Wish package trains

[Jezebel]

PLease vote and provide feedback but this is not a thread to argue or debate train guidelines

[Jezebel]

I will be posting different Polls to help make changes to the package train guidlines...

[misstarbender]

I think we should be able to spend what we want. We are going by a wishlist anyways right?

[slambert]

I was initially against a price limit but after the Father's Day train $40 worked out very well, everyone is getting fantastic packages and it has forced us to be more creative and thoughtful while shopping...using more coupons and our stockpile..that's what this site is all about right??

[Momto2Ks]

I wish I could have had two votes for this. I went with $25 because by the time you add shipping you will be right around $40. If we can keep the costs down maybe we could get some new riders to join in the fun. That being said- I am ok with any limit up to $40, as long as one is in place.

I am VERY much opposed to the no limit. With no limit it seemed as if people were trying to outdo each other and send the biggest bestest package. The price limit on the trains is nice because you know that each package sent is relatively the same. There is no feeling guilty if you sent a smaller package or if not. As long as you meet the requirement of sending the appropriate number of items. Everyone's finances and family dynamics are different, the price limit helps to give people an idea of how much is ok to send and allows newbies to join in and not feel as if they have to go way overboard as previous trains have.

[AmberLab]

Question....Why would the Advent train be an exception? Christmas, of all times, most people are trying to save money.

[pumpkin9211]

I am opposed to a limit.

I think if there is a set limit, people will be upset becasue "they didn't spend ALL of the $____ budget".

I guess the limit bothers me because the only way to "prove" what you have spent is.... receipts. And, frankly, I think that takes the entire "Make someone feel special", "spoil another SC member" right out of it.

Just thought of something: What about if the package trains rotated? 1 is with $______ limit, the next is NO LIMIT, so on and so on??

[nat77]

Just a suggestion....

I'm not too keen on a price limit for the packages, just because I can send 6 high quality things for $40 or I can send 40 really cheap things for $40, OR I can send 6 great items, plus 10 more from my stock pile. I've got a great stock pile, plus my emergency gift stash that I throw things into whenever a boxing day sale or other big sale comes up.....so I can stretch that $40 pretty far. But, some people (who are newer) might not be able to do that and so it doesn't really solve the problem of making others feel bad because they didn't contribute as much to their package.

Since there is already a minimum of 6 items, why not put a maximum number of items as well?....Say, like 20?...or 15? I think this would be better than setting a dollar amount just because, as pumpkin says, there's really no way to determine how much was spent. But no one can dispute how many items the package contains.

Not sure if I explained this the way I'm thinking it out in my head.... It's been a long day!

[coyote00]

Ohhh this is a toughie. I have been known to go "over the top" and this may or may not offend some. I definitely was not trying to "out do" anyone. I certainly don't want people to feel that it is a competition as, that is not the intention of these trains. If a limit is required then set one if it makes the experience a more enjoyable one. Not sure how you will police this one as Pumpkin said. There are so many blow out sales that have items marked down up to 90% of the original price(i.e. Winners, Michaels, ect) it is going to be very difficult unless receipts are provided. I am game either way ... guess I better leave all those red tag stickers on .

[pumpkin9211]

Just a suggestion....

I'm not too keen on a price limit for the packages, just because I can send 6 high quality things for $40 or I can send 40 really cheap things for $40, OR I can send 6 great items, plus 10 more from my stock pile. I've got a great stock pile, plus my emergency gift stash that I throw things into whenever a boxing day sale or other big sale comes up.....so I can stretch that $40 pretty far. But, some people (who are newer) might not be able to do that and so it doesn't really solve the problem of making others feel bad because they didn't contribute as much to their package.

Since there is already a minimum of 6 items, why not put a maximum number of items as well?....Say, like 20?...or 15? I think this would be better than setting a dollar amount just because, as pumpkin says, there's really no way to determine how much was spent. But no one can dispute how many items the package contains.

Not sure if I explained this the way I'm thinking it out in my head.... It's been a long day!

That's a FANTASTIC Idea! (Why didn't I think of that?)

[Jezebel]

well as for price limits of course this is not being suggested to Police things it is to even out the playing field a bit more and just like the Fathers Day train it was put at a $40 limit BUT you could still add items from your stash or gift stock which did not count in the $40

....how will we know who speant MORE than a set amount ?? it is silly to think we need to keep receipts...it is just on an honesty basis....

.....not saying every train has to be for the same amount ...but what if we had some trains that had a lower $$amount ?? I know there are some ppl who would love to ride trains but feel they can't afford it when they see some very large/expensive pkges when they know their budget can't come close.....

...what if we get creative on the types of gift trains ? like why does every train have to be full of STORE bought gifts ?? yes we are all not great on crafts but it is the point...I made a rider many hand made envelopes...she loved them...this site is all about SAVING....I think we need to dig a bit deeper andperhaps have some creative trains....

@AmberLab...ADVENT Trains require 25 gifts and often those of us who have ridden them are already gathering gifts throughout the year...or don't have anyone to give or recieve gifts from so we try to make these a bit more special..we have some who they wait all year for this train ....of course come December we could re-visit the cost ...whether we set a limit ect....

I am taking notes and keeping track of the comments and rather than post manny polls perhaps we can make comments here...NOBODY should feel they can't comment or fear they will be ATTACKED for their views as I am not going to sit and let that happen But we don't have to worry about that right

[Jezebel]

or would ppl perfer I post polls on seperate topics ?

[coyote00]

I would love to see a dollar daze dollarama train LOL, man our stores carry some awesome stuff . Thirty bucks could go a long ways

[YellowTamborine]

what about as part of each package at least 1 item needs to be a non store bought item like a recipe, craft item, home made cards, a burnt CD/DVD whatever

What other issues are people having with these things other than cost? I think it's already been well established that that isn't the point of package trains and if that's what people are hung up on then i think this might just be a "bang your head against a wall" kind of conversation

[Jody22002]

I totally agree with, Nat77.

Maybe capping out the amount of items we are allowed to send is the way to go.

I am opposed to the limit too because there really is no way to monitor it. If you put a 40.00 limit on it but allow extra stockpile items, there is no way to tell what came from a stockpile and what didn't. I have a massive stockpile, a newbie may not and, because I watch Boxing Day Sales, etc, just like Nat does, I also have things in my stockpile that others might not have. There is a flip side to that too. I come from a city that only has one dollar store(can you imagine?) and not a ton of stores. That, sometimes, makes finding inexpensive stuff for the pkg trains a little more difficult.