Fundraising Ideas? **Now with fundraising progress!**

[emmaness]

We (myself, parents and younger sister) are hoping to go to Disneyland just before Christmas this year, yayyy! BUT, only if we can raise the money, as we wouldn't be able to afford it otherwise. We want to raise approximately £1600. We're doing something similar to what they do on Money Spinners, doing things like saving on the weekly shopping, cutting back our luxuries, selling things on eBay, etc.

So I was wondering if any of you lovely helpful people have any fundraising tips or ideas? Has anyone ever done the same sort of thing in order to fund a (well-needed!!) trip to DLP? If so, what sort of things did you do? Would love to hear your thoughts.

 

[DisneyRGB]

No ideas other than your own suggestions but wanted to wish you good luck. ebay could be a good bet - follow their tips on how to best list your item - by using words in your title that buyers are most likely to search for etc.

Let us know how you get on!

 

[emmaness]

Thanks Rhiannon, will do!

 

[diberry]

You could always become an Avon lady!!!!!

 

[Cyrano]

Ebay is always a good bet. What about car boot sales. Party plans - do they still do this?

Reid

 

[DisneyRGB]

Good idea!!

Just had an idea - I saw the other day that you can get paid to go shopping! You just have to go to a shop and look around and buy something and then fill in a survey and you get £10. The idea is that you comment on the shop but for you it's free money. Provided that the shop is a shop you'd be going to and buying something from anyway, it's an easy £10! Sorry, can't remember where I saw it but I know Wilko's was one of the participating shops so try their website! You sometimes get money for answering market resarch questionnaires too (or at least vouchers, which you could spend and put the same amount of money in your DLP fund!)

 

[DisneyRGB]

When I said good idea, I was referring to beng an Avon lady as I hadn't yet seen Reid's post - also very good ideas but what are party plans (sorry if i'm being stupid!)

You can sign up to be a "Counter Intelligence Agent" (!!!) as I was desrcibing on my previous post and get paid £10 to shop on the Wilkinson's website; other stores which participate are Boots, Superdrug, Woolworths, Matalan and more. In fact I might make some money too as I've just signed up - nice way to make some easy money when I next want to buy something from ones of those shops (I think it has to be on certain dates but if I'm going anyway...!)

 

[Cyrano]

also very good ideas but what are party plans (sorry if i'm being stupid!)

I was thinking things like Tupperware, Anne Summers, Virgin Vie etc

Reid

 

[DisneyRGB]

Ann Summers is a bit different from tupperware! Something to suit all tastes obviously! Good idea!!

 

[Bonnie]

Oooh, Rhiannon... I've just signed up to be a Counter Intelligence Agent! Thanks for telling us about that, hehe! Although the website is a bit weird when you log in after you've been accepted. It doesn't seem to find any stores in the whole of the UK!? Not really sure how it all works but I use several of those shops on a regular basis so I might as well do it.

Good luck with your fundraising, Em! I don't have any bright ideas, though.

 

[emmaness]

LOL, yes, Ann Summers is *quite* different to Tupperware!

I think I might sign up to be a Counter Intelligence Agent. I just love that title if nothing else! By the way, does anyone know if they refund you for what you buy when you go and do your mystery shopping? It seems a bit of a pain if you have to spend some of your own money just to get that tenner!

 

[Bonnie]

No, they don't refund your money. I think the point is that you choose shops you always shop in, so you would buy that stuff anyway. I personally shop in Wilkinson's every week, to get hamster supplies, household stuff, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. so I would just buy my usual stuff from there and then report back. It probably wouldn't work if you don't use any of those shops on a regular basis!

 

[emmaness]

I suppose that makes sense actually! I do quite often go to Boots, Superdrug and Woolworths, and there's always something you need from B&Q, so it is probably still worth it!

 

[diberry]

Oooh, Rhiannon... I've just signed up to be a Counter Intelligence Agent! Thanks for telling us about that, hehe! Although the website is a bit weird when you log in after you've been accepted. (

I signed up too but when I try to log in it doesn't take me to another page or do anything at all. Any clues??

 

[emmaness]

Seems that website is causing a few problems! I'm trying to sign up, but every time I click "Register..." it tells me I haven't filled in the following field: "Most appealing brands". I assume this is the part that says " Please select your favourite group of stores from those listed below.", but for me there is a completely blank space which I can't seem to fix!

 

[Bonnie]

That's the problem I had with it, too! Hrmph.

 

[DisneyRGB]

Hmmmm. I was able to pick most appealing brands (I had a dropdown menu for this "list 1, list 2 etc" where you said which type of shop you prefer e.g. toiletries, household goods etc) But as Bonnie said, when I try to do a store search, it says there are no stores in the UK currently looking for visits! I'm sure it said somewhere that they email you when there are stores holding visits near you, so maybe we just need to wait to be contacted by them. If anybody has any luck, let us know!

Emma - as Bonnie said, you don't get a refund for the purchase you make but if it's a shop you go in anyway, just buy something you need. It does actually say on the website that if you don't want the item you can always take it back to the shop for a refund, as long as you don't do it till you've completed the survey (which you have to do within 24 hours anyway) as they want to know some details from your receipt, but after that you can take the item back to the shop for a refund. Be careful what it is you buy though as most shops won't take back make-up, toiletries etc even if they're unopened. It's easier really to just buy something you would buy anyway, which is why I picked Wilko's cos I can buy all sorts of household things there as well as toiletries etc.

 

[diberry]

Does anyone else have any nasty sneaky feelings that this might be a bit of a scam or is it just me being paranoid/suspicious etc? It occurs to me that it's a very good way of doing market research without actually having to pay anybody to go out and ask the questions ie: the form we had to fill in told them a lot about the shopping habits of everyone who applied, our ages, where we live etc etc. It seems strange that the selection process was obviously automated (I did mine late at night and the reply came back pretty quickly) and now none of us can actually set up any store visits which would involve them actually paying us. Hmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

 

[missj171]

I toyed with mystery shopping a while back, and there's a great forum (not as great as the Dis, naturally!) where you can chat with other MS and find out about the problems and pluses of the various companies:

- ah can't find the link! i'll have a look later and post it!

but i promise, its there!

 

[DisneyRGB]

I did wonder if it's a scam but I found it through the Wilko's website, so I would have thought they would be reputable??