Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to not work for free?!

243 replies

PinkyPie80 · 17/11/2016 09:12

Fucking awkward situation I've got myself in. I've name changed as fear this might out me.

I do cakes on the side, not professionally but if it's anyone's birthday etc I will be the one that makes the cakes and I charge for my time to make the cake but not at a professional rate.

We have a family friend that we have known for years. She owns a restaurant and struggled when she first started out so all of our family supported her and brought custom to her restaurant in the form of friends and we recommended her on Facebook etc. She is now successful and doing well.

She asked my mother if she knew anyone that would make her sisters wedding cake. My mum suggested me, the family friend said "money no object" She is foreign and sometimes the language is a barrier so I'm wondering whether my mother misheard her.

Last night my mother and I went to the restaurant to talk about what she wanted. She had cooked us a meal for free so we could sit down and discuss it. Quite an elaborate 2 tier cake with 80 cupcakes. I took the details and at the end she said "don't charge me for the labour, just charge me for the ingredients" I laughed thinking it was a joke but her face was deadpan and she said "I will take you out for a meal afterwards to say Thankyou"

Now because I had just eaten a 3 course meal for free and she is a family friend, I didn't say anything at the time. Came back home and my DH has gone off his tits, saying I can't do all those hours of work for free/a meal.

The wedding is 17th December so she hasn't given me a lot of notice

I have no bloody idea what to do now, what to say!!! Help mumsnet!!

OP posts:
OohNoDooEy · 22/11/2016 17:01

Sorry didn't rift!!

EnormousTiger · 22/11/2016 17:35

Don't do it.People seem to think I should do work for nothing all the time yet they never would! I don't know what it is with some people. We all are busy and we have to feed our children.

expatinscotland · 22/11/2016 17:38

You have had a very narrow escape. I hope your parents learned their lesson, too. Glad you're not doing it at all.

PinkyPie80 · 22/11/2016 17:53

She had questioned the £150 saying that "surely abit of flour, butter and some eggs wouldn't cost £150" I then said that she hasn't taken into consideration the cake board, the cupcake stand, the icing, the cupcake wrappers, the boxes to transport them etc. She asked for a breakdown and so I just replied with "I feel I don't want to do this cake for you as you seem to have expectations which are higher than what I am capable of" I then pointed her in the direction of M&S which she seemed happy with till she saw the price!!!

OP posts:
WhatchaMaCalllit · 22/11/2016 17:59

Brilliant update! Well done you

bigmeff · 22/11/2016 18:17

What a star !!! Well gone !!

2kids2dogsnosense · 22/11/2016 19:09

Thank you for letting us know what happened OP - but I have to admit I would love to have been a fly on her wall when you sent her your decision. Grin

LadyVampire · 22/11/2016 20:02

OP has she contacted since realising £150 is a bargain?

228agreenend · 22/11/2016 20:10

Well done on turning it down.

FeelingSmurfy · 22/11/2016 21:35

Fantastic, thanks for updating us

confuugled1 · 23/11/2016 00:22

So glad to hear that you turned her down OP - think you have made a wise decision and had a lucky escape there. Especially as it was so close to Christmas - please make sure you raise a glass at some point to not having to have spent three days making and icing and delivering cakes and enjoy the time rushing around getting ready for christmas with your family.

I would love to have been a fly on the wall when she realised quite how expensive the cakes were at Waitrose and how she was going to explain it all to her sister Grin

Cagliostro · 23/11/2016 00:51

Well done OP! How much will she have to pay M&S I wonder :o

salsmum · 23/11/2016 01:47

£150 for the time,ingredients AND travel and delivery.... Shock I think that's an amazing price so if she's asking for a free cake huge discount already who's to say that she isn't the type to nit pick about the quality/ size/colour/ taste of the finished product or try and make you wait for payment?? Better off trying to send her elsewhere and offer her cost of your meal CakeCakeCake

kali110 · 23/11/2016 02:08

I bet she's kicking herself now Grin

AddToBasket · 23/11/2016 08:24

Well done, OP! I hope your parents were good about it.

Stormtreader · 23/11/2016 10:38

"surely a bit of flour, butter and some eggs wouldn't cost £150" what a cheek!
Im surprised that a restaurant wouldnt have those in already, she could have made it herself for free!

expatinscotland · 23/11/2016 14:25

'She asked for a breakdown and so I just replied with "I feel I don't want to do this cake for you as you seem to have expectations which are higher than what I am capable of" I then pointed her in the direction of M&S which she seemed happy with till she saw the price!!!'

She was never going to pay you. She would have swivelled at any amount you tried to charge for ingredients. She knows damn well what she's doing and was trying to pull a fast one. Be prepared for her to come back to you. Please tell her no if she does. She can make the cake herself in her restaurant.

Graphista · 23/11/2016 14:29

Yea I'm thinking she'd have considered 2 meals more than generous.

Yet I bet she values HER time far more highly. As a business owner you'd hope she'd understand about overheads but then given how many small businesses go under (especially catering) maybe not.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page