What does your soap cost to make?

[Sunny]

I'm not quite ready to sell but was considering (maaaybe, possibly) selling at my farmer's market next summer (a year from now). I'm trying to figure out how much each loaf, and each bar, costs to make.

Every time I add it up, the cost is just crazy. I just did all this math of what it would cost if I ordered all my oils/ingredients in bulk from Columbus Foods, and it's still costing over $1.50 per bar of soap (of course this is with fragrance oils, but a very average, no luxury oils soap).

(and this is not even including extra factors... like insurance...)

How much does your average bar of soap cost you?
I saw one person say their bars cost them between $0.50-0.75.
How do you lower your cost?

 

[Lindy]

My cost including packaging and wages averages $1.25. I retail my soap at $5.35 and whole sale @ $2.68. Although my monthly overhead costs remain constant my sales do not so I can't calculate overhead into the cost of goods.

 

[IanT]

about 60-85cents per bar w/o labor (because i dont sell yet i havent added that in yet)

 

[dagmar88]

I'm not quite ready to sell but was considering (maaaybe, possibly) selling at my farmer's market next summer (a year from now). I'm trying to figure out how much each loaf, and each bar, costs to make.

Every time I add it up, the cost is just crazy. I just did all this math of what it would cost if I ordered all my oils/ingredients in bulk from Columbus Foods, and it's still costing over $1.50 per bar of soap (of course this is with fragrance oils, but a very average, no luxury oils soap).

(and this is not even including extra factors... like insurance...)

How much does your average bar of soap cost you?
I saw one person say their bars cost them between $0.50-0.75.
How do you lower your cost?

That's about what a bar of soap costs me, including shipping my FO's and molds from the US to Europe and shipping oils and butters in bulk from Germany to the Netherlands...

 

[Sunny]

That's about what a bar of soap costs me, including shipping my FO's and molds from the US to Europe and shipping oils and butters in bulk from Germany to the Netherlands...

You mean that it costs $1.50, or that it costs between 50 and 75 cents?


I'm just wondering how people keep their costs so low.. Columbus Foods is relatively close to me (I live in MN) so I don't know how I would get anything with cheaper shipping.

Just wondering if anyone has tips for me! Maybe I need to make smaller soap bars or consider charging more...

 

[lovethyscent]

What size are your soaps? Mine are 4-4.5oz and cost me about .80-$1.00 & that's with butters and or eo's. I don't even buy in bulk.

 

[Sunny]

5 ounces after curing.

 

[lovethyscent]

Could you be maybe figuring it out wrong? I know I did last week when I was figuring out the price for one of my bars lol. I was figuring out the price for each oil per oz, when I was suppose to be going by my recipe and figuring it out that way. I think I was just tired lol.

 

[Sunny]

I just asked my husband that, if maybe he would help me add everything up because I must be doing it wrong? So we'll do that and see.

Here is basically what I'm doing... Figuring out how much each oil (and fragrance oil) costs by ounce, then figuring how many ounces of each oil are in my recipe, then totaling the cost for one batch of my recipe, then dividing the cost of one batch by the number of bars I get out of it.

So yes I have done my calculations 3 times.. but I am notoriously bad at math so I'm going to go over it with some help and see if I am doing it right.

Anyway, thanks for the help, and anyone else can feel free to chime in if they want!

 

[krissy]

unscented my bars are about 48 cents each. i havent figured the shipping and scent in yet.

 

[xyxoxy]

http://www.soapmaker.ca/index.php

 

[Lindy]

I use SoapMaker 3 and it allows me to figure out my cost to the penny. Included in my price is the cost of packaging and labels. It is really important to know exactly how much each bar costs you when you start selling because you need to leave room for additional overhead like stall or table rentals plus if you someone wants to order a large amount for a store at wholesale you need to be able to sell at 50% of your retail and still make a profit.

I have to say that I couldn't live without that program I would be sooooo lost!

 

[IanT]

same here! soapmaker is awesome, Woodi (a forum member) and her Hubby have developed it for soapers everywhere...its like quickbooks for soaping...

 

[BakingNana]

The first time I tried to figure out what my bars cost I had a heck of a time, because some of the vendors I bought oils from were selling by volume and some were selling by weight. I had to go to a lot of work to determine price per ounce for some of them, and probably only got "close" on some. It's easier buying from places like Columbus and knowing exactly what I'm paying per ounce.

 

[Sunny]

Well, maybe I should look at investing in Soapmaker 3. I know she has a link in her signature so I'll go look her up, what does it cost?

 

[Deda]

it's around $90. Worth.Every.Penny.

 

[Lindy]

Tasha it is soooo worth every penny!

 

[Bayougirl]

Nuscentcandles.com has a price sheet

http://nuscentscandle.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/CP Soap Pricing Worksheet.pdf

I use this for each batch of soap I make. It helps you keep your cost and how to figure out pricing. Eventually, I'll graduate to Soapmaker.

 

[honor435]

I swear I figured out my bars were a 1.50 to make also.
Saratoga scents has a nice section on how to figure per bar.

 

[paillo]

I swear I figured out my bars were a 1.50 to make also.
Saratoga scents has a nice section on how to figure per bar.

Unfortunately that's one of the only things still remaining on the Saratoga Scents site. They seem to have abandoned ship, leaving me, and perhaps other customers, hanging with prepaid and unfilled orders.