ok...I have no clue if I am going to step on toes or not.
My daughter is not "school" age yet...so we have yet to encounter fundraisers.
I don't think I like these things called fundraisers.
I recall participating a little when I was in school...I don't recall ever being completely nuts about reaching any certain sales goal.
I also recall the items we seling being....well....reasonably priced.
A $2.50 crock of cheese.
A $4.00 pack of wrapping paper.
Anyway.
Last night at 8:00 our doorbell rang
I realize this should not make me crabbie...however it did.
I had just settled down with all my craft goodies
Chloe was in the bed....Garren was playing Madden...all was peaceful.
Each and every time the doorbell rings Lei Lei goes into complete attack mode...I have to man-handle the dog...shove her into the powder room...trying ever so carefully to not get her tail or snout in the door and I slam it closed behind her.
At my door is the little girl from up the street
"hi....your husband told me to come back if I needed a few more sales"
OH he did did he ?
So I heard her out....she was selling one of those local coupon books.
I thumbed thru the book....to see if I thought it would be worth it for me to purchase one.
Most of the locations I noticed were too far away....or places we do not go.
Aghhhh the pressure !!!!
"how much are they" I asked.
"$20.00"
holy cow....I certainly do not need a $20.00 book of coupons I can't and never will use.
"Ummm.....I am sorry (cute little girl) I really don't think we could use many of these.
Now...Mom, who is standing a little off my porch...speaks up.
"here is a list of all of the places that are close...."
I look at the list.......the list has 8 places on it......8.
I say no again...."I just really don't think we would use it"
Mom keeps on...."well...she really wants the ipod"
now listen to this part....
"this is really her brother's fundraiser...he already has an ipod....and I told him that she could sell his coupon books for him but if he won for most sales, he HAD to give her the ipod "
You have got to be kidding me.....
1. Tell lazy brother to sell his own books and perhaps have daughter earn her ipod in another manner.
2. Take no for an answer from the nice lady who was disturbed during her crafty time and had to cram her dog in the powder room...narrowly missing taking off her tail.
3. Don't beg people to buy the stuff you kids are selling.
I always buy girl scout cookies....ALWAYS ..... Yummy !!
We have bought a $10.00 tub of cookie dough
and a few other items since we have lived in this neighborhood.
I don't know...something about a school asking me for $20.00 for a coupon book with virtually no coupons in my area...just did not seem like a smart way for me to spend my money.
Not to mention the over-bearing mom and the sweet little girl working the street for her brother just so she can get an ipod.
I know fund-raisers are a money raising effort for the schools...how beneficial they are...how much money the schools actually get....I have no clue.
I am not expert....I dont know if I will allow Chloe to participate in fund-raisers or not
this particular one just left a bad taste in my mouth.......and yes I did go directly upstairs and deal with Garren for having her come back so "I' could tell her no...because he did not have the heart.
Let me say I do commend the mom for going around the neighborhood with her kid and not sending her out alone.
ok...that's my rant....feel free to join me or tell my why you think fund-raisers are the BEST !!!
have a happy day
16 comments:
Don't get me started. I had a teenager come to my house last night, wanting me to pay 63$ for a mag subscription that I will never see, as it goes to a 'childrens hospital'- which one, I don't know, he didn't either. I don't usually buy from the door to door kids, because 1- who knows if it's real or not and 2-my kid has his own fundraisers, and I don't send him out walking the streets for money. Ok, now people are going to hate me cause of that comment.
oh, you should have SEEN the boxes of girl scout cookies in my husband's fridge when we were dating...that guy just can't tell all those kids..no. i plan to buy from my friend Beth's kids every year..but, not from random kids i don't know. sorry. i guess i will join the ranks of the cold-hearted on this one.
:)
I HATE school fundraisers with a passion!! This stuff is so old and overpriced (a roll of wrapping paper for $12.00 when the dollar store has them for $2.00?) I think it's a shame to keep sending children out with the same old, same old. Our 13 yr. old daughter is just starting one for their DC trip in the spring and do you know that these kids are actually REQUIRED to give at least 7 (they'd prefer 10) names of family members who live out of state so that the company can contact them about buying something!! Now of course, their doing only to help the kids...it's crazy I tell ya!
I don't have kids yet, so I have done a couple fundraisers for neigborhood kids over the years, ...but like you said, for a $10 tub of cookie dough or $2 candy bar.
I think $10 is my limit. I just can't see spending $20.00 on coupons! They better be some darn good coupons! haha. I try to see it as a donation to the school or class, but that is just too much money especially with gas prices these days and the cost of living!
Really the mom should know when to stop pressuring. It's really impolite to pressure, even if it's in a nice way.
I just spent $15 on a tub of cookie dough............it was for a friends daughter! I hope it's really good cookie dough for the "dough" I just spent!!! I would rather the schools ask for a monetary donation, than sell crap (did I just say that) that we really don't need. I'm all for helping out, but do not need any more wrapping paper, coupon books, car wash tickets, cookie dough, candy, or knick knacks. Our school is about to start the "gift wrap" fundraiser............ugh!
ugh! Are those starting already?? The kids just went back to school this week!! We always have those kiddos knocking, and yep....it's hard to say "no"....I can do it, but hubby always says "yes", so i let him deal with it now. I say "thin mints" only!
I hate fundraisers!! We had o do them for football & cheerleading, I had just the family buy something. We have teenagers come her asking us to buy mag. subscriptions saying the money is going to the soldiers in Iraq & some of my neighbors bought almost $100 woth come to find out it was scam!! see what happens when you live near DC!!!
Well, as a Girl Scout Leader, can I just start by saying thank you to anyone who buys?! For me, I like to buy from most, because I never did well on those fundraisers as a kid, since I lived in a condo, and there were no soliciting signs everywhere from the association. I do have my limits though. I will not buy something I do not like OR need. If I don't really NEED the chocolate, I'll probably still buy it, lol, but it can't be over about $10. I also participate more if I know the child, and if I know what the money is for. I will not buy something so that they can earn a prize. I will buy something so that the school can get a new swing set, or so that your Girl Scout troop can go Horse Back riding. I tend to buy more if it is something like GS where the money goes directly to the girl. Other than that, I get sick of the fundraisers very quickly, and my kids don't participate...I just send in a check for what they could have made for the school. And likewise if I just don't need what someone is selling...I will give them a $5 bill and call it a donation. :)
I do TRY to buy at least one thing from cute little kids, but I like you think people need not pressure you. I already have a hard time telling anyone no, I don't need a guilt trip. I however think fundraisers are a good thing, but why can't it(like you said) be something inexpensive. That way you can contribute but not have to spend your savings on one item. If I can't afford anything I always say "Oh sorry honey, I already bought from (so and so) and don't have the money to spend, sorry". But we should rally together and let them know they need inexpensive items to sell so most everyone can contribute something if they can.
Well I don't have a school aged child yet either, but I personally think some of these fundraisers have gotten absolutely ridiculous! We have a ton of kids on our street, and it is not that I mind buying one thing from them every so often, it is more their ATTITUDE when they come to my house! Our neighbor's 8 year old BARGES into our house, tosses the catalog of "things to buy" at me and starts playing with my son's toys.... now, is it just me, or is that awful behavior when you are trying to get neighbor's to spend money on your silly little fundraiser?! Ah, don't even get me started on these kids haha... let's just say, manners are hard to find in kids these days, which is SO sad. :( OK, enough of my ranting lol!
I am a scrooge too. I ONLY buy from the girl scouts. In my neighborhood there are kids that come around often (with a parent mind you) and offer to take out my trash for $1, clean for $1 or cut the grass for $2. I always tell them no...because 1) that is a ridiculous price, 2) you KNOW that they are not keeping the money and 3) I don't want them at my door every day if I were to say yes one time...oh and 4) if I let them do that what would my husband do?
I can understand why you would have been irrated by mum... what an annoying person. What doesn't make sense though is why the daughter was selling the coupons for her brother... I know its for the ipod but should mum not just have taken it off him telling him it wasn't his and getting him to do his own work. If I was in your place I would have handed mum a business card for my Etsy shop and said you'll hope to have her stop by some time soon :P
I love your blog and I have to comment here. I HATE fundraisers with a mad passion. My son started school Aug. 11 and we've already had 6 of them. He's in 9th grade. Yes 9th grade. Not elementary like you'd think. And get this, if you don't sell the tickets that amount that are given out to you they are charged to your account. DS goes to a private school. I think this sucs big time. We also had a church fundraiser and now we're into a BoyScout fundraiser.
I mean when does it end? I don't send my son door to door, EVER. We buy from friends who then in turn send their kids to me. It's an exchange. The parents sell rather than the kids. We don't sell for the kids to "win" anything. It's strictly to raise money for the school, troop, church youth.
I can't believe the lady who kept pushing the coupon book, just buy her the ipod and quit begging. How terrible. I would have been none to happy. That's why I just don't answer the door after a certain time if I don't know you're stopping by and if I don't recognize you. We get so many strange people it's not even funny.
my two cents...
those darn coupon books are ridiculous!
the last neighborhood we lived in... i found myself spending hundreds of dollars... yes hundreds... just to make the kids happy... too much preasure!
but then
i can not begin to ask people to buy stuff for my kids fundraisers...
i buy what i can & then turn it back in!
i know... i am bad... but i'll teach her in another way!
This stuff annoys me too but I always feel guilty after I politley say No - usually several times also. Girl Scout cookies - YUM - silly coupons that are too expensive that I will ALWAYS forget to use - crazy! :o)I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. Love the Etsy shop!
My husband and I have gotten to the point that we don't even answer our door if we don't recognize the person ringing the doorbell. I guess we're paranoid a little, but there is alot of bad stuff going on out there. It's sad.
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