When I was a kid I brought home brochures of stuff for sale that I would pester my neighbors to buy. My mom would sell to “church family” and my dad would sell at the factory. What kind of stuff did I sell back then (80s)? Popcorn in tins, wrapping paper, candy, cookies.

I recently was conned into buying an eight dollar pizza for a coworker’s son. Yes, an eight dollar pizza, when I usually buy 79 cent Jeno’s pizzas. I made it last night and, while it was a good “brick oven” style deluxe pizza, it wasn’t worth $8. It should have washed the dishes after we were done. And then, that would make it a, perhaps, $6 pizza.

I had a discussion with Michael (DH) last night and I told him that from now on, I would offer to make a donation to the charity they were raising money for, but I wouldn’t buy an overpriced item just because I was pressured into it.

Today, I got hit up with a school brochure. I started to make my objection and was told that the money wasn’t going to a charity, it was going to support THE SCHOOL. Um, isn’t that what my tax dollars are for? I don’t even have kids in the school system and I pay taxes for them. Now, my coworkers expect me to further help fund their child’s education?

What angers me even more are the “prizes” the kids get for selling. Not a key chain or a duffel bag. A Wii! A $250 video game machine. Okay, now I see where my money is really going.

When did fund-raising become kid financing?