just out of curiosity...

[Poppet]

I used to buy Thin Mints, but at $4.50 a box here , and with the girls not getting their 50% anymore , I switched to Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe-Joes. They taste the same.

[marmar]

Jan 7, 2011 14:17:41 GMT -5 @vsnizzle said:

I wouldn't have a problem spending $3.50 for 30 tagalongs, but $3.50 for 15 of them kinda hurts. Especially when I can absentmindly consume a whole box in an afternoon.

Not me. I consume an entire box of tagalongs - in one fell swoop - with absolute intent. Which is why I forced myself to stop buying them. But my niece is a new Daisy Scout, so I'm sort of obligated to get back on the saddle.

[kristi28]

Jan 7, 2011 20:51:04 GMT -5 pushingit said:

Adding, BS popcorn, same scam. The flyer says 70% of proceeds support BS locally, but that's B/S. The troop keeps like 17% by the time they're charged for shipping, prises, etc. A huge portion goes to state and national as well.

Where do you get that info? The girl scout website says that 70% remains with the local council and the rest goes to pay the baker. The local council keeps a substantial portion to pay for things like campgrounds, training of volunteers, which benefit all of the girls in the area.

I love the Samoas, even if they are overpriced. We buy some from my nieces every year.

[kinetickid]

Jan 7, 2011 14:17:41 GMT -5 @vsnizzle said:

Not me. I consume an entire box of tagalongs - in one fell swoop - with absolute intent. Which is why I forced myself to stop buying them. But my niece is a new Daisy Scout, so I'm sort of obligated to get back on the saddle.

Moi, aussi. Tagalongs are my favorite.

[cheapcat]

I hadn't bought then in years, but now 2 nieces, 1 from each side of the family, are in Girl Scouts. DH ordered 3 boxes from each of them over the holidays, which isn't good since we're trying to lose weight. I should probably bring most of them to work to fatten up the coworkers.

[mrsgords]

I think Girl Scout cookies are a total rip off. They're not as good as they used to be a few years ago, and they're very expensive to boot. I agree w/Greyscience5. How about selling something more healthy?

[greyscience5]

@ mrsgords, I know!! Unfortunately I don't think the "healthy" stuff would sell as well. However, the local band in my area sells deli sandwich kits and they are actually quite good and popular. I wonder how difficult it would be logistically for the girl scouts to do something similar.

[Deleted]

All the stuff about "less cookies in our diet" and "high fructose corn syrup" is technically true, but we are talking about Girls Scout cookies here. They are an American tradition.

I just wish Walmart would cut out letting every organization on earth sell Krispy Kremes at their front entrance every Saturday. You hate to say no to these eager little kids, but there's no way anyone should eat a box of doughnuts every weekend.

[zibazinski]

I don't patronize stores that let "beggars" harass customers every weekend and I tell them why. That's what car washes and other things are for. Some of these organizations just ask for money like it's their right to just have it handed to them. I also have heard that Girl Scouts keep very little so is anyone a former leader and can give us the truth?

[pushingit]

Jan 7, 2011 23:01:37 GMT -5 @kristi28 said:

Jan 7, 2011 20:51:04 GMT -5 pushingit said:

Adding, BS popcorn, same scam. The flyer says 70% of proceeds support BS locally, but that's B/S. The troop keeps like 17% by the time they're charged for shipping, prises, etc. A huge portion goes to state and national as well.

Where do you get that info? The girl scout website says that 70% remains with the local council and the rest goes to pay the baker. The local council keeps a substantial portion to pay for things like campgrounds, training of volunteers, which benefit all of the girls in the area.

I love the Samoas, even if they are overpriced. We buy some from my nieces every year.

From three different GS leaders. I'm talking about what the troop gets. You know, the girls who actually sell the crack, er I mean cookies. The council, (which isn't the troop, it's a regional group of many troops.) gets some, and National gets some. Like I said, it's a pyramid scheme.

We don't have a GS camp close enough to us to make it worth using. When our GS's camp they go to a local camp ground. Those who do go to the GS camp, pay for the privilege.

Here's the wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_Scout_cookie

I wouldn't have a problem with the councils getting an equal cut, but they shouldn't be getting significantly more than the troops.

PTA is a pyramid scheme too. We collect membership dues that are sent to state and national to fund their programs, but we send them nothing from our fundraising, just $3.50 a year per member, which is split between state and national.

[pushingit]

Another thing that has troop leaders in our area up in arms about cookies is that they make the troops order in full case quantities now.

Used to be you sold cookies and ordered what you needed to fill your orders. Now troop leaders are stuck with partial cases and the troop, or more likely the troop leader is stuck paying for them.

Since the council makes the most and could more easily absorb the costs of unsold partial cases, rather than the troop, they should fill orders the old way.

[zibazinski]

Aargh, no good deed goes unpunished.

[ohmomto2boys]

I have no problem spending the $ on girl scout cookies. It is a once a year deal, the cookies are great and it helps a great organization. My neice is a girl scout - I love helping her reach her goal.
I also buy popcorn from the boy scouts. My nephew is a boy scout. We try to spend the same amount of $ for each organization - once a year.
Of course - the cookies or popcorn do not help my waistline......

[TheOtherMe]

Since I remember knocking on doors to sell Camp Fire candy when I was a kid, I have no problem buying some Girl Scout cookies. It is for a good cause.

[bean29]

I just ordered about 9 boxes from my niece yesterday. My kids had the order started. Some of the newer flavors are not sold in the store. I sold cookies as a kid too and it is virtually the only fundraiser I get hit up for that I am willing to purchase. The boyscout wreaths and popcorn are more overpriced than the cookies imo. I only purchase from relatives or occasionally a co-worker I feel it is not politically smart to say no to.

[michelyn8]

When I was in high school, my older brother worked in a cookie factory that made some of the girl scout cookies. He could purchase rejects by the case and often brought home a copy paper-sized box with a large plastic bag full of Samoa rejects. I loved it.

Now that I think about it, that might be part of the reason I put on a good chunk of weight around aged 15...............but worth every pound.