Am I the only one who hates the "Box Top" competition?

[Anonymous]

I think it's important to mention that there are a whole bunch of schools in this country (including some in this area) that cannot afford to lose a single dime of that money. If you are at a school where the PTA can raise tens of thousands just by asking people for it, the box tops have little meaning. But for many schools, they would literally have nothing without that $500-$1000 that they can raise just by ripping the tops off of Cheerios and Chex boxes.

[Anonymous]

I hate the contests - like the class that collects the most gets an ice cream party. Like a fool, the first year I cut them out, I turned them in on a regular basis just like the PTA asked. Then, there was a contest near the end of the school year. Had I not turned them in in a timely fashion, my DC's class would have won. So, then I started holding on to them. Of course, then some of them expire before I turn them in. I don't care. The contests encourage hoarding and then dumping. If they want unexpired ones, don't have a contest.

[Anonymous]

Ha ha ha. No box tops in this family.

[Anonymous]

I buy them on ebay.

[Anonymous]

Nope. We have no box tops whatsoever and have no intention of buying anything just to get them. They're on the worst, unhealthy food. Yuck.

I resent box tops in any case. It's a way to make women grovel to fundraise. It's menial labor, right down from the way we have to cut the stupid suckers out of the boxes, to the fact that we have to "collect" them over eons. And for all that work, you get peanuts for the school. I told our PTA person I'd rather donate the cash.

If fathers were responsible for fundraising through spending, trust me it would be beer caps that would be collected.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to mention that there are a whole bunch of schools in this country (including some in this area) that cannot afford to lose a single dime of that money. If you are at a school where the PTA can raise tens of thousands just by asking people for it, the box tops have little meaning. But for many schools, they would literally have nothing without that $500-$1000 that they can raise just by ripping the tops off of Cheerios and Chex boxes.

I collected Box Tops and sent them to a friend in another state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WE found there was a lot of pressure to do this - but there is pressure to do a lot of things for school. We pick the ones that are most appealing to us / easiest to achieve and don't worry about the rest.

When DC #1 started elementary school, I, too, felt there was a lot of pressure to do/support the school.
Now that DC#2 is half way through elementary, this pressure was most likely self imposed. I have stepped away from a lot at the school, and feel MUCH better! No more mean-girl PTSA drama, too!

[Anonymous]

The competition doesn't interest me at all, but I'm happy to clip box tops and submit them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Zip loc bags, aluminum foil, sponges, Saran wrap.

zip locs and saran are unethical

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Land of lakes butter

It's Land O' Lakes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The competition doesn't interest me at all, but I'm happy to clip box tops and submit them.

Agree. We buy just a few products (Kleenex - we go through a ton) that have it, and it takes just a minute to rip off the box top coupon and stick it in a ziploc to eventually send in to school.

I would be annoyed if there was a lot of pressure around competition.

[Anonymous]

I collect them but often forget to take them to school. I'd rather give cash and have my Target card tied to a school to which I want to donate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's important to mention that there are a whole bunch of schools in this country (including some in this area) that cannot afford to lose a single dime of that money. If you are at a school where the PTA can raise tens of thousands just by asking people for it, the box tops have little meaning. But for many schools, they would literally have nothing without that $500-$1000 that they can raise just by ripping the tops off of Cheerios and Chex boxes.

I collected Box Tops and sent them to a friend in another state.

+1 we've had family members send them to us or drop by with them along with co-workers. We didn't even ask. They asked "do your kids collect these?" We have the kids glue/tape them to sheets. They think it's fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. We have no box tops whatsoever and have no intention of buying anything just to get them. They're on the worst, unhealthy food. Yuck.

I resent box tops in any case. It's a way to make women grovel to fundraise. It's menial labor, right down from the way we have to cut the stupid suckers out of the boxes, to the fact that we have to "collect" them over eons. And for all that work, you get peanuts for the school. I told our PTA person I'd rather donate the cash.

If fathers were responsible for fundraising through spending, trust me it would be beer caps that would be collected.

Exaggeration, much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nope. We have no box tops whatsoever and have no intention of buying anything just to get them. They're on the worst, unhealthy food. Yuck.

I resent box tops in any case. It's a way to make women grovel to fundraise. It's menial labor, right down from the way we have to cut the stupid suckers out of the boxes, to the fact that we have to "collect" them over eons. And for all that work, you get peanuts for the school. I told our PTA person I'd rather donate the cash.

If fathers were responsible for fundraising through spending, trust me it would be beer caps that would be collected.

You're right. You are way to good to help out in any way. They should all work for you, not the other way around.