If you have kids and they have fundraisers do you peddle their wares at your workplace? I don’t. When someone comes at me waving a catalog of candles or knick-knacks I tell them that I don’t buy things at work and that they won’t find me in their face pimping things when my kids are selling.
There are just too many people at work with kids selling stuff. I bought something from someone many, many moons ago and when my kid was selling whatzits, I thought she would reciprocate and buy from me but she did not. That made me mad. Did she really think I needed whatever it was I bought from her kid? No, no I did not. Hence the “I don’t buy and I won’t be selling” rule.
I know that when kids are selling crap for school that the school only gets a tiny portion of the profit. I donate to my kids’ class instead. I figure the teacher gets more to work with that way and I don’t have a bunch of stuff that I don’t need.
BB’s FFA organization is having a carwash in a few weeks and tickets are $5 each. You get a carwash and chicken dinner from the restaurant whose parking lot they are using to wash the cars. Sweety is bugging me to sell 10 tickets at work and doesn’t believe me when I tell him what I’ve told people that want to sell to me. “I don’t even want to look at your catalog. Thank you though. I don’t sell my kids’ stuff here and I don’t buy anyone else’s.” For real, Sweety. I say that. So I can’t go in and try to sell things.
I’m just going to buy all of the damn tickets myself.
14 Comments, Comment or Ping
Oh, I HATE that! The only thing I buy is something from my niece; I can’t say no to her. And, oh yeah, Girl Scout cookies. But that’s cuz I WANT them.
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Chickie said:
February 19th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Mmmm, Girl Scout Cookies…I always buy them from the girls that stand outside of the grocery store selling them instead of from parents that do preorders. I like instant gratification after I pay for Thin Mints.
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February 19th, 2009 7:38 am
I have never sold the kids stuff to co-workers. I hated the competition – the kid who sells the most gets_____!!! the kids NEVER sold the most – it was the parents. And for that unfairness, I boycotted. I still tell the school – I will bake stuff or help at the school to raise funds (that they will keep) rather than support these over-priced goodies you want the kids to sell. And yes, I have bought ALL the tickets a time or two.
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Chickie said:
February 19th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Ah, the freaking prizes! I hate that part too! The prizes are generally junk unless your kid sells enough crap to run a small country.
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February 19th, 2009 9:55 am
I am a teacher and I Hate that crap.
I HATE IT
kids expect me to buy six thousand useless pieces of crap or food every year
I say NO.
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Chickie said:
February 19th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
Tell them your teacher’s salary doesn’t go that far.
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February 19th, 2009 4:23 pm
FFA?
Is that the same acronym some of us use for the Future Felons of America to describe some of today’s teens? LOL
I don’t buy or sell either, never have.
I don’t even buy stuff from my own kids, like you, I give money to the school or the teacher when I can.
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Chickie said:
February 19th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Ha! I like your acronym better.
A couple of times, I bought things when the boys were selling and the things I bought broke shortly after using them & there was a candle that came broken. I gave up after that.
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February 19th, 2009 9:31 pm
I neither buy nor sell at work. I HATE fundraisers. I’d rather just chip in a few extra dollars and not be concerned with all of the selling, collect money, delivering, etc. And so far as buying goes, whose kid do you buy Girl Scout cookies from? Buying from one parent and not another can cause problems too. That’s why collecting for “unapproved” charities is usually officially banned at most companies.
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Chickie said:
February 19th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Yes, the whole damn process involved with selling and distributing is just a pain in the ass. The solicitation thing is supposed to be banned at work but people still bring things in. I just pretend that I don’t see the little catalogs being passed around.
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February 19th, 2009 10:04 pm
It makes me wonder why so many schools and organizations do fundraisers when everyone hates them. Wouldn’t it be easier to say, “Either donate 25 bucks or try to sell this junk to little old ladies at church,”? I bet they’d get more money that way…
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February 20th, 2009 2:27 am
I can’t stand school fundraisers. My kids usually don’t even screw with them, except to give the catalogs to my stepmom who has no problem peddling them at work usually. So, at least I have an out sort of. But, they haven’t done that since grade school. The only fundraiser I really support is the fireworks stand at 4th of July. I refuse to go to the church stands and always go to my son’s high school’s stand instead.
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February 20th, 2009 11:15 am
We have always sent notes back to the school stating that we do not participate in fundraisers. We do, however, regularly donate items to the school (glue, items for the prize box, etc).
Nooze recently stated that she wants to be involved with Jump rope for Heart, which benefits the American Heart Association. Chachi told her that she can participate (good cause), but if she wants to raise money, she will have to ask people herself. He further stated that how she handles THIS fundraiser will determine whether or not she is allowed to EVER do it again. (To which I say “Dude, she’s EIGHT!”)
I will probably end up writing a check for $5-$10 just so she brings ‘something’.
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February 20th, 2009 11:51 am
I do sometimes but actually what you say happens more often than not. I buy and others don’t reciprocate. I’d really rather not bother. I think i’ll plead “corporate no-no” and make Stacy take her crap to his work!
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February 25th, 2009 2:34 pm
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