these office fundraisers are killing me

[cakebaker]

That's right!

So wait, did I understand this correctly? The school is asking you and other family members for tuition money??? So does that mean your brother/sister provided a list of names for them to contact? Or do they use the "contact in case of emergency list?!"

The child's parents send out the letters from the school asking family/friends to contribute to the tuition! No joke! I was appalled!

 

[wendygurl]

Maybe I should've went into more detail about my situation.
The problem here is, my husband and I do have decent jobs. We pay our bills and have enough left to play with (and support my fitness habits lol). However, I don't spend excessively. Everyone who knows me, knows i ALWAYS shop for bargains and use coupons. I have a teenager going to college next year and am trying to put aside money for that.

this particular co-worker actually has less money in her budget than myself. But she will freely say that the fundraisers are to lower her tuition. that on top of the dance lessons fundraisers, girl scouts, and the regular basket party etc.. things that go with catholic schools. I usually support it all, but it is getting to be too much for me.

Sooo, today I decided I wasn't going to buy from all the order forms she has in the lounge. we went in there for a quick break and she picked up the one form and saw my name wasn't on it. Needless to say i am now getting major attitute.

Now I realize fundraisers were originally made for kids to learn to sell, but I don't remember honestly in the past 10 years having one kid ask me to buy something. It is ALWAYS the parents. In fact, our school actually gives tips for selling and the first one is ask relatives and have your parents ask co-workers. I'm just tired of it!! It is always something, and sometimes more than once a season ( girl scouts esp).
Really wish we could institute a "no selling" at work, but she would approach me as a friend.

 

[toughYrun]

My daughter is heavily involved in dance and I do participate in fundraisers, but only when the product we are selling is so popular that it pretty much sells itself. The purpose of these fundraisers are not to teach my daughter how to sell stuff though. Rather, it is to help offset the fees associated with her competition dancing and I state this when peddling popular items.

When being solicited myself I have no problem declining to purchase items I have no use for regardless of who would benefit if I did buy them. I guess I don't understand why a simple "no thanks" doesn't seem to be an easy solution.

Now, when it comes to my daughter's public school doing fundraisers I get highly irritated that she even brings stuff home to sell. I live in CA and the state of our economy is so bad that not only is the (public) school peddling disgusting cookie dough, but they are also asking parents to volunteer as office and/or cafeteria help.....previously paid positions that have been cut from the school budget. Yeah right, I'm going to sacrifice my free time while the wheels continue to come off the bus with no solutions insight other than legalizing marijuana so the state can tax it! Whew!!! Sorry....

 

[Buttercup67k]

Maybe it is different here in Florida, but there is as much, if not more, fundraising going on in the public schools as in the private schools. This is on top of the public funds spent on each child, which is in excess of $20,000 per student. If I was a public school parent (we homeschool) I would be outraged that with the amount the school system recieves in public funds they still ask the families to fundraise.

I have friends who homeschool, private school and public school. In each group there are well off, middle off and not well off families. Making reflexive and judgemental assumptions based on school choice is just wrong. Whatever choice you make about schooling, it is not indicative of where you are financially, particularily since many people make these decisions based on many factors, not just economics.

Anyway, getting off the soapbox, and to the OP, I would just tell your friend that you can't continue to participate in so many fundraisers. I don't even think you owe her an explanation. You could say something along the lines of "Oh, we are trying to cut back on expenses and now I have to stay within my budget" if you feel you have to explain. I would probably say something like this since she is someone that is seen daily at work and you are getting attitude.