Do you struggle to say No to people? I do sometimes.
Dear Sis is having a kitchen party tomorrow night and has been gently badgering me to go along. I don't want to.......for all kinds of reasons! I don't have spare cash to spend on what looks to me like weird food, I don't know any of her friends, and I'd just rather have a night at home. Dear Sis is quite the party person, and has had candle parties, Spa parties, Pampered Chef and all sorts - I think I have been to one and hated it.
For someone who used to sell Usborne Books, it sounds hypocritical to say that I don't like party sales techniques, but actually, I didn't do a lot of home parties because I found them uncomfortable, even then. I preferred to sell the books on stalls at fetes and fayres, without putting anyone under any pressure. It is always awkward to be invited to these gigs as a guest and then have the feeling that you ought to buy something - better to stay away, I think. There are often a few people looking for the cheapest items on the price list to see what we can get away with buying for as little as possible - I know, because I have seen people do it, and I have been one of the ones doing it!
It seems to be that the stuff must be at the luxury end of the market, and that makes me think that it will not be cheap. In my minimum spend November, this sort of thing is definitely off the cards.
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10 comments:
Only ever been to one cookery equipment party which also involved a quiz and unwanted purchases (because I felt I had to) ... makes me shudder at the thought of it and vowed it would be my last!I invited a lovely small group of friends round for a meal last weekend and we enjoyed an autumn feast of the food I like to share ..that's as far as me and parties go! I should stay home and enjoy a spot of knitting!
I couldn't agree more and avoid parties like that like plague.
Don't know about the parties that they do now, but in the 70's there were loads. Tupperware, Pippa Dee, jewellery, make up ,clothes, Avon. If you hosted one you got a bigger present, the more your guests spent. If you managed to get a friend to host one too you got still more. Oh yes, I remember my cousin having a saucepan party, where they wouldn't tell you the price of the pans until you had been offered all sorts of incentives to buy. The price eventually was about £95 and this was in the 80's. Pressure selling, eh.
I've been to a Christmas candle party and a make-up party (I don't even wear make-up) but I was invited to both by friends who were hosting. Hated every minute of the 'parties', especially the games. If I'm ever invited again, I will decline the offer and stay at home. Also, like you, I felt under pressure to buy expensive items which I would never contemplate buying otherwise. I ended up buying the smallest, cheapest items available and giving them away as presents x
Couldn't agree more. I have got better at saying no, the older I have become.
Just say sorry Sis but no, I have enough kitchen stuff.
The pressure to buy is bad enough but even worse is the pressure to book a party oneself so that your hostess/"friend" gets more points towards her "freebie". There were an awful lot of such parties back in the seveties/eighties - thank goodness it's years since I was invited to one
MQ - I would have said exactly that if it had been another Pampered Chef party as I DO have enough kitchen stuff but this is an organisation that actually sells food - but not the kind of stuff you and I eat - it is fancy rubs, sauces and marinades from what I can see on the website. I'm staying home with my knitting, as Ali suggested. Makes me feel better to know that I am not the only one feeling like this - but then you are my community of like-minded souls, so I shouldn't be surprised. Thank you, all of you! xx
Can you use food allergies as an excuse?
I did in the end, SusanM, but she thought that most of the stuff was herb-based, so in the end, I just said it wasn't my kind of food and she gave up there!
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