’m just doing this as a side hustle, my time is worth something. I decided to go with $10 per hour, which seemed fair. Since each batch takes about 1.5 hours (including setup and the little bit of cleanup), that added another $15.
The packaging is $0.5 for each.
Total cost per batch (with my time): $7(ingredients)+$15(labor)+$0.5(packaging) = $22.5.
One batch makes around 50 mints.
Figuring Out the Price
Now, I didn’t want to just charge my costs – I needed to make a little profit, right? I did some quick Googling, saw some people selling similar mints online, and I didn’t get much useful information.
Then I checked some local cake shop, ask the price of handmade cookie. They charge it for $2 each! That’s crazy!
I decided to start by doubling my cost, which would put the price at $45 per batch, so it’s $0.9 each. Then I will test them at my friend’s party, and adjust the price from the feedback.
I took a batch to my friend Sarah’s birthday party last weekend, set them out on a pretty plate, and put up a little sign: “$0.90 each, or $9 for 10”.
They were gone in an hour. People loved them! A few people even asked if they could order some for upcoming events. And they told me that the price is cheap!
So, $0.9 each, or $9 for 10 seems like a good starting point. I might play around with the pricing later – maybe offer a discount for larger orders – but for now, I’m happy. It’s a little extra cash, and people are enjoying my mints. Win-win!
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