Does it bother you when someone eats your food?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (93738)
United States
November 12, 2024 11:51am CST
I live alone, so no one eats my food without me giving it to them. However, I remember growing up and I’d bring home food from a restaurant. My mom never ate my food. If my dad did, it was because he didn’t realize it was mine, and I never got upset (I mean he paid for it so I figured it was essentially his anyway). Oh, but my sister! She’d knowingly do it, and it annoyed me so much. One might say well didn’t you do it to her? No way. I had no desire to get scolded while my sister didn’t mind. When I was sixteen, I started buying my own food (my choice/had a job/was in college/different tastes in food). When she’d come home from college and eat my food my parents actually made her start paying me back the money. That solved the problem really fast. Isn’t it funny what bothers us? I wouldn’t even care now.
I read an article that says one of the minor issues people listed about living with someone (couples, roommates, family) was that a lot of people would not respect that some food was off limits, but they ate it anyway. Can anyone relate? I can’t believe someone did research into this topic, but I guess people want a break from REAL problems.
25 people like this
29 responses
@Marilynda1225 (83062)
• United States
12 Nov
I'm thankful I don't have to deal with that. It would probably make me mad if I had something planned to eat and then found it gone when I wanted it.
I do remember that we had a food thief when I was working
It really caused trouble in the work place.
5 people like this
@AmbiePam (93738)
• United States
12 Nov
That would really bother me if it happened at my place of work. I had forgotten about that happening. That’s beyond rude and inconsiderate. I know a lady whose job put a camera in the lunch room to stop that from so frequently happening. They caught the lady who did it. She got a talking to, but apparently she thought it was much ado about nothing.
3 people like this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Nov
@Marilynda1225 You mentioned the work place - reminded me of one of Hubby's unfavorite co-workers. The company used to get catered lunches - and there'd be tons of leftovers put into the fridge. This guy would pick out all the "good stuff" from the leftovers (like shrimp only) and leave the rest - which no one was going to eat then.
3 people like this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Nov
The only time I've encountered such a situation was at Hubby's parents house way before we were married, and he was still living there. He and I would go out to eat a lot and bring home leftovers . . . we'd stick it in the fridge. Sometimes the food would go missing . . . it was quite obvious one of the parents ate it - but what can we do. One time we could never figure out where this Persian rice dish went . . . we found out my late FIL tossed it the soup he was cooking 
.
.4 people like this
@much2say (55901)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Nov
@AmbiePam It's weird. If it's obviously not my food, I wouldn't touch it or eat it. I forgot to mention it got to the point at Hubby's parents' house that if we put food in the fridge, we had to put our names on it in big letters with a thick marker .
.2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (80635)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Nov
Sounds just like my late husband @NJChicaa we would order groceries and the fridge was full but I had not made any meals yet and he would say There's nothing to eat. I have no one to eat any of my food and I have learned how to make sure I have plenty, Usually it is frozen stuff from Walmart because it is easier to heat up than make from scratch. So like my order on Sat Nov 9 I knew I had half a bag of tater tots and a full 5 lbs but I bought another bag because now in December I won't need to buy another bag and can get something I want for the holidays,
3 people like this
@sallypup (61561)
• Centralia, Washington
12 Nov
We let a friend stay with us for a bit when hubby and I were just starting out. We barely had two nickels. Friend went in and ate all the cheese in the fridge without asking. You bet we were irritated. Every so often hubby still mentions that incident.
4 people like this
@snowy22315 (181942)
• United States
12 Nov
That is a problem I had ocassionally when I had roommates here. There was food sharing going on from time to time,but if I really wanted to keep something to myself I would hide it. I remember one time I had a box of donuts and roomie without asking ate the one I most wanted! The other guy ate the last of something I needed one time..without asking I might add..Neither of them were that bad about it though.
2 people like this
@allknowing (137552)
• India
12 Nov
As kids I remember one of our brothers did it
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51458)
• Canada
12 Nov
When our son was a growing teenager, a quite tall one, and would open the fridge door and stand there and look and say, there is nothing in here to eat. I learned pretty quickly to put what I'd like him to eat on the top shelf at close to his eye level. That is something that I still do today, and it is usually devilled eggs, he loves them.
But we all have things in the kitchen that we like best, and we all respect each other's cravings and don't take or if we do take, don't take the last one.
2 people like this
@Juliaacv (51458)
• Canada
12 Nov
@AmbiePam My hubs has become the 'teenager' at our place now.
I don't know how he doesn't gain weight.
I bought a nice little antique sideboard a couple of years ago, which is on wheels.
I refer to it as our snack cart, as it has the top and a shelf under it.
And his 'goodies' are stashed on the second shelf, usually the baking that I do for him.
2 people like this
@aureategloom (11085)
• Bosnia And Herzegovina
13 Nov
hahah i know many people who had similar problem, but i'm not like them. maybe because my brother is much younger than me so i always felt kinda protective over him and i'd rather have him had something if he really wants it.
we learned to share things, so it was never a problem, we'll just split whatever we have 
2 people like this
@LovesEverybody (4394)
• United States
12 Nov
i never ran into this problem whenever i lived with my sister and parents. we all respected each other's food. I don't think we even thought of eating another person's food unless we asked first
2 people like this
@kaylachan (71519)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Nov
George and I share most of the food in this house. George has his Pepsi and I have my coke, but apart from that we buy mostly the same thing for both of us. If there's something that one doesn't like over the other, the other usually stays away from it. If we do eat each other's food, since we share the money we simply replace it.
2 people like this
@xstitcher (32682)
• Petaluma, California
15 Nov
I think that's one reason I live alone, though I don't recall having that problem when I lived with Mom.
1 person likes this
@1creekgirl (41686)
• United States
13 Nov
I never had that problem. I married at 18, so we always shared food, lol.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (181321)
• United States
13 Nov
My roommate and her boyfriend used to eat my food. AND her boyfriend was living there without my permission. I threw them both out. Have a good day.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (38562)
•
12 Nov
When I had a houseful of teenagers at home it could be a problem. There was always stuff to eat and I kept things ready for them to grab if I wasn't there, etc. But I admit I hid some things. I discovered the magic of foil.
If I had something I needed for that night's dinner that I thought they might chow on and mess up my plans, I wrapped it up in foil. They didn't ever open the foil, kind of like an out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing. Hey, it worked!
2 people like this
@RevivedWarrior (2448)
• India
13 Nov
I never faced any situation like that. I never had to share my food with anyone including family. I was not lucky enough to spend enough time with my family when I was young. I did have a situation where I was down with flu and my room mate wanted me to order Pizza for him as he did not know how to order food. That was the lame thing I ever heard and left his company quickly. However, I can understand what you went through and it was interesting research subject as well. I also agree - sometimes people want a break from real issues. You have a great day ahead!
