We took my 9- and 3-year-old children to Saratoga Apple today but we left there with no apples and both of my kids confused and in tears. We wanted to purchase the medium sized $12 bag, the perfect amount for our small family, but I was told that in order for all 4 of us to participate in the picking, we would actually have to pay $24 for ?entry for 4 people? and twice as many apples. Even worse, I later discovered that the Saratoga Apple website says ?no admission.?\r
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As a young family, not only can?t we eat 25 pounds of apples, we also have to look for fun activities that fit into our budget. But how do I explain to my kids that only one of them gets to go because I didn?t bring enough money for all of us? My 9-year-old?s response to the situation was to tell her brother that Saratoga Apple was being ?greedy.? Clearly she learned the lesson I was teaching about sticking to your principles and not allowing yourself to be taken advantage of.\r
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It used to be that picking your own fruits and vegetables was a fun and low-cost family activity. We?ve had many wonderful summers picking our own at local farms and have only ever been asked to pay for the fruit we picked. Patronizing local farms is important to us but we?d rather go to a place that appreciates us, rather than one that penalizes me for bringing the whole family.
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