How to avoid buying stuff from coworkers

[Nika]

Probably a good skill to acquire? Selling... I used to sell pens at school. Made enough money in a year to buy a walkman. That was a lot of money when and where I grew up.

When it comes to children selling, I view it not as so much selling, but as begging/panhandling. This is about guilt and being nice to the kid, not about offering a needed product for a competitive price.

[Augustine]

I think the reason saying "No" out rightly works well is that people start to learn that you are not the type that is coerced into spending what you have not budgeted for.

The benefit of this is that they just stop coming to you altogether, so it pays to be firm with your 'NO'. You are also under no obligation to explain your answer.

[terces]

I send a general email to co-workers when I'm selling fundraiser stuff. If they want to purchase, fine. But if not, that's fine too.

The other day I had a co-worker approach me to buy poinsettas from his kid. I know he only asked me cause both of our kids play in their school band. It was very awkward but I told him no thank you. Yes part of it was because he never purchases from me, but I also don't like having poinsettas around my house because I have dogs.

[funlol]

I just say, "No thanks". They stopped asking a long time ago.

This. If people know you're cheap, they don't expect you to give ur money away!

[WISEWOMAN]

It's actually become quite a joke at my workplace. Numerous fundraisers with multiple co-workers. I joke and say "hell no - who needs that crap". Everyone laughs and responds with a "yeah, I know".

[adviceseeker]

I encountered this a lot before. At first I kept on buying coz I thought it would be a big help for the kids' fund raiser but then, I realized, I wasn't gaining anything from it. So I decided to put this to a stop. One time I tried to say "no thanks" my coworker did not make a big deal out of it. The next time around, I just tell them that I don't have any extra budget for that as I am saving for something - after that, no one ever did ask me to buy stuff anymore!

[Amanda695]

I would just straight up tell them you don't want to do it. Office politics are crazy, but don't inconvenience yourself because of it!