Steps at a glance
- List everything that goes into one boxIngredients, gas and electricity, the container or bag, and the cost of delivery.
- Work out your cost per boxAdd up a month of these costs and divide by the number of boxes you make in that month.
- Add your pay and a marginDecide what your hours are worth and add a small margin for waste and price rises.
- Set your single-box priceRound the total up to a simple number that is easy to say and easy to pay.
- Set your monthly priceMultiply the boxes in a month by the single price and take off a small discount for committing.
- Write your price rules downSay what one box includes, the delivery area, and how pauses change the bill.
- Check the price every few monthsLook at your costs again and give customers notice before any change.
What does one tiffin box really cost you?
Most new cooks count only the vegetables and the flour. Then they wonder why there is no money left at the end of the month. Count everything that goes into the box and into getting it to the door.
- Ingredients: grains, flour, dal, vegetables, oil, spices, milk, salad.
- Gas and electricity used for cooking.
- Packing: containers that do not come back, foil, bags, tape, labels.
- Delivery: fuel, or what you pay a delivery person.
- Small things: water, cleaning supplies, phone data.
- Waste: food that is cooked but not eaten, and boxes for customers who did not pay.
Can you show a worked example?
Here is an example for a lunch service with 20 customers, 26 days a month. That is 520 boxes a month. The numbers are only an example: use your own costs.
| Cost | For the month | Per box |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | ₹26,000 | ₹50 |
| Gas and electricity | ₹2,600 | ₹5 |
| Packing | ₹2,600 | ₹5 |
| Delivery | ₹5,200 | ₹10 |
| Cost of one box | ₹36,400 | ₹70 |
Now add your own pay. Say you spend about five hours a day on shopping, cooking, packing and messages, for 26 days. That is 130 hours. If you want ₹100 for each hour, that is ₹13,000 a month, or ₹25 a box.
Add a margin of about 10% for waste, a customer who pays late, and prices that rise during the month. That is roughly ₹10 a box.
| Part | Per box |
|---|---|
| Cost of one box | ₹70 |
| Your pay | ₹25 |
| Margin | ₹10 |
| Single-box price (rounded) | ₹110 |
For the monthly plan, 26 boxes at ₹110 would be ₹2,860. A monthly price of ₹2,600 (about ₹100 a box) rewards customers for committing, and still pays you well.
Should the monthly price be cheaper per box?
Yes, a little. A monthly customer gives you a steady count, so you can buy in bulk and plan your cooking. That is worth a small discount to you.
But do not make it too cheap. Monthly customers also pause, go on leave and sometimes pay late. If your monthly price is far below the single price, every pause and late payment hurts more.
- Keep the monthly discount small, for example 5 to 10%.
- Decide how paused days affect the bill before you start. See how to handle pauses and leaves.
- If you offer a weekly plan, price it between the single box and the monthly plan.
How do you price sizes, extras and delivery?
Once the first size sells well, customers will ask for a smaller box or a bigger one. Do not guess the price. Work out the cost of the new size the same way: weigh the portions, count the extra rotis and the bigger container, and add the same pay and margin.
| Box | What changes | Example price |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Fewer rotis, smaller portions, same packing | ₹90 |
| Regular | Your standard box | ₹110 |
| Large | Extra rotis and a bigger vegetable portion | ₹140 |
Notice that the small box is not half the price. Packing, delivery and your time hardly change with the size, so a small box still costs you most of what a regular one does.
For lunch and dinner together, the second meal often costs you a little less, because you shop once and deliver to the same door. A small discount on a two-meal plan is fair, but price each meal on its own first.
- Extras like an additional roti or a sweet on Sunday: a small fixed price each, written in the menu.
- Delivery: include it in the price within a short distance. Further away, add a fixed delivery charge or ask customers to pick up.
- Single boxes for people who are not on a plan: your normal single-box price.
- Cakes and party food: a starting price per item or per person, a minimum order, and an advance. See how to take orders for cakes and party food.
How do you tell customers about the price?
Write the price in every menu message and on your page. When the price is written, nobody has to ask, and nobody feels awkward. It also stops people from expecting a discount you never offered.
Single box: ₹110
Monthly plan (Monday to Saturday): ₹2,600
Delivery free within 2 km.
Pay at the start of each month, by cash or UPI.
— Mia
When should you change your price?
Look at your costs every three months. If ingredients or gas have gone up and your margin is gone, raise the price. Small, regular changes are easier for customers than one big jump after two years.
Give at least two weeks' notice, and start the new price from the first of a month. Thank customers for staying with you.
Which pricing mistakes should you avoid?
- Copying a neighbour's price without knowing your own cost. Their rent, portions and delivery are not yours.
- Leaving out your own time. If the price only covers groceries, you are paying to work.
- A monthly price so low that every pause or late payment becomes a loss.
- Different prices for different people for the same box. Customers talk to each other.
- Free delivery to everyone, everywhere. Fuel and time add up fast on a long round.
- Never changing the price while costs go up every year.