| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 08:43:29 AM
I had a great "audition" last night for a petsitter. She came to my house, and was fab. A total fit. We had a great rapore, and she's the uber professional (retired as an exec from Delta) and is the only one working her business. So, she eats poorly--a lot. She eats on the road, and is really struggling to eat the right things, and cook for herself.
In our conversations last night, she ooohed and awwed over my vege gardens, what I made for dinner, how we live in our little cottage, and really genuinely liked "us". She asked three times last night if I would cook for her about 2-3 times a week. Simple prepared meals she can warm up at someone's house while watching the dogs, or whatever. She would pay me.
She called again this am to confirm our schedule and to ask me if I would cook for her again. Each time I've passed it off with little more than a laugh, because, I'm thinking, "seriously? You can't figure out what to eat?", but the more I think on it, I love to cook, and a little extra cash couldn't hurt, right?
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
| 22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| brightmeadow |
Posted - Aug 14 2007 : 4:08:48 PM
Wow, what a great opportunity. I loved the story of the neighborhood cook - it almost sounds like the story of Alice Walters and Chez Panisse - which is now supposedly rated the #2 restaurant in the country! They cook one thing every night - fixed menu. People make reservations years in advance!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Aug 14 2007 : 1:15:39 PM
Hi Bonne--
I'm not trading food for pet sitting...I'm going to charge her for my time and products.
Thanks for the advise on the petsitting--she is bonded and insured, and very well known in the community. Her brother is one of our District Court Judges, I deal with his office on almost a daily basis!
She was also incredibly professional in that, despite her incredibly busy schedule, she returns phone calls. The two other "bonded and insured" petsitters I called didn't seem to even have the time to return a phone call to say "no, I can't"!!!
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
| Bonne |
Posted - Aug 14 2007 : 1:02:55 PM
Even though she owns her own business, keep it to $$ for $$ when it comes to petsitting and providing meals. Professionally , she needs to keep records of her services to you. It's nice to get to know the people doing work for you especially when it's inside your home when you're gone, but make sure she's bonded and insured etc. and that you sign a contract for her services...blah blah blah just to protect both your interests. Bonne~professional petsitter for 10 yrs |
| Huckelberrywine |
Posted - Aug 14 2007 : 10:55:16 AM
I'm so hopeful that this will go so well for you Jonni. You've got lots of great advice here. Let us know how it goes. :)
We make a difference. |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Aug 14 2007 : 06:12:54 AM
That's kindof what I was thinking, too. What do I pay when I go out and eat sensibly. Between $10-$15.00 for a meal. To me, costs and labor would be almost equal.
I'm starting by helping her to "clean out" her freezer. She has soo many things in there, that I'm creating meals from that, and then will start buying independently. The only issue is that I'd be cooking at her place, and I really like cooking in my kitchen. I know where everything is and I have all that I'll ever need.
I'll make it work!
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
| queenofdreamsz4u |
Posted - Aug 13 2007 : 10:43:25 PM
This lady would have to go to a restaurant that would offer a good menu of healthy foods and probably pay between $7.99 to $12.99 for a meal. So you could charge according to what a restaurant would charge her.
She will be pleased and it's not going to cost you that much to provide one more serving of everything you are cooking already.
Just my thoughts 
...til next time ~ queenofdreamsz
www.dreamkingdomdesigns.com
www.dreamkingdomdesigns.blogspot.com
"hold close your inner child and always listen to the gentle whispers" ~queenofdreamsz
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| ColdAntler |
Posted - Aug 09 2007 : 2:46:10 PM
wow, thats a gift horse!
http://itsafarwalk.blogspot.com/
http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/ |
| MagnoliaWhisper |
Posted - Aug 09 2007 : 1:49:54 PM
I haven't read all the replies. But, I wanted to answer on how to charge. When I took entrepreneurship classes, we learned you had to charge at least double your expenses and your time has to be at least min wage.
So say your ingredients cost let's just say is 1.00 for the meal (I know it would probably be more then that). Then it has to be at least 2.00. Then let's say it takes a hour for you to make, then you need to add the min wage to that 2.00. I don't know what the min wage is, sorry don't keep up with it. But, I'm sure it's in the 7.00 range. So then that meal would be 9.00. I know you don't want to charge absorbant money. But, this is what business classes teach you have to do if you are to "make" any money on the venture.
Personally if I was making myself the same food for dinner, I wouldn't charge the full min wage. I would probably only charge half of it, if it's what I was cooking any way, and it isn't taking me any more time to cook for them.
I can say from experience of cooking for others just out of love and not for money, it will and does seem to eat up a lot of time. (I've tried cooking for my family and my mothers-I still have 8 siblings under 18 at home and my mom is disabled.) I had to stop doing it, as they mainly didn't want to eat "healthy" as my mom since being disabled has just let them eat junk and refused to force them to eat any other way, so I kind of got tired of spending hours cooking for all of them and them just throwing it away and then mom letting them eat chips and ice cream instead. |
| Aunt George |
Posted - Aug 09 2007 : 04:02:44 AM
I agree Joni...go for it! There is a chain of kitchens across the nation right now called: My Girlfriend's Kitchen and it started with two girlfriends in Utah wanting to provide good meals for their families. They got together, made batches of "pop in the freezer main dishes" and split them between their families. Then others heard and came and it grew and grew into a huge business for these two girlfriends! Cool huh? So who knows what you can do with this!!
G
http://auntgeorgeshouse.blogspot.com/index.html
http://auntgeorge.etsy.com
"Made With Love" |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 9:30:46 PM
Sounds like a great thing!! Go for it!!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
| FarrarFarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 8:36:02 PM
Hi, Jonni,
This is an opportunity that came knocking on your door, and God has already opened it for you, it's yours to walk through. The meeting you had with that lady was not by chance. I truly believe when it comes looking for you, it's your dream come true.
I met a lady that lived in a subdivision, she also had a passion for cooking and it helped that she lived on the corner as everyone came home. She decided to be the neighborhood cook. She prepared a menu and passed it out to the neighbors. Then they would decide what night they wanted to get their meals from her. They turned in their menu orders and on the nights that they had chosen she would have their meals hot and ready to go for pick up all they had to do was get a fork and sit down when they got home. So whatever she had on the menu for Monday night, that's what everyone in the neighborhood ate, kind of like everyone eating together - only not. Kind of silly, I know, but it worked for her and she got to stay home and do what she loved best, be a mom to her young children, cook for others and be a friend to those in need.
This is a way to start small to see how it works for the both of you and all it will take is for her to tell a couple of friends and you will be in business. As for pricing, check out what they charge in these places where you can have your meals prepared for your freezer or there are places where you go and put the meals together so you are "cooking together" only in mega proportions as you do enough for 2 weeks and take it home to your freezer. I can't think of any of the names right now, of course, but there are lots of them in St. Louis, they are popping up all over the place.
I hope it works for you and it's something you truly find your niche in doing and it sounds like a wonderful friendship will complete the picture. Blessings on your endeavors, keep the faith and He will keep you in His care.
In His hands,
Lynda
Pray in faith and you will not live in doubt.
www.pamperedchef.biz/lorenzfamilycooks |
| Alee |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 5:11:07 PM
Go For it!! What a great little side line to make some extra money! People pay for those pre-packaged meals all the time. Go to your grocery store and see what frozen meals cost and then charge _at least_ that much. Especially since yours will be home cooked and probably have some organic ingredients. I would say $5 a meal would not be un heard of since most people pay $5-10 to eat at fast food anyway.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
| vintagegrl |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 3:16:31 PM
Jonni and Lorna, Oh girls, go for it! I can't tell you the times I worked SO many long hours and wanted a delicious home cooked meal that I could heat up, eat, and just veg out the evening. It's a great service to provide and if you like to cook, why not. As Patricia said, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship with opportunity. Just be sure to charge a fair price for your service, please don't undercharge, this is worth a great deal and you will find people who are willing to pay for what you do. |
| Utahfarmgirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 11:17:27 AM
Hm...I smell a business growing here (and it smells yummy@)
Farmgirl hug,
Patricia
check out my etsy site http://ThePlayfulFarmgirl.etsy.com
Take me home, country roads |
| janetinva123 |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 10:57:04 AM
what a great idea. i think you should go for it. see how it works out. especially if she feels and looks better after your meals she may give you refferals to others.
Jc
http://beloved-creations.blogspot.com
http://beloved-creations.com |
| MzzBee |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:56:26 AM
Sounds like a fun way to make extra money. Check on line for an idea as to what you should charge, such as: www.personalcheftogo.com/. There are a lot of people doing this sort of thing for the people who don't want to cook but want a home cooked meal. Good luck!
"Don't wear perfume in the garden... unless you want to be pollinated by bees." (Anne Raver) |
| KYgurlsrbest |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:47:03 AM
Very good thoughts (as usual :)) gals. The week trial would be a good idea. She's very persuasive, but then, Lorna's right--what do you charge? HOW do you charge?
I do so love to cook, and we eat very well at our house, and on a budget, too. She mention things that she loves to eat--chicken mostly, and I have about 20 chicken things in my head right off the bat. Another bonus, I can make things for her that I can't for dh (like salads and cous cous), so it would be a nice creative outlet, too.
Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going to discuss it with dh tonight, and then feel her out a bit for more defined details.
"She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian. |
| cabinmoose |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:42:26 AM
I had someone recently approach me about the same thing but for her elderly mother who lives alone just up the street from me. She wants her eating healthy and can't be there daily to cook for her. So she wanted me to prepare mini meals for her that she could heat up.
How on earth would we charge for that???
I actually met her as I was walking home from the produce stand with my goodies.....she was getting mail and wanted to know what I was making with my treasures....lol
Cheers,
Lorna
Forest Hill, MD
“I laugh, I love, I hope, I try, I hurt, I need, I fear, I cry.
And I know you do the same things too, So we're really
not that different, me and you.” ~Colin Raye |
| mikesgirl |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:33:58 AM
A great opportunity for you to be a blessing in someone elses' life. |
| The Handmaiden |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:28:16 AM
Had another thought - Can you trade out services?
"Faith shall finish all that Hope begins."
joan walsh anglund |
| Huckelberrywine |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:26:27 AM
I don't know, but it sure sounds like you could be just the charm to help this gal learn how to enjoy healthy goodness. I'd think it would be worth a try, what could hurt if you both tried it out for a week? Then you'll both know if you want to continue. :)
We make a difference. |
| The Handmaiden |
Posted - Aug 08 2007 : 09:26:16 AM
Jonni - I think this sounds like a wonderful idea! If you're cooking anyway it's not hard to make alittle extra. I love it when you can provide a service to someone and it matters! That's an extra reward on top of the extra income. Sounds like you'll make a new friend too!
I say, "You go, Farmgirl!"
"Faith shall finish all that Hope begins."
joan walsh anglund |
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