Fundraisers!

Well, because I'm on Disability and my budget is very tight I usually don't feel bad or obligated to buy anything. If it's chocolate I almost always will buy it though! LOL! What's the name of that really great cookie that Girl Scouts sell? Is it that chocolate mint kind? You know which one I'm talking about. I think it's most everyone's favorite as well. LOL! Purrs, Catwoman=^..^= & Mija

JenInTN with kids you are so right, however it also teaches them to be responsible to a point as well like counting the money collected, how to deal and speak with people, presentation skills,how to set goals cause they want to win that prize. If I feel its good cause and the individual is sincere and i'm able I help. I do remember what it was like being a brownie and a girlscout alot of work, then my duaghter was a girlscout as well for awhile. Ya know what as they get older thoe the fundraisers become more cause their is football, basketball, dance, debate the what what club you name it. I am also good at saying NO when need to.

I hate school fundraisers. I do buy something from my son's fundraisers that he brings home, but do not go out harassing family to buy things they really do not want. I would rather give the school some money.

i use to buy anything the kids were selling but i don't have the kids come here like they did at the store.

I didn't face any situations such that in my life yet. I buy things when I need it and I sell only good things which is not of my use. In my school also, the teachers used to arrange such things when there were a flood or some kind of problems occur in our country but we were not suppose to sell anything but donate something to that fund, that was it.

Most generally we help our son sell his fundraising things, and usually buy. But this year we didn't becasue of the way it was handled. The school sent home a badly handled letter. Stating all children MUST sell 10 items, and there was not to be any door to door selling, and if caught, your items would not count. Then the letter finally stated, the reason they must sell the 10 times. It was to be able to attend the end of the year party. My first response was, oh heck no. How rude is that. There are many people that can't afford to help out with fundraisers and I surely wouldn't go begging for it, or having to explain to some friends and family why we had to sell this knowing they didn't have the money and they buy anyways, and the could be their only gas money, or grocery money. I wouldn't feel right. And, no door to door, Ok I understand that children shouldn't go alone to do this, but why can't us parents walk with our children to the homes of neighbors to sell this stuff? My neighbor has 5 kids, all in the same school, that's 50 items she's to sell for all of her kids to be able to attend a lousy party. She's a single mother, who doesn't have a car to be able to drive these kids around to friends and family to sell this stuff, she was so hurt over this because her kids always look forward to this party because it's one of the biggest events they get to attend threw out the year. It's just unfair. She didn't sell and had to explain to her kids why they couldn't go to the end of the year party this year. My son, as well won't be attending because we will take him out of school that day. Anyways, I sorta got off subject some, lol.... We always try to help out the kids that approach us, inless it's just a bad time. I like seeing new products these fundraisers have to offer.

It can be good and depends on what is on offer of course. The fact is though that we do live in a small town and so there is a limited "market" for things like this unfortunately. The schools would have Fetes once a year and maybe a street stall where they would sell things that people had made, i.e. cakes, biscuits, jams etc. It was the same for the Senior Citizens, Retirement Village and Nursing Home plus sometimes they would have raffles as well. My partner was always on a very tight budget and that continued even after we became a couple. It was often nearly impossible to refuse to contribte something towards the fundraisers and more so as it would be for a worthwhile purpose. The one advantage we did have was that my partner is from a large family (10 children) and all but her have left the town. However several of them have their own businesses and they all come back once or twice a year, mostly to see their mother or their in-laws if they married someone local. Most of them would leave money with my partner for her to buy something for them at these fundraisers, as they know how few people there are here who can support these worthwhile ventures. These days we mostly donate goods when there is any sort of fundraiser on and that is always well received. Also most of the things we produce are in demand so the money raised is generally well above average for those things.

I really feel disgusted and bad when someone approaches me to buy a product, which I may not need or I may already be having the same product in my home. I feel that ours is hard earned money and we should not be forced to buy a product for the sake of it, till we are convinced and comfortable about it.

I hear ya. When my sister was younger she sold a LOT of cookies, and then the German club sold gummy bears (that was before they became a big deal in the states.) She always felt she needed to support other people's fund raisers. I, on the other hand, after dropping outta Scouts in 8th grade, never joined clubs and still got things to support friends who had to.

Most of the time I will just buy for the sake of charity. But if the funds are being raised for the school itself, I will have to know what is the cause. If the cause is worthy IMHO, then I will buy. Otherwise, no, I will not part with my money. I remember the times when MY mom will dread me bringing a donation card home. So instead of going house to house with me to hunt and solicit for donations, she will dig her pocket and give me a sum to donate and then cross out the whole card and sign it so that I do not need to do it. And I am grateful for that!

Unfortunately, a necessary evil. We would not have to do it if Nasa held bake sales and schools received all the money that they needed, instead, huh?

Look I'm not mean spirited and I'll be the first to donate for a worthy cause but I confess I hate being approached to buy chocolates and other useless items for fundraising. I also hate raffle tickets and like you, I have bought the lot myself because I hate approaching people and ask for money. At my daughter's school they started a new option for parents at the beginning of each school year, accept to be involved in fund raisers or donate a set amount to the school at the beginning of term one. I wonder which option I chose? (LOL) Having said all that I don't slam the door to girl scouts if they come to the door, it's not their fault I hate fundraisers.