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It's no secret that the poor economy is doing a number on most all of us -- but after years of struggling for equality in the workplace, the realization that women are suffering from layoffs, downsizing, outsourcing and poor wages in much the same way as men is disheartening. What's more concerning is that according to a recent study from the Joint Economic Committee of Congress women are also dropping out of the workforce as a response to these tough times. While some women have opted to stay at home to raise the kids or for other family reasons, the study showed that many are taking a break from work because they are unable to find jobs comparable to the ones they've lost, impacting not only their bottom line, but likely their emotional well-being, too.
Throughout the iVillage community we are seeing women struggle with the choice of working to earn money for their family -- or staying at home to avoid the rising cost of childcare. This has definitely been a hot topic on our Stay at Home vs. Work debate message board, where some moms are saying the income from their jobs and the price of daycare is practically a wash. Member mm05 offers some details:
"In June I quit my job. After returning to work from [maternity] leave and having to pay $600 every two weeks for 3 children, I said NO WAY! My pay cheque was only $645-$650 every 2 weeks. That left me with $50. It made absolutly no sense."
In a recent poll, 56% of iVillage users felt that childcare should be a benefit offered by employers.
In other cases, we're seeing women from our communities decide to go back to work -- even if only part-time, to help the family's bottom line.
How are you coping with the poor economy -- both financially and emotionally? Have you suffered from a layoff or pay cut -- or are you sensing your job is in jeopardy?
While the Notorious B.I.G. may have sang about "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems", I am not so sure the rest of us are feeling like more money would be such a problem right about now. Consumer confidence is at its lowest in several years and the general outlook on the economic future for most people seems dismal thanks to rising food and gas prices, inflation, a sluggish job market and the ongoing housing crisis. Housing prices have bottomed out in many cities across the US and now the Illinois attorney general has filed a suit against embattled lender Countrywide alleging that the company engaged in "unfair and deceptive" practices that resulted in many homeowners taking out risky mortgages beyond what they could realistically afford. Some have countered that everyone has their own personal responsibility to borrow responsibly, but others wonder if lending companies and the glut of easy credit card offers are only preying on desperate consumers. On the In the News message board, this debate is in full swing, with even a few great tips and not-so-obvious facts about credit thrown in. rtmom07 sees both sides of the debate, saying:
"...the ultimate responsibility lands with those who take out those mortgages, or use the credit cards. However, I stick with my vulture analogy - they don't necessarily kill the animal - but once it is down, they pick at it mercilessly."
Regardless of where the fault lies, the fact is many people are feeling the squeeze of financial strain and those that were already in trouble are sometimes having to make really tough choices. And we're not just talking about foregoing the daily latte at Starbucks or skipping movie night. iVillagers are struggling to make ends meet and cover basic necessities due to cost of living increases, job loss and stagnant wages.
The Cost of Health
On our Migraines and Headaches message board, ifrog7 is suffering from migraines, but cringes at the thought of an increased dosage in her medicine:
"I called my Neuro, he wants to see me tomorrow at 8am. I am sure he will want to up my Topamax from 300 to 400. Which I can't afford to buy."
Others are finding themselves in the same situation -- unable to afford the treatments that they need to even be able to continue their normal routines. Several on the Antidepressant Medication message board are finding that even with insurance, the co-pays alone can be difficult to manage.
Financing Fido: Pets or Fuel?
As much as our pets are part of the family, they are an added expense and when push comes to shove, are they too much on the household budget? The ladies on the Family Fitness board are discussing several recent articles about an increase of animals being taken to shelters due to owners' inability to pay for their care. Most couldn't imagine giving up their furry companions, but ginger.cookie offers another point of view:
"Sadly, I think it's a lot more complicated than just either/or. Hopefully people would make cuts where they can before resorting to giving up on pets, but one can only cut so much."
Wedding Bill Blues
It's no secret that weddings are big business -- and a big chunk out of the wallet for most. Even simple ones can rack up hefty bills. Brides on our 2008 and 2009 Weddings communities are talking about how they'll be able to afford a celebration without straining their bank accounts. cl-liamattra is worried about how travel costs will impact her guests, but has come up with a few ideas:
"I think we're going to talk to all of our out of town guests, and see if we can't plan some sort of carpool for the trip. Even if we only get four to a car, that's still saving quite a bit of money. For those who might have to fly, or want to fly, we plan on monitoring the airlines for seat sales, so we can let them know when a deal comes up. It seems like the least we can do for our family and friends who want to be here."
With all the misery that seems to be out there, there is some hint of a silver lining. We've seen a lot of interesting tips and sharing of ideas from a ton of users on how they're managing in tough times. libraone asks the In the News crowd, "What are you cutting back on to cope with rising prices? " and received a lot of interesting replies. While most haven't found the need to take any drastic measures just yet, people consistently are cutting back on their entertainment, minimizing their driving time and retooling their grocery lists. We obviously have seen a ton of sticker shock at the gas pumps, and now we're really starting to see that fuel price impact other goods.
Not-so-expensive Tastes
You may be able to cut back on your entertainment budget, luxury items or even how much you drive, but everyone needs to eat. So how are iVillagers minding their money at the supermarket? We recently highlighted some great tips from our users on how to save money at the grocery store and in the past several weeks, we've seen hundreds more being posted as everyone is looking to get and share their advice on what works for them -- and what doesn't. On the Budgeting message board, melz128 lets us in on her food bill secrets; while on the Frugal Living board many are noticing their eating habits are actually changing, with several users reporting that expensive convenience foods and meat have been the first to go. For those that aren't willing to give up meat just yet, GardenWeb's Cooking forum offers up some tips for buying local and in bulk to save money.
On the Cooking 101 message board, cl-k_roni asks: "My question of the day is...how can $195 in groceries only take 4 trips from car to kitchen?" Of course she also shares some of her grocery list and some interesting price comparisons. In the same discussion, tallgirlcolo relates what she's doing differently:
"As for groceries, I have almost completely stopped shopping at the health-food stores and I have really cut back on what I buy at the regular store. I only buy certain things on sale (chicken breasts, seafood, frozen blueberries, fresh fruit) and I am becoming a madwoman with the weekly grocery circulars. I will hit all three major stores to save money on whatever they have on sale.
I am also making more one-pot or one-dish meals with leftovers in mind. I'm trying to stretch ingredients into more meals. "
Finally, no matter how dire the situation, I can usually find at least one member who can find the humor in it all. This time it's a quote from happysj56 on our 100 Pounds or More to Go community, in a discussion about rising gas prices and saving money she relates:
"I live in the city so already walk most places. I'm telling everyone that I'm afraid the price of shoe leather is going up, so I'm stocking up on shoes - every time I go to Marshall's, I buy another pair!"
Well that's one way to justify a shoe habit.
How is the current state of the economy affecting you? Are you feeling the pinch and cutting back? Do you feel you'll have to make some tough decisions in order to keep your budget afloat? Chime in and share your story -- as well as what you're doing to get by.
There's nothing like a little controversy over teen pregnancy to get the iVillage community buzzing with their reaction -- just look at our coverage of sex ed, teen maternity leave and middle school birth control. The latest story that has our members shocked and outraged is the report that a sharp increase in the teen pregnancy rate for one Massachusetts town may have resulted from a "pregnancy pact" among girls who vowed to get pregnant together. Even though the town officials are now backing away from this story, there has been a firestorm of disbelief and attempts at explaining what most would argue to be a baffling choice (to say the least...) for the girls, many 16 and younger. Whether or not there is any truth to the story of the pact, the notion of teen girls getting pregnant on purpose (and the general concern over teen pregnancy rates) has iVillage message boards such as In the News and Current Debates in a frenzy. Recently the Troubled Teens board also wrestled with this issue and the alarming attitudes teens had about pregnancy epidemics in their own towns.
Many are wondering what on Earth a young girl would be thinking and the whereabouts of the parents. iVillager poppigirl06 from the June 2006 Playgroup echoes the sentiments of many on our boards, saying:
"Wow! Where are these girls parents'? The school and community are talking about making contraceptives available but where are the girls' parents in all of this?!"On our Pregnant After a Loss message board wannabesteph shares her concerns:
"I agree these girls must not have much in the way of parental guidance, or who knows - maybe they do and this is just the new "in" thing to do. When I was in high school it was smoking cigarettes, kwim? Is this the new cool thing? Scares the crap out of me especially since I have a daughter (actually almost TWO!) that I hope and pray I can raise to be responsible adults and fight the urge to follow the pact."candybonesx from the September 2008 Expecting Club offers a different perspective on the issue of parental involvement and I think she may have a point here:
"Maybe I am a little biased because I'm a pregnant teen. But it's kind of dumb to ask where their mothers are. I didn't ask my mom for permission to have sex and I'm sure you don't either."
Touché.
In an effort to explain what would drive a child to want a child, hightopsfrom the Trying to Conceive - 6+ months messsage board offers:
"The girls did it because it is the one thing they can control in their lives. You have a baby, you get an apartment and checks and foodstamps, etc. So, it probably looked like a good deal to them."navygal06 from the Military Wives community chimes in on a similar discussion:
The September 2008 Expecting Club gals had several more great quotes on the topic, witness:
"I have a friend who volunteers at the crisis pregnancy center. The majority of pregnancy tests they perform are on teenage girls who are trying to have a baby. The usual response they give when asked why is either "to have someone to love" or "so my boyfriend won't leave me"."
And while some are pointing fingers at movies like Juno for glamorizing teen pregnancy, thistlemchays (also a September 2008 expecting mom) objects:
From mom_camilled: "And you know who's going to end up paying for all of those babies? Not the father! All of the taxpayers. How stupid can you be to purposely get pregnant like that?"
From sungoddessoxox: "It really does seem to be an "epidemic" of sorts. My sister is 19 and I would say that between 10-15 or her girl friends either have babies or are pregnant (not to mention the ones who are trying for one). Most of her friends had them or got pregnant at much younger than 19 though. Mostly 15-17. I mean if you really stop to think about it...that's a LOT of girls in high school with babies."
mama_lah from the March 2007 Playgroup concurs:
"I guess what sticks out here, to me, is that they are blaming the movie "Juno" as one possible influence on these girls to get PG at such a young age. I have heard this before, in reference to the "teen PG epidemic" of late. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't think "Juno" glamorized teen pregnancy in any way at all. Have you seen the movie? I found it to be kind of sad, actually ... It always puzzles me when I see the movie being blamed for teens getting PG because I just didn't see anything glamorous about it at all. "
"Wow....I am seriously a little speechless.... no wait here it goes. First of all I think it is ridiculous to say that movies like Juno or Knocked up made being pregnant look glamorous."
Of course for all the speculating on the who, what and whys of the situation, the fact remains that the small New England town of Gloucester will be experiencing a teen baby boom in the coming months, and if the pact scenario is true, there may not have been much that could have been done to prevent it. While parents, school officials and experts are lamenting over preventing more teen pregnancies, it will be interesting to see how the community changes, for better or worse, and how these young mothers will be received, if not supported, after a furor of media scrutiny over the past several days.
What do you think? Is there any one specific thing to blame for teen pregnancy rates climbing in some local communities? Are we doing a poor job of educating and offering our teens other options? Share your thoughts and comments on this story with us.
Over the last few weeks the iVillage community has been buzzing quite a bit about teen pregnancy and it's not too surprising that this topic is on the minds of iVillagers, as teen pregnancy rates are on the rise. News of teen star Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy is also sparking fears that there will only be more teens following in her footsteps, as is the film Juno, which some fear portrays the idea of a pregnant teen as cool.
In several of our message board communities moms are talking about a recent move in Denver high schools that would allow up to four weeks of maternity leave for new teen moms. This coming after many teen mothers were forced to return to school immediately after being discharged from the hospital or face truancy violations. Moms and medical professionals alike agree that new mom aftercare is critical to not only the health of the mother and child, but key in forming the relationship of the new family -- in whatever form that emerges. Shouldn't we give the same consideration to teen moms or is this only condoning teen pregnancy altogether?
On the Feminism Today board, deutche_mama recently posted "I can't see anything negative with schools helping out young mothers. By securing their education these girls are making huge advances for their future. How can that be bad???
By allowing these girls time off to heal, mentally and physically from birth, is a step in the right direction. They can then return to school and truly concentrate on their studies."
However, ginnyinnc countered with her opinion: "The fact is teenage mothers consciously make the decision to become parents. I believe we need to show them that it's not the BEST idea for them or for the child. We should not encourage it or pat them on the head when it happens. It's a bad idea that will forever alter their lives."
In a discussion on the Parents of Ten- to Fourteen-Year Olds message board janetis40 isn't on board with this plan just yet, either: "The cold hard facts are ... schools are not put into place to work around teenage Mothers ... they are there to educate children." There does seem to be some fear that giving teen moms more opportunity to settle in to their new roles may make teen pregnancy less off-putting. Others would argue that not helping these young moms adjust only increases their likelihood of dropping out of school.
Member bradleyteach offers her thoughts: "I believe that these young women should be able to have a doctors note excusing them for an appropriate period of time postpartum. Or, they can be excused from school the rest of the school year and re=enroll for the next school year but treating them as truancy cases is inappropriate. They've got enough going against them to be a teenager and have a baby, but to make it so that they must choose between abandoning their baby to the care of someone else before their milk even comes in and then come home to HS level homework - it is the baby who will suffer - and dropping out so that their chances of making a decent living for themselves and their babies is just not in anyone's best interest."
tamtamm agrees, saying, "Childbirth is a major medical event. I can't imagine anyone going back to work/school 2 days after giving birth. I agree that a doctor's note should be sufficient in excusing the child from school for a period of time."
A school's involvement in what happens well before teens give birth is also stirring up controversy. A Howard County Maryland school board has approved a written policy that requires staff to inform parents of their pregnant daughter's status. This news has fueled a discussion over privacy, parental rights and more. thefeministbreeder says, "I don't think a teenager has any right to privacy in this way. I'm glad they make cell phones with GPS in them now so when my kids are teenagers, I'll be able to track their every movement. Kids have poor judgment, and do stupid things. Even kids raised in the best environments."
iblondie2004 doesn't see this as a completely black and white topic: "I'm torn on this issue. The right thing to do wars with my personal beliefs. Unfortunately, I just don't think its practical to require that parents will be notified. It will deter teenagers from receiving the services they so desperately need. Although I do have a HUGE problem with minors receiving medical services of any kind without parents approval and knowledge."
While everyone seems to feel it would be best if more parents had better relationships with their teens that would result in them coming forward on their own or help to avoid the situation altogether, many fear that this policy will only result in more teens in trouble not getting any help or support at all. Looking at this debate from the perspective of a mom, you can't help but feel anything that would connect the parent to what is really happening would only help, but as acacia_verain points out, no matter how difficult it might be, we have to also look at this from the view of the teen: "I think there are many instances where it is better for the parent not to know. If I had become pregnant when I was a minor, I would have done anything to keep that from my parents to the point of risking or sacrificing my own life. Teenagers filled with desperation and recklessness are capable of many terrible things. I remember what that felt like....having no freedom....that feelings of helplessness. You couldn't pay me to go through that again. This is part of the reason I feel it is vitally important for a teenager to have access the confidential medical treatment."
What do you think about these issues? Should teens have access to a school-approved maternity leave? Are schools obligated to notify a parent about a teen's pregnancy? Share your thoughts on these stories and let us know how you feel.
It's a bird, it's a weekday -- no, it's ... Super Tuesday! While I'm not sure that Super Tuesday is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, it does guarantee Super Buzz in the iVillage community. Politics are always fair game for frank and sometimes heated conversations on our debate and issues boards, but election season has everyone sharing their feelings on this year's candidates. From our expecting clubs and playgroups to our Home & Garden message boards, women are sounding off on what's important to them and how they're planning to vote. Even on our Remodel & Renovate community, there are some definite plans for remodeling and renovating the White House, and we're not talking interior design. A lot of women are trying to cut through the campaign rhetoric and plan to send a message to the candidates that they not only want a change in policy, but a change in the process; cl-thatyank sums up her thoughts on this year's crop of negative campaign tricks by saying, "negative television ads tend to make me angry at the person who approved the ad." In the same discussion, cl-joshndansmom echoes what we're seeing on many of our boards: "There are so many issues, but right now I think the biggest one is getting our soldiers out of Iraq safely."
So is Iraq the big issue for this election, when many voters are looking for a change in domestic policy as well as foreign affairs? The war in Iraq is always a hot subject of discussion on the Current Debates board and in many of our military communities, this issue hits closer to home than many of us can fathom. Although Iraq is a hot-button issue for many, the state of the U.S. healthcare system and the struggling economy have definitely become top of mind issues for many iVillage members, who feel the pinch of these for their families on a daily basis. On our Hot Topics in Health message board, member clear_victory laments:
"Health care seems to have slipped below the radar, all of a sudden it's "about the economy, stupid", you know? If we can't stay healthy, the economy has little meaning. I'm so sick of seeing overcrowded ERs because so many have no health insurance."
Happy Halloween, iVillage! Whether you're a fanatic for this holiday or are just trying to get through without eating too many fun-sized Snickers, you can find a lot of Halloween fun right here in the iVillage community. I went on a little trick-or-treating mission around the boards and here's what's brewing:
- On the Poets Workshop message board they've conjured up a Halloween poem challenge. It sounds like a lot of fun and there's still time to join in -- I don't even think you have to be in costume, but it's a bit trickier than it looks, so beware and mind your iambic pentameter.
- Need a last-minute treat that's safe for everyone to enjoy? The ladies on the Four-and-Five-Year Olds board are sharing peanut-free Halloween snack ideas. Even if you're already overloaded on treats, these are some good suggestions to bookmark for your next class party or club function.
- The moms of 8-and-9-Year-Olds are asking the question: Do you ration out (your child's) trick or treat candy a little bit at a time, or do you let them eat as much as they want? I'll add in my own question -- do you always take a certain percentage of your kids' candy as your "cut" or is that just me? Ahem.
- Dress Up Pets: Just because they can't eat candy doesn't mean that the family pet can't get into the Halloween festivities. Don't miss these cute and furry friends in costume.
- They're scaring up more fun on the Cooking with the Seasons message board. Stop by and join in (and snag a few recipes while you're there). Find more ghoulish goodies here.
- Of course they're in the spirit of the season on the Halloween board ... stop by to see what everyone's planning and check out the Halloween scavenger hunt .
- The GardenWeb community is showing off their creative talents for the fall season. These glass pumpkins are amazing and many members are showing off their fall decorations.
- Although they're often discussing real-life scary stuff on the In the News board, this week they're trading Halloween Movie Recommendations and asking, Is your house haunted? My house isn't haunted, but there sure seem to be a lot of cobwebs hanging around. Hmmm ...
- Maybe now is not the time to think of swimsuit season, but if you need some inspiration for getting in shape, don't miss this amazing Halloween before and after from carol-jtd40 on the LA Weight Loss message board. Way to go!
- iVillagers have been showing off their fall and Halloween signature lines in the Fall Frenzy and Halloween Spooktacular challenge. Yes, "spooktacular" is a word, why do you ask? Stop by and see all of the creative images members are using to dress up their messages and post your own!
No matter what you have planned for this spooky day, have fun and stay safe out there! And if you're not expecting trick-or-treaters to show up on your doorstep tonight, you can still enjoy cute kids in costume from the comfort of your keyboard. Speaking of which, why not upload your own photos? We want to see 'em!
Community Producer Stephanie is fairly new to our team, but she already knows how to push my buttons! This, of course, is exactly why she's so good at what she does. After my last rant about the school fundraisers, I think she knew she had an easy mark when she tipped me off to the conversations happening around this article about fingerprinting children at school to use biometric technology to speed up the lunch line. Say what? In order to get the kids moving through the line a bit faster, a school district in Colorado planned to use fingerprint scanning to store information about the kids' lunch accounts and remove the need for lunch tickets, ID numbers or cards. That is until some parents found out about the approach and cried foul, citing privacy concerns. Finger scanning is already in place in some schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and West Virginia, while other states have explicitly barred schools from collecting this information for such purposes. I'll just come right out and say that I'm not for the use of biometrics in schools to speed up the lunch lines. Sure, there are valid privacy concerns and I could easily veer off into "Well why don't we just MICROCHIP everyone", but there's an easier less-paranoid argument to be made. And that's simply that I feel the expense, implementation and upkeep of a finger scan system is an overreaction to a relatively simple problem. So I was all set to get my rant on when I realized ... I don't even have to: our iVillage community is already on the case!
I imagine iVillage member jagl1 on the In the News message board speaks for many, saying "I am against this whole using biometrics for identifying minor children, with the exception of police departments. NO ONE should be trusted with this kind of unique information." She then points out (very astutely I might add): "How many times have I heard about some government entity having its a laptop swiped? No thank you. ... Do I have a better idea? What's wrong with ID cards? If the ID card is lost, a new ID card and # should be issued." Exactly!
While I was busy nodding along with jagl1's comments, along comes my2craigs who pretty much took the rest of the words out of my mouth with this comment: "There are a lot of other ways to speed up a lunch line." Indeed -- like high-speed conveyor belts and only serving bread and water, for starters. Ok maybe not, but she goes on to put her finger on (ahem) what is probably the real issue here: "Maybe the problem is with too short a lunch period. Come on..20 minutes?? That's just crazy. Are we so desperate for class time to try to cram more info into children or give them a standardized test that we can't give them enough time to eat or play or just have some down time?" Oh don't even get me started, my2craigs ... don't even get me started!
There's also been some talk about the issue of fingerprinting on the November 2006 Ginger Snaps playgroup. flmanatee23 is somewhat torn about this issue: "At first I was all for it, this just seemed like a great piece of advancement schools should be utilizing… then I started to think about the future of identification and of course identification theft…and my other side isn’t so sure anymore. While as a school teacher I am all for adding valuable time to lunch lol, I am not sure if I would want the school board keeping such sensitive records."
So what do you think? Is fingerprint scanning a great idea to keep the lines moving and store kids' info at school or is it one step closer to total government control? Or maybe somewhere in the less extreme middle? How does your child's school handle lunchtime? Do you feel they get enough time to eat their lunch? Of course if your school district is already using this technology, I'm especially interested in hearing from you! Look, I'm not against using technology to improve our lives and make things more efficient, but I say let's hold off on applying it to the school lunch line until we all get our flying cars. Who's with me?
Ah ... the kids are back in school, that feeling of fall is in the air and jumbo bags of Halloween candy are lining every aisle at your local drugstore. Before you're lulled into a false sense of security with the promise of "fun size" Snickers, I do need to remind you that it's also the season for something much more sinister.
Yes, that's right: the school fundraiser.
It's that time again, folks, and there's nowhere you can hide to escape the lure of children selling reams of holiday wrapping paper, $20 a pound chocolate covered cherries or giant tubs of cookie dough. (Not that I have anything against giant tubs of cookie dough, mind you.) Over the past few days, the iVillage Community Moderators have been swapping stories and lamenting over the yearly fundraising onslaught.
Of course we all can relate, especially those of us with kids in school. I will admit, I was mildly amused by this shared annoyance ... until my daughter came home yesterday with the dreaded fundraising catalog from her school. What is it about these fundraisers that make us cringe? Is it the products themselves? The pricing? The chintzy little "prizes" they use to motivate the kids ... so they can sell 20 items and get a light-up pen that also is a clock? Or is it the notion of fundraising in general?
Member aquagrl914 probably speaks for many iVillagers when she posted this on the Frugal Families message board: "I really hate school fundraisers GRRRRRRR!! My kids have been in school about a month now and they have already come home with pictures, 3 fundraisers, 2 book orders and 2 different fairs and silent auctions in the next two weeks."
Member e13lorena is feeling the pinch as well: "Fundrasiers are also crazy here and those darned book order forms - I don't buy any of it. I let the girls do the fund raisers if they want to ask people, but I don't buy from them. The school only gets 1/2 the money anyway and the stuff is soooo over-priced and the kids only want to sell it to get some stupid plastic prize if they sell so much."
On the 4th, 5th & 6th Grade message board janetis40 puts her finger on some of the awkwardness: "I hate asking family all the time to buy stuff that they really don't want ... so my Mom bought one thing and then my DH and I bought up the rest so she could at least go to the big party." and my2kidsmom199498 points out that it's even worse for the kids in after-school activities or other youth groups, "... it isn't just my kids' two schools running fundraisers, but they are both in scouts, so we have fall product, popcorn, cookies, and wreaths for both kids."
Enough is enough already? I bet there are several of you out there right now nodding your head, because you're going through the same thing. Go on, how many of you have kids with multiple fundraisers right now?
When the topic of school fundraisers came up on the Latter-Day Saint Families message board packofkids offered this perspective as a former PTA president:
"Back when I was PTA president I conducted a survey concerning fund raisers. 84% of the parents said they hated Sally Foster. Sally Foster is one of those "crap from China" companies, where the school/PTA gets 50% of the money. At our school parents buy $10,000 worth of crap and the school gets $5000. And that's with 84% hating it! The problem with those crap from China companies is they work, or else schools wouldn't use them."She then goes on to say, "Remember that any fund raiser you participate in is basically saying, "I like this fund raiser, please bring it back next year."
Hmmm... she does have a point. So what's the answer here? Just suck it up, buy your wrapping paper and some cookie dough and get over it? How do you feel about the ubiquitous school fundraiser? Are you buying or balking? Making a cash donation instead? Are there fundraisers that you actually like? Share your opinions on school fundraising here, or join the discussion on the Frugal Families board.
Now... anyone in the market for some holiday gift tags or a giant summer sausage?
what's this?
A few weeks ago the topic of girly gadgets came up in a discussion about the practice of marketing pink versions of electronics, appliances and other gadgets (say, tasers) to women. Some of the gals at work didn't mind and liked the option to coordinate their accessories, while others are getting a little irritable about the whole trend. Who says girls automatically like pink anyway? Well, the neuroscientists, apparently. Now it turns out there may actually be some deep-seated ancestral reason that might explain why girls may naturally be drawn to pink -- and it has absolutely nothing to do with Barbie! What the science-y types had to say about gender-specific color preferences:
