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Home Bakery Bookkeeping: 3 Numbers to Track Every Week
A simple weekly routine to track money in, money out, and the profit you actually keep.
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What to remember
- Write down sales and costs the same day, not at tax time.
- Count your own time as a cost, or you will work for free.
- Keep business money separate from household money.
- A $20 a month shop tool is cheaper than losing receipts.
If you sell from home, home bakery bookkeeping is the difference between a hobby that feels busy and a business that pays. You do not need accounting software or a degree. You need a simple place to write three numbers each week.
The three numbers to write down every week
Every week, write down money in, money out, and what is left. Money in is every payment you received, whether cash, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or card. Money out is every receipt for ingredients, boxes, labels, and fees. What is left is your profit before you pay yourself.
Use one page for sales and one page for costs. Write the date, the amount, and a short note. At the end of the week, add both columns and subtract. That is your profit.
Pick one place for your numbers
Use a notebook, a spreadsheet, or the costing tools inside Brevl. The place matters less than using it every week.
Record every sale the same day
Write the date, what you sold, and how you got paid. If you take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, the record is already there.
Keep every receipt in one spot
A phone photo of the receipt works. Put it in one folder or album so you can find it later.
Add up your costs once a week
Ingredients, packaging, delivery, and any fees. Do not wait until the end of the month.
Subtract costs from sales
The number left is your profit. If it is negative, you are paying to bake.
Set aside a share for taxes
Move a percentage into a separate savings account each week. A tax professional can tell you what percentage fits your situation.
Review the month in ten minutes
Look at your three numbers and ask what cost more than you expected.
The weekly habit takes ten minutes. If you wait until the end of the month, you will guess at receipts and miss small fees. A ten minute weekly check is the cheapest insurance for your profit.
A simple way to do home bakery bookkeeping on your phone
You can run home bakery bookkeeping from your phone if the tool fits your hand. Brevl works on a computer and on a phone. It has recipes with real costing, ingredient inventory, and a weekly planner, so you can price and plan without rebuilding the math in a notebook.
Your phone is already with you at the market. Use it to photograph receipts and to record cash sales before you pack up. Brevl works on a phone, so you can do it in the car.
You can also take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account. Brevl does not take a cut of your sales. That means the $20 a month is the whole cost, no matter how much you sell.
How to work out your margin after ingredients, labor, and overhead
Your margin is what is left after three costs: ingredients, labor, and overhead. Ingredients are the flour, butter, eggs, and packaging. Labor is your time, priced at an hourly rate you choose. Overhead is everything else that keeps the shop running, like Brevl at $20 a month, insurance, and utilities. If you want to see the full list of startup costs, read how much does it cost to start a home bakery.
For example, write your sales for the week. Subtract the cost of ingredients and packaging. Subtract your labor at your hourly rate. Subtract overhead for the week, like Brevl at $20 a month. The number left is your margin.
Check your margin on each item, not just the whole week. One popular cake might be losing money while cookies carry the week. The same numbers show you which item to fix.
Mistakes that cost you money
One missed cost can turn a profitable week into a loss. Check your card fees, your market table fee, and the gas you used for delivery. Write them down with the sale so you see the real number.
Samples and giveaways are a cost. Write down what you gave away and what it cost to make. If you do not, your profit looks bigger than it is.
Set aside money for taxes as you go
Put a share of every payment into a separate savings account. Do not wait until April. A tax professional can tell you what percentage fits your situation and what records to keep. The habit is the same: move the money the week you earn it.
What to do before you commit to a bookkeeping tool
Before you pay for any tool, check three things. Can you use it on your phone? Does it let you take the payments your customers already use, like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash? Does it charge a flat fee or a cut of every sale? Brevl is $20 a month with 0% commission, and it works on a computer and a phone.
Ask if the tool moves your old orders and photos for you. Brevl sets it up with you and moves your old shop over: products, photos, reviews, and dates. That saves you a weekend of typing.
Brevl has a 14 day free trial. Use it to test the costing and the payment options before you decide. You can run your whole shop from a computer or a phone.
When to get help
You can do home bakery bookkeeping yourself for a long time. Get help when your sales grow, when you hire someone, or when you are not sure what you owe. A bookkeeper or tax professional can review your numbers and keep you out of trouble. For more on getting started, see the getting started guide.
Try the free bake pricing calculator
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- How to Create a Home Bakery Business Plan: 5 Numbers
- How Much Does It Cost to Start a Home Bakery: $500 to $3,000
- How to Start a Small Home Bakery Business: 6 Steps
Common questions
Do I need accounting software for home bakery bookkeeping?
No. A notebook or a simple spreadsheet works when you are starting. What matters is writing down every sale and every cost the same week. If you want the math done for you, Brevl has recipes with real costing and ingredient inventory for $20 a month.
How do I track cash payments from a market?
Write them down before you leave the table. Note the date, the amount, and what you sold. Put the cash in a separate envelope or account from your household money. That way you can see what the bakery earned without sorting through your purse later.
What counts as overhead for a home bakery?
Overhead is every cost that is not an ingredient or your time. It includes your shop tool like Brevl at $20 a month, insurance, utilities for the oven, market fees, and packaging. Add them up for the week and subtract them from your sales.
Should I pay myself a wage?
Yes. Pick an hourly rate and write it down as a cost. If you do not pay yourself, your margin looks bigger than it is. You can start with a rate you would pay someone else to bake the same order.
How often should I review my numbers?
Once a week for ten minutes, and once a month for a longer look. The weekly check catches missing receipts and fees. The monthly check shows if your prices still leave a margin after ingredients, labor, and overhead.
Can Brevl help with home bakery bookkeeping?
Brevl keeps your recipes, ingredient inventory, and orders in one place. It costs one flat $20 a month with no cut of your sales. You can take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. Try it free for 14 days.
General information, not legal or tax advice.