Turning 30 - pressure to buy the whole office lunch!

rhilee581

thanks everyone...

I have the baking skills of a turnip so may duck out of a DIY jobbie. Maybe it's time to learn though!

Zazen999

rhilee581 wrote: »

thanks everyone...

I have the baking skills of a turnip so may duck out of a DIY jobbie. Maybe it's time to learn though!

I guessed that - these biscuits really ARE the easiest of easy to make. Honest!!!

Horace

Get a Delia Smith book (get cheaply in charity shop) or look online and follow her recipes (I also have the baking skills of a turnip but when I have made her stuff then it always turns out properly).

If they are insisting that you take something in - take a large tin of sweets. I can remember my 30th birthday - the office I worked for bought me a cake in the shape of a no. 30 and I was taken out for a meal.

If you have invited them to your party then you don't need to do a buffet at work - they're taking the mick..they should be doing stuff for you and not the other way round.

BellyDuJour

I'm making the assumption that you're female, if you're a 'girlie' girl, Asda have 'Hello Kitty' birthday cakes on offer from £7 to £1 at the moment...

JasX

WestWalesWannabee wrote: »

Yep - two round cake tins and some greaseproof paper. Still cheaper than buying a load of cakes and people will marvel at your cooking skills (you don't tell them it's a packet mix obviously!).

Don't some supermarkets do plain, iced chocolate cakes for a few quid? (sure I've seen them in Sainsburys). would come close to a self bake in cost and for minimal effort you could even make some extra icing/decorate it yourself to 'disguise' where it/two of them came from....

DarkConvict

I know the feeling, free food for the office when you leave, 120+ people in our group.

Then the 2nd time, not so bad only about 12 people.

Supermarkets bumper bags of sweets, mini rolo packs, mini-bounty's etc seem to go down well and are cheap.

barkingmad_3

£25 is not so bad - next time it is someone elses birthday don't buy / make lunch yourself so you save a bit of money - with 14 other people there you could effectively get 15 lunches for £25.

Also not doing it makes you look a bit mean and if the boss misses out on his cake it might cost you more than £25

rhilee581

thankfully the boss is the only person who doesn't like cake!

i'm going to set myself a budget of £10, go to Asda and see what i can find...i always eat other people's stuff so can't really not do anything.

thanks for all the tips...when i get a spare weekend i'm going to teach myself to bake!

have a good tuesday everyone!

Kandipandi

I have never understood this whole its my birthday so i will buy you a cake? It seems topsy turvy to me they should be buying one for you.
I also think that when its someones birthday bringing cakes in is a bit like saying 'Pay attention to me its my Birthday!', which is just not my style. Each to their own though.

fiscalfreckles

rhilee581 wrote: »

Hello all

Just wanted to do a quick poll. I'm turning 30 soon and am having a party to celebrate. On top of the cost of this, there's a rule in work that if it's your birthday you buy cakes for the whole office (there are 15 of of us). This year, as it's a biggie, there's pressure to put on some kind of buffet, even though I've invited everyone to the party. 2010 is my year to tackle my debts and I'm thinking £25 spent on a buffet could actually be put towards paying off a credit card.

Do you think I will just look mean if I go for a simple chocolate cake, especially if they buy me a present!

Help!

I think the fact that you have invited them all to your party shows you are not mean. Choccie cake all round will be fine - and as you said later you are the first one of the year and setting the precedent, I'm sure your colleagues will be secretly grateful that you didn't go OTT!