Though there is obviously some time involved in creating birthday cakes, you have to decide for yourself if you have more time or money to invest. Since the Little Blue Bungalow often lack the extra resources, I always find the time to create delicious birthday cakes, cookies or cupcakes for my family. Not only is it a great cost saver it is also a fun and interesting hobby for me!After Fiona was born, my wise husband encouraged and signed me up for a Wilton cake decorating class. His hope for me was to "get out of the house" as well as gain a new skill. Over the years I've created numerous cakes: a Spiderman, racing cars, Boots, a princess castle and a teapot to name a few. Proudly, I've never purchased a "shaped" pan, costing anywhere from $9 to $15. (Pictures of my creations available upon request.) Instead I've looked into my own cupboards for inspiration...utilizing my own pots and pans to create just the right shape.
In addition to creating my own children's birthday treats, I am often asked by other friends and family to make custom goodies for their parties. It is always an honor to prepare them for friends and serve as our "gift" to the recipient. My kids absolutely LOVE helping me create the goodies and presenting it to the person at their party. In turn, creating these custom gifts definitely help defray the costs of purchasing presents and nothing is better than a present "made with love".
On average, supplies tend to cost me $8-$12 depending on the size and/or extras I have to purchase to "customize" the cake. This is a great saving compared to pre-made cakes at grocery store which normally run anywhere from $20 to $30+. For example, the 48 cupcakes I made for Alexis's 4th birthday "Royalty" party last weekend included upside down peanut butter cups (for crowns, of course!) and plastic jeweled ear rings. I purchased both "extras" at our local Dollar Tree store for a total of $4. Not only, did these special touches help create the theme of the cupcakes, but served as an extra "toy/treat" for the kids.
Saving time and money is the name of the game...Thursday Thrifty Tip! Be sure to view these other great thrifty tips on the following blogs: Tracy, Genny, Anisa and Crystal.
From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean
Oh and in case your wondering...we did manage to trap one oppossum a couple nights ago, but we are still on the "poo" case. (Ahem.)
1 comment:
Cake decorating IS a lot of fun - even if I don't do it very often! I've done 2 cakes for Isaiah's birthdays - both were in the pre-shaped pan - I think both were around $12-$15. Anyways, the tips I used for Isaiah's last birthday were the ones my GRANDMOTHER used when she took a Wilton's cake decorating class! And wax paper can make the perfect icing bags if you know how to fold them!
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