to not bake cakes for the school to sell for less than the ingredients cost me?

[ANTagony]

This am took DS1 to school teacher stopped me in corridor and said would I mind baking some cakes to be sold for children in need to the staff on Friday. She particularly requested Chelsea buns (I've made them and lots of other cakes for the school before). I have a lot on this week but said I'm sure I could rustle up something. Rearranged my week to fit in an extra batch of baking (already baking for PTA meeting Friday morning). Collected DS1 from school to be handed a notice saying cakes would be on sale in aid of children in need on Friday and would be a flat rate 10p each. I can't buy the ingredients for 10p each. I'm a single parent I have a younger son to and money is really tight. I don't object to helping out where I can but they are asking me to bake cakes which would cost over £1 in the local bakers,give them for free and then feel good about themselves (the teachers) for donating 10p to charity in return for something they couldn't get for any where near that in the shops. I feel really taken advantage of. I'd rather just give the ingredients money to children in need, then they'd win (make more money than if the school charge 10p per cake) and I'd save myself a lot of effort. Is this mad should I just wind my neck in.

Actually, it's Pedants' corner.

Sorry, couldn't resist

lol Fennel.
Of course she may be the only one, let's be precise here.

Possibly, but I think if you're trying to argue that mumsnet houses just one pedant you'll be proved wrong.

wow! amazed at the politics of chelsea buns.

yep for 10p each, i hope you made teeny ones or put cost of ingredients in the CIN pot.

eekamouse I love pedants' corner, thanks.

But in this case, I don't think I am being pedantic. You said:

'But can you not see? The OP is making a donation to charity by buying the ingredients for the cakes.'

I was asking a genuine question, because I don't see how she's donating to charity at all.

And that isn't just a pedantic difference, it seems to me. It's fundamental to her OP argument that only the teachers are getting summat for (almost) nowt. The charity doesn't benefit in any way, other than the measly 10p per cake.

lol, midnight express. I don't even like pedants' corner (a bit too bothered about archaic speech forms instead of understanding how language is used in practice) but I do like (to the point of pedantry) a rigorous argument .

I think the PTAs should set up debating competitions for frustrated parents raring to use their argumentative skills on someone other than toddlers.

They could serve cakes in the intervals.

ANTagony - I'm going to have a go at your recipe - can you just confirm that they only take 10 minutes to cook? (as it says in your post) I'm a bit nervous as it seems such a short time! Thanks

Paid for fennel, natch.

God, you're right. I'm just not getting enough practice at being a gobshite.

Thank you MI. Though even that pales into insignificance next to the thrill of seeing a properly placed semi-colon, IMO.

Oh good god yes. I adore a semi-colon; they are, I find, something which cheers up the entire day.

We have regular cake sales, and it bugs me a little.

Not as much as having to send in a new/boxed toy today (Mufti Day) which will be sold next week at the school fair for less than half what I paid for it.

Most of the decent stuff will be sold to the PA mambers running the toy stall. (Whilst I man my own stall, I hasten to add)

Ooooh

I get a thrill from appropriate use of the subjunctive tense. Though I rarely use it myself because it does come across as rather archaic.

Commas are pleasing too. MI you'll be pleased to hear that both dd1 and dd2 have as their new literacy target the correct insertion of clauses within commas.

But I can't be bothered to do the post properly with subjunctive and commas cos I'm not a true pedant.

Midnightexpress

OP has donated exactly as I posted

If the amount that the teachers collectively pay for the donated cakes is less than the cost of making them then they have effectively profited from the charity event to the detriment of the charitable cause.

Say the total cost of making the buns was £3.60 and it was a batch of 12 buns sold to greedy swindlers teachers for 10p each, total revenue £1.20 then OP still donated £3.60 plus her time, it's just that in refusing to price the buns reasonably the teachers all profited by 20p each leaving the charity only receiving £1.20 despite the OP having effectively donated £3.60.

I wish the OP would come back and tell us what she finally did. Has anyone seen her posting anywhere today ?

And yes, I am implying that the teachers are in effect stealing from the donation made by the OP.

It really annoys me.

Oh I love the subjunctive!

I agree with the OP BTW. We have regular cake stalls at our school & even with the prices at 30-50p I'm sure it'd be better value for me just to give them money. 10p is ridiculous.

OK, thanks for clarifying. I guess it's two ways of saying the same thing: the teachers ought to cough up the miserable gits.

Nah, the OP has only - so far - donated to Tesco and, more importantly, to the teachers. She has donated her time to the cause, but no money to the cause. I agree the teachers are effectively swinding the cause by only paying 10p for the buns. They should pay at least 50p and ideally £1 - then give the 3.60 back to the OP and donate the profit to the cause. That way they donate cash and the OP donates her time and effort. This is much fairer.

I am going to keep a very close eye on the prices given to my chocolate flapjacks at 3.30 today. Although as it's the kids who buy them, I tend to look at it as a Feed The Children exercise.

I am going to keep a very close eye on the prices given to my chocolate flapjacks at 3.30 today. Although as it's the kids who buy them, I tend to look at it as a Feed The Children exercise.

Of course, the best solution is to make absolutely disgusting but very cheapo cakes using a WWII recipe (lard instead of butter, powdered egg, etc).

That way you don't spend very much, you have still contributed your fair share to PTA, and the teachers will finally learn that charity really is all about giving and sacrifice with no thought of reward, as they chuck your delights straight into the bin. And the icing on the cake (so to speak) is that they won't ever ask you again.

Job done.