How Bakers Save Money
Saving Money in Your Baking Business.
We all want the best for less, there is no shame in that!
Let me share some of the top industry money savings tips to help your bakery business run BETTER for LESS!
Inside my own bakery business, saving money has been a solid combination of 3 main factors:
Buy QUALITY (the first time) and in BULK, when possible
Utilize MONEY BACK APPS (while using multiple at once)
DIY when it makes sense and works for your available time
How to SAVE Money, but Keep the QUALITY…
One of the most common issues you can come up against when trying to save money in your business is cutting QUALITY.
This is a HUGE mistake, and you should think very hard about your customer’s experience and how your cost cutting choices will affect them returning to you for more orders.
Imagine if you skimped on boxes and boards, and your customers were receiving flimsy boxes and boards, causing cracking and leaning on your cakes. How sad!!!
Customers can see when items are cheap. Don’t let this happen to you!!
There are definitely ways to SAVE money will still keeping quality. Here are a few places I do not recommend buying cheaply:
boxes and boards
ingredients
pans
I created an easily downloadable document you can quickly grab below, listing off my favorite ways to SAVE MONEY in your bakery business!
If you would prefer to not download anything, I’ve provided the information for you below!
One of your top priorities as a bakery owner will be to get the best ingredients at the lowest prices, without impacting quality. Here are a few tips to help you do that:
1. Buy in Bulk.
Purchase as much of an ingredient as possible at once, but in an amount that you can use before the ingredient goes bad. Double check that the price to buy in bulk is cheaper than to buy smaller amounts. Once in a while, smaller amounts are cheaper than bulk.
Download my Master Bakery List to browse many items sold in bulk on Amazon (that I use myself).
2. No or Less Packaging.
Look for ingredients with no or less packaging. Packaging adds cost to the item. If you have a bulk bin store near by, compare prices for things they carry in the bins, versus the same item in packaging.
3. Digital Money Saving Apps.
My FAVORITES - Fetch and Ibotta (with REFERRAL BONUSES)
—> My ALL TIME FAVORITE money saving app is Fetch.
Receipts such as grocery and big box stores can be scanned and turned into reward points to be used at places like Amazon and AirBnB and MUCH more. They have the easiest platform, where you do the least amount of work for the most bonus and return.
When you use my referral code, you get thousands of reward points as a SIGN UP BONUS! Enter my referral code on your sign up screen, and get your points when you scan your first receipt.
BONUS REFERRAL CODE: 5KDQK
—> Ibotta is a free app that gives you money when you scan your grocery receipts. It's somewhat easy, but you do have to choose coupons which takes more time than Fetch (above). You simply click on a digital coupon for an item you bought, and upload the receipt for the item, to redeem the coupon amount. Money in the bank! Use my referral link for a bonus when you sign up!
Here's my referral link! https://ibotta.com/r/uiqyonk
4. Items in Season or on Sale.
When purchasing things that can be frozen or stored long term, keep an eye out for sales and stock up. Look into farmer’s markets are stores that sell large flats of produce. Think about all the chocolate that goes on sale after Halloween, Easter and Christmas… stock up!!
5. In-Store Rewards Systems.
Make sure you sign up for any rewards card offered by your local market.
6. Ordering from a Food Delivery Service.
Sometimes creating a regular delivery for your food and packaging items can help alleviate stress and cost of single trips to get items. This option is usually great for larger scale businesses or brick and mortar shops.
7. Growing your Own.
It’s possible to grow or produce your own items for your products, but PLEASE charge a fair amount for use of these items. Let’s say you grow strawberries and want to have them in your cupcakes. Charge a fair price for your own strawberries, and pocket that amount. The same would be if you have chickens and use their eggs in your products, or you have a dairy cow, etc.
Make sure you advertise that your ingredients are farm fresh!!
Other DIY and Money Saving Tips
1. Buy packaging in bulk.
The upfront cost is larger, but you will be saving money in the long run and having the packaging on hand is much more convenient. You can find a section on this bakery supply list with active Amazon links, marked as Packaging. These are all the boxes I order myself.
2. Culture your own buttermilk, yogurts, yeast cultures, etc.
Culturing these products at home is a tried and true method for bakers. Check out resources online to start culturing your own baking ingredients!
3. Make your own boards and drums.
I use ½” foam board sheets, cut into the shape I need, and then covered in decorator’s foil. I use ¼ inch boards for support between tiers or for very small orders.
Check out my Master Bakery Supply List to see the raw materials I use for this process, and where to get the ½ inch foam for the best price possible. Look under Packaging!
4. You don’t need all the gadgets.
Try to keep your baking and decorating area as organized and streamlined as possible. You don’t need every new gadget. Try to learn skills while using no or very small amounts of gear to get the desired outcome. Example, learning how to level cakes with a serrated knife, rather than a cake leveler. Learning how to use certain cutters to do multiple things. Having only one version of an item; one rolling pin, one turntable, etc.
5. Make a quick jam from fresh fruit, for a filling.
Use fresh fruit or puree and low sugar pectin to cook a quick jam that is fresh and cost effective.