In reading this thread, I've found myself re-thinking this issue. Going back to what's been said already and thinking of my DH's costing for his stained glass, you should charge as ksrogers recommended cost of ingredients+cost of materials+cost of utilities+a reasonable wage for your time. It's true you're not in business (right now anyway) so you don't have the carrying costs of a commercial enterprise, but your labor is still just as valuable. I disagree on charging your boss less (offering a discount) because the likelihood is she'll tell others about the jelly or serve it not just to her DH but to company and you may well find others approach you to buy their own jars. They will expect to pay no more than your boss paid. Of course, if you're basically doing this as a favor and don't ever plan to sell it to anyone else, then it's a moot issue and you can charge whatever seems fair to you and in the best interests of your relationship with your employer. Carol

The person is willing to take $300. It seems like a good deal. I have a chance to get a floor model Electrolux Icon for $875 as well. I am not sure if I need to spend $875 when I can get something good enough for $300. If it were the non Icon Electrolux, I'd probably go that route for sure but I read here the Icon is a little less roomy.

Hi again, all. Bestlawn, I maybe shouldn't even have mentioned the drive to and from the job, because it made it seem like I am 'charging' her for that. I realize it is MY expense, but it was mentioned only to explain that I have to factor in the cost of gas (in my private thoughts) that I'd use doing childcare outside my home, to know if the salary would be anything comparable to what I could make watching two children in my home, with no driving involved. I live in the Toronto area, and straight babysitting wages (no meal preperation, or transporting to school required) here are generally $10.00 per hour, even if you only have one child. Out of curiosity, I looked up the tuition for the Montessori school the children will be attending, and it is $18,000 per year per child, for a full day program. The mother wants to enroll her two girls, from 1:00 til 6:00 each day. I'm not sure how much she'll be paying for those hours, but that's an astounding amount of money to pay for a 3 and 4 year old, in my opinion. Anyway, today I went on the interview. Just FYI, the house is close to the million dollar range, and had a Jaguar and a Lexus in the driveway. During the interview, the mother said I'd be responsible for making the children breakfast and lunch, and driving them to the Montessori school. I thought she might ask a little about how I planned to spend time with them, wondering whether I'd take them to the park occasionally, or do crafts with them or whatever. But she didn't ask anything and just seemed concerned that they'd have a way to get dropped off at the school after lunch. I was most surprised that she never asked me anything about my driving record (spotless, but I could be unlicensed for all she knew) and said she only uses booster seats for her two kids. Her 3 year old is very petite and cannot possibly be legally heavy enough to be out of a car seat yet. So I was starting to get a really bad feeling before we even talked wages. I had decided that even if the pay was satisfactory, I'd have to insist she get a proper car seat for the youngest or I'd refuse the job. So....when she said her childcare budget was $8.00 per hour, (for feeding 2 meals to 2 children and transporting them daily to their Montessori school) that clinched the non deal! Minimum wage her is $8.75, so it became obvious that she was budgeting all her money to get her children a great start in education, but was not too concerned about safety, and cared little about how the first half of her childrens' day would go, while in my care. It definitely wasn't for me!

I think that friendly, generous people get taken advantage of in this way. I tried bartering with a neighbor of mine: sewed different projects for her, but when it was time for her to reciprocate, the timing was never convenient. After six months, I gave up, and was "busy." It was different when someone was in genuine need. Another neighbor approached me to repair the blue jeans she wore to work. I did, but it took a half hour. For what I charge, she could have purchased another three pair at Salvation Army (knowing now how long it takes, that is what I'd suggest, now). I told her, "no charge." You know how people say karma is a boomerang? Seven days later, DH is stranded elsewhere in town, and I have no vehicle, and a couple simple items from our garage will put him on the road again. Neighbor with blue jeans brought them over to him, and I'm certain she had other things she'd rather have been doing on a Saturday morning. There's a difference, too, in things that are genuinely necessary, example: shoveling the walkway of an elderly lady who physically can't do it herself, as opposed to sewing her a custom-made dress for $10.