AIBU to think that "everyone list what they're bringing" is clearly a way of making sure we don't end up with eveyone bringing the same sodding thing?

[TheKitchenWitch]

Every single time anything is organised where people are asked to provide food/baked goods etc:

list is put up - either a real paper one or a virtual one via FB/WhatsApp.

And every single time you get this:
Jane: vanilla cupcakes
Matt: brownies
Maya: victoria sponge
Wendy: brownies
Bob: chocolate muffins
Alex: carrot cake
Peggy: carrot cake

aaarrgh!!
The whole bloody point is so that we don't get duplicates of things, otherwise WHY HAVE THE LIST IN THE FIRST PLACE?

We even had one event where we had to choose from a list what we would provide (so "I'm bringing the paper plates" and then it would have my name next to it) and STILL people ignored the list and brought whatever they felt like. Which means we had too many paper plates and no sodding cutlery.

Why is this so hard? Why??

It doesn't matter which way we do it - either a list of things needed and you choose what to bring, or an open list where you write down what you are bringing (assuming nobody else is already bringing that).
Nothing costs more than anything else.

These are events at which we have been asked to provide things, so not they're not strictly speaking sociel things they tend to be fund raisers or non-voluntary school things, nobody is micromanaging anything, it's just sensible organisation. Nobody will be made to feel shit unless they insist on being wanky and bringing something which is already being brought.

The multiple potato salads and chocolate muffins DO NOT GET SOLD/EATEN. It is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY to bring the same thing as someone else. And nobody is actually forcing you to bring anything at all - if you don't have the time / money / energy then just don't bring anything!

Yanbu that's annoying! I'm not sure what you can do if people wilfully refuse!

For a buffet or picnic I'd persist but for a bake sale I don't think you can be prescriptive as it's a donation and people will provide something they like baking. At our PTA ones, the chocolate things sell instantly. There's always something left over though, either bought cakes or unappetizing ones.

At bake sales we hold back any packages cakes and only put them out when the homemade have sold out. Then the packaged cakes can go to the staff room as they have a long shelf life. This seems to reduce waste.

I really wish we had a like button so that I could like Clemfandango's comment at 13:13

Even with list there is always problems, the person who writes the list and who they are closest to always get to the list first. By the time it came to me the only items left were the expensive or time consuming items. Whilst Lisa always managed to tick crisps.

I think my DDs school has it right - when planning their end of term party the teachers decide who’s bringing what and just send each child home with a letter saying party on x date, please bring pizza slices or whatever. That avoids issues of everyone bringing the same (assuming everyone follows instructions - and I’ve never heard that this approach hasn’t gone to plan!)

The list was either put up at kindergarten by the teachers, so everyone can sign up what they want to bring at drop off/pick up or - more likely these days - done via WhatsApp by the PTA. You can always choose to make something simple and cheap if you want, but just not the same as someone else - it's really not that hard!

We had a class get-together right at the beginning of the year, and because there was no class PTA and no WhatsApp group everyone just brought what they wanted (the teacher had asked for tea/coffee, milk/sugar, baked goods). It was completely stupid - there were 20 pots of tea which nobody drank, the coffee ran out almost immediately, and 5 people made marble cake (this is the German equivalent of a plain sponge cake I think - it is the easiest and cheapest thing to a make and you only ever want one of them because it's a bit boring and doesn't ever get eaten).
It demonstrated why it's actually a very good idea to do a list.

I do agree though that if you've got a list where people tick what they will bring then you need to have a fair distribution of costs, no fair someone bringing ketchup while someone else has to get the sausages.

DD’s school Christmas party came with a letter saying that due to waste please provide the following item and nothing else. I was allocated chocolate mini rolls and delighted to be able to buy them at the M&S petrol station.