Go Fund Me Me Me...my dreams, my car, my trips

[Hisgirl]

I think crowd sourcing has been a GREAT and fantastic way for folks who do not have the resources, to pay for surgeries, burned down homes, help with medical bills etc.

Please read that again. I think it is GREAT to help those in need who do not have the means and are in emergencies and need the help.

With that said....what, pray tell, causes a person to see a scratch on their car, and think 'I'll create a Go Fund Me page so other people will pay to fix it!"

Just today, a gal in town did just that because someone scratched her car. This is an upper middle class college age girl with the physical means to work and earn the money.

We are seeing it again and again and again...I want to make a music CD, attend camp in Alaska, quit your 9-5 job and have a podcast instead, go to a specialized school....BUT have someone else pay for it.

I am just wanting to understand this.

Why are folks not responsible for supporting their own life, dreams, projects and trips? I am seriously confused. If I wanted something, I worked harder and earned the money, cut back spending, found a second stream of income, got creative. I never ask for a handout.

I believe hard work builds self respect.

Do other people see this constantly? I am literally not understanding the mindset.

 

[bethy]

I'll take it one step further. I also get irritated at all the fundraisers for youth "extras" Just yesterday a young gal came to my door raising money for "my trip to London for cheer". I politely declined but was thinking in my head - why don't you just earn the money rather than asking for donations or selling stuff I feel obligated to buy but don't need or want?

Carwashes and yard clean up fundraisers are fine IMO though - the ones that make the kids actually somewhat work for the money. They can also earn money on their own.

Humbug.

 

[Ben E N]

My favorite Go Fund Me story was of the lady who spent literally all of her money on Powerball tickets and shockingly didn't win. Her fault, but she asked others to help her dig out of the hole she made. Of course people donated to help her out, furthering the expectation that people will do that.

 

[Hisgirl]

Oh Ben! Good grief, that is so sad!

 

[RedAngie]

Because those people know there are suckers who will give.

 

[sk!mom]

I think crowd sourcing has been a GREAT and fantastic way for folks who do not have the resources, to pay for surgeries, burned down homes, help with medical bills etc.

Please read that again. I think it is GREAT to help those in need who do not have the means and are in emergencies and need the help.

With that said....what, pray tell, causes a person to see a scratch on their car, and think 'I'll create a Go Fund Me page so other people will pray to fix it!"

Just today, a gal in town did just that because someone scratched her car. This is an upper middle class college age girl with the physical means to work and earn the money.

We are seeing it again and again and again...I want to make a music CD, attend camp in Alaska, quit your 9-5 job and have a podcast instead, go to a specialized school....BUT have someone else pay for it.

I am just wanting to understand this.

Why are folks not responsible for supporting their own life, dreams, projects and trips? I am seriously confused. If I wanted something, I worked harder and earned the money, cut back spending, found a second stream of income, got creative. I never ask for a handout.

I believe hard work builds self respect.

Do other people see this constantly? I am literally not understanding the mindset.

OMG, you are singing my song! I am so tired of those asking others to pay for their fun/extras. One family I know has asked so many times for so many kid's trips for soccer, dance, etc... I've noticed that they've fallen flat the past couple of times. The constant "mission trip" fundraisers make me the craziest. If you want to go to Africa/Brazil/wherever then go on your own dime. If you truly want to help the orphans there though, then donate and raise money to send to them. They don't need a bunch of teens coming to paint a wall that a different group will likely paint next week.

That being said, I'm not heartless. I just donated this past weekend for a friend whose child was just diagnosed with cancer. The child will be treated hours away and the family will no doubt be financially stressed. I was so happy that there was a platform for me and others to be able to quickly and easily offer support.

 

[bethy]

OMG, you are singing my song! I am so tired of those asking others to pay for their fun/extras. One family I know has asked so many times for so many kid's trips for soccer, dance, etc... I've noticed that they've fallen flat the past couple of times. The constant "mission trip" fundraisers make me the craziest. If you want to go to Africa/Brazil/wherever then go on your own dime. If you truly want to help the orphans there though, then donate and raise money to send to them. They don't need a bunch of teens coming to paint a wall that a different group will likely paint next week.

That being said, I'm not heartless. I just donated this past weekend for a friend whose child was just diagnosed with cancer. The child will be treated hours away and the family will no doubt be financially stressed. I was so happy that there was a platform for me and others to be able to quickly and easily offer support.

Couldn't agree more about most short term mission trips. Donate the enormous amount of money it costs for u to travel there. It will go so far in those countries!

 

[mnrose]

It doesn't bother me. I just don't contribute. Ask anything you want. Go ahead. But, I'm a little discerning in where I choose to donate. I give to quite a few of these things, when the need is there. If it's a "want" you likely aren't getting a penny from me.

 

[wgeo]

Can be awesome: Like the firefighter who just lost his life in WI leaving behind young twins - awesome. After the Pulse nightclub shootings, having somewhere that people could donate that had legitmacy so that it could be trusted to be passed out fairly - awesome.

Some of them are insane: I saw a golf cart and it looked cool, who will buy it for me? Umm no. I'm bored with my clothes and I'm starting college and want a new wardrobe - ummm no. I would never give. I'm not mad if someone else decides to donate, that's their choice, but I don't see the logic behind it at all.

The youth trips thing is another one that gets to me. My kids are just hitting the age where they'll be going on them, and in no way will I let them just straight up ask people for money. No nope no. I can't stand all the groups just sitting in front of Walmart or who have their parents send around things on social media just asking for money. I say no. If my kids want to go on a trip they will need to do something to fundraise, babysit, wash cars, rake leaves etc. That's just my opinion. If other people choose to give money that's their choice, but I don't see the logic behind it.

 

[tcufrog]

When I went on church trips we earned the money through car washes, pumpkin sales, chore auctions, spaghetti dinners, sports arena concession shifts, etc. We never would have flat out asked for donations.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

My son's scoutmaster is pushing gofundme hard as a way to pay for his Eagle project. Nope, no way, no how. He will raise the money the good old fashioned way - car wash and mowing yards.

It's just a glorified way to beg without having to ask face to face. For some people it eliminates the shame factor. I have no issues with gofundme for emergencies - unexpected death, illness, charities, etc. But asking someone else to pay for your vacation or new car or whatever is begging no matter what you call it.

 

[georgina]

Don't forget bake sales for Eagle Scout funding! I often donated $20 for a couple of cupcakes.

I just ignore go fund me things I think are silly. I mostly give to established charities that have a good reputation for distribution.

My oldest DD did several local mission trips with our church. They worked in an economically depressed area not far from home, repairing roofs, floors, building ramps for wheelchair bound folks, etc. They were encouraged to solicit donations for their work, in the spirit of learning about the humility of begging in person (not online). People responded well to her, and she followed up after her trips with a report on the results.

 

[sk!mom]

My son's scoutmaster is pushing gofundme hard as a way to pay for his Eagle project. Nope, no way, no how. He will raise the money the good old fashioned way - car wash and mowing yards.

It's just a glorified way to beg without having to ask face to face. For some people it eliminates the shame factor. I have no issues with gofundme for emergencies - unexpected death, illness, charities, etc. But asking someone else to pay for your vacation or new car or whatever is begging no matter what you call it.

Depending on what the Eagle Project is that is potentially a time that I would donate. I don't know a lot about the rules for those but it seems that they are often some type of project that benefits the community. I've donated a couple of times when the Scout was doing the work but needed help with the necessary supplies. One was redoing/upgrading the yard at the local Women and Children's shelter. I was happy to help with a monetary donation for the necessary sod, paint, toys, etc...

 

[VandVsmama]

I agree w/everybody else. Using Gofundme for some purposes is fine. But for other reasons? No.

For example:
A mom friend of mine posted on social media about her sibling and the sibling's spouse (can't remember if it was her brother or sister) who started a Gofundme page to try to raise tens of thousands of $$ to pay for a child adoption. I have a couple of problems with that. First, I didn't even know my friend's sibling. Had never met the couple at all. If I knew them, then I **might** consider. Second, who the heck asks other people to pay for adoption fees? Third, there are a whole lot of children in the foster care system who would love to be adopted. 1 of my coworkers is a foster parent w/her DH. 1 of their kids they adopted through foster care and they started out as the child's foster parents. And their 2nd child, they are foster parents to right now and are in the process of trying to formally adopt that child. My coworker never once asked for other people to pay for all of that.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

I’m with the rest of the posters- unforeseen emergencies, medical expenses, funeral expenses, etc., awesome way to get help/help out people who need it.

A former coworker of mine tried to get donations so she could go see a concert. Ugh. I kept checking the page to see if anyone had donated and nobody ever did.

 

[kimblebee]

I think it has to do a lot with the fact that everyone gets a trophy these days.

‘So and so gets to buy a new car, why can’t I too?

 

[paisleys]

I was really surprised when recently one of my cousins (a corporate attorney) sent out a gofundme for a couple of thousand dollars for the family to attend a school contest trip in the midwest. $2000 to go to Wisconsin?? And guess who is gallivanting all over Europe this summer?

 

[tvguy]

You mean "Go Fraud Me?"

 

[Kitty 34]

Makes me wonder how people paid for things before Go Fund Me was a way.

 

[DisneylandDarling]

I was just about to post a thread about this until I saw yours. This woman that I'm acquaintances with has had 4 Go-Fund-Me campaigns in the last year or so... no joke at all. But of course she refuses to work, current bf can't keep a job, has 5 different baby daddies at the age of 27, and always plays the victim card. Then she gets upset when people don't enable her behavior by contributing to her campaigns. Good times, good times...