Help?

[memento1]

Okay, I need your input. My co-workers are organizing giving a gift to our boss in thanks for all the hard work she did organizing for shows and the conference last week. They want to buy her yoga lessons and split the cost: $25 each. I don't even LIKE my boss, but that's a whole 'nother topic. The thing is, $25 is a lot of money to me. This job is only part-time, with crappy pay and no benefits. Most of my co-workers are married and have extra income that way, but I'm struggling to get by - I can't even afford health insurance (as I'm sure you've heard me complain before). I appreciate my boss' hard work, but I need that money for basic necessities. *sigh* So anyway, I can technically cop out and not put in my share, but I feel guilted into it. It makes me sound like a cheapskate if I don't at least donate some. And the things is, they do this regularly: take a co-worker or an intern out to celebrate, bring in food for special occasions. And I want to be a part of it but I'm the only one struggling to make it by, and I hate feeling guilted into this stuff that is so easy for everyone else with disposable income. So I'm thinking maybe I'll donate some but not the full $25 as a compromise. So, ummm...advice? What is the correct thing to do here?

In TV news, new Bones on tonight! SQUEEEE!!! I've been waiting all week for this. I can't hope for anything like last week, but I'll take just a bit of cuteness. Really. I'm dying here. And pu-lease, if you've already seen it, don't say anything. The House premiere was a great engaging story, and does great as a stand-alone, but I'm wondering how they will make his new attitude work moving forward. He's just not House without the cynical, grumpy disinterest. But it was a good 2 hours. And I'm going to give Glee and Castle a try - I wasn't interested enough to carve time out of my schedule for it, but with a DVR I plan to see what all the hype's about. The one episode of Glee I watched was a little juvenile, but cute, and enough to make me try more.

Comments

[naushika.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'm a jerk, but I wouldn't donate anything. Even when I have spare cash, if I am going to give it away, I give it away to people who really deserve it or who I do like. But especially in tight times, I just can't toss away my money on an ephemeral gift to someone I don't like.

I would just tell them what you've said here. "Times are very tight for me right now, and I just can't afford to pitch in." Did you get to vote on what to give the boss for a present? Did you even vote on whether to give a present at all? Or did you coworkers just say "We all decided to give this present, now chip in $25?" Don't feel guilty, because you had nothing to do with this. The only correct thing to do is be true to yourself!

When I worked at Bank of America, it was very similar. A lot of the women were making tons of money because this was a side job they did for extra cash, because their husbands were the breadwinners. I know that once you start chipping in for these things, they're not going to take no for an answer in the future. "Why can't you chip in for X this month? Last month you helped pay for X." and so on.

Oops, my bitterness is really showing here! Like I said, I have experience with this type of atmosphere, and it's really frustrating to deal with people who have no concept of what being poor is like. It must be very nice for them!

All bitching aside.. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT NEW BONES TONIGHT! :D Last week's episode was great, yayyyy.

Glee is a pretty fun show. It's quite silly, and the song/dance numbers are overly scripted, but the story is very funny.

[memento1.livejournal.com]

Haha, I love you Noelle. Yay for standing up and being a jerk. ;) I'm glad SOMEONE knows how it feels. It does make you very bitter. Anyways, thanks for backing me up here. Makes me feel a whole lot less guilty about being stingy.

Hee BONES! What did we do to deserve that premiere, eh?

I have to agree with you on Glee. It's silly and unbelievable at times, but quirky and fun.