Poll of the Day > How would you tell someone to stop buying groceries?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I live with someone, who would be otherwise homeless. He's not charged rent, and he lives in the back room. He generates minimal income, and he feeds himself. Sometimes, even making dinner for the entire house. I appreciate this aspect, but never requested it. I have no issue with sharing the fridge and freezer either. My issue is his shopping habits. Currently I have no room in my freezer, because he bought 7 pies. My bread box is filled with 6 loafs of wonder bread, and half of my fridge is Milk, Lactose Free Milk, and Coffee Creamer. The other half is deli meat (90% hard salami).

He is very kind, but this drives me crazy that I don't have room for other foods I like.

I would just designate half the freezer and half the shelves, etc, and say those are yours and that you want to supply your own food.

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Yea you have the right to make your own space.

who buys 7 pies

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I will admit he has been confronted about this by another roommate. She yelled at him about it, and he started crying, and said he would do better.

Mead posted...

who buys 7 pies

4 apple, 2 cherry, 1 blackberry

He doesn't take any form of criticism or feedback well. He was completely bamboozled when I said I make my thanksgiving yams with fresh yams, not canned.

Yeah just let him know it seems like he's buying food before he finishes it or throws it away and that you're going to designate space in each food storage areas for each person in the house

Do he have room for his own mini fridge?

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Tell them they're taking up too much space in the fridge obviously

Throw in a lot of "uh"s to make it less aggressive

Soon uhh you're uhh taking up uh too much uhh space uhh in my fridge

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IronBornCorps posted...

I will admit he has been confronted about this by another roommate. She yelled at him about it, and he started crying, and said he would do better.

7 pies isn't better.

IronBornCorps posted...

4 apple, 2 cherry, 1 blackberry

that is crazy

time to make freezer room by holding a pie eating contest

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Just be non confrontational about it. He knows it's an issue and he's been upset about how it's been approached to him before.

Maybe next time you want to go shopping saying you were making a list but it seems like there isn't enough room for what you guys need just because he's buying a lot of food in bulk or not throwing things away/using them before he replaces them.

This type of behavior is really common. It arises from the Great Depression. People our age had parents who had parents affected by that. Once the Depression was over food hoarding became a big issue because people were worried it'd happen again. That behavior carried through to generations. My mom is the same way and I developed some of those habits too. It's a result of massive food scarcity in the past.

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BlackScythe0 posted...

7 pies isn't better.

kind of is though. When he got yelled at, it was because he bought a ton of groceries on his own, the same day the rest of the house got together and went shopping. We had just put all the groceries away, and he shows up with like $75 worth of hard salami. He was scolded for his lack of communication and buying excess, but he told us it was fine because you don't have to refrigerate salami...he's Italian.

Jen0125 posted...

Just be non confrontational about it. He knows it's an issue and he's been upset about how it's been approached to him before.

Maybe next time you want to go shopping saying you were making a list but it seems like there isn't enough room for what you guys need just because he's buying a lot of food in bulk or not throwing things away/using them before he replaces them.

This type of behavior is really common. It arises from the Great Depression. People our age had parents who had parents affected by that. Once the Depression was over food hoarding became a big issue because people were worried it'd happen again. That behavior carried through to generations. My mom is the same way and I developed some of those habits too. It's a result of massive food scarcity in the past.

He is a boomer. That makes sense though. I often don't do anything, as my other roommates are much more vocal than I am. I should talk to them about that.

I think designating space will make it easier. His "try better" might be cutting back, but if you specifically are like "this is your space. You can put anything in that space but not in other spaces" that's more of a line that's easier to see clearly.

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Oh so he just won't listen, that's awkward.

As long as you don't open the salami it doesn't need refrigeration though.

Doesn't solve the pie problem.

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grimhilde00 posted...

I think designating space will make it easier. His "try better" might be cutting back, but if you specifically are like "this is your space. You can put anything in that space but not in other spaces" that's more of a line that's easier to see clearly.

Gonna have a giant pyramid of bread in his designated square lol

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Yellow posted...

Oh so he just won't listen, that's awkward.

As long as you don't open the salami it doesn't need refrigeration though.

Doesn't solve the pie problem.

Good to know, he's got a pacemaker though. He doesn't really need all that salami to begin with. Since that 3rd stimi is looking pretty good, I will recommend a mini fridge if we get one.

I am going to talk to the other roommates about us agreeing on a space for him.

Yell at him make him cry more

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If he wants to be a little bitch about it make him alittle bitch.

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Simp for him and he'll cry more.

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But him crying and saying hell do better is just a band aid you gotta keep getting on him about it

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Hey. If he's sharing I like free food.....

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While usually I shower in the tears of white boomer men, there is no fun when they can take the pressure of a loaf of bread. In his defense, he is clean.

He does also buy everything for the whole house, and has no issue sharing.

A roommate meeting is in order it seems. Although I love this guy by what you've shared.

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Pre-designated space is probably the best solution here. Last time I had roommates we each had our own cupboard, fridge, freezer, etc space that was for our stuff and we didn't breach and go into each other's areas. For households where one or more people are buying their own food and it's not strictly communal, this is an effective solution.

Honestly if you have a bread box, you've become the boomer.

Like this



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dedbus posted...

Honestly if you have a bread box, you've become the boomer.

It's like built into the kitchen, which is admittingly very dated.

I just move people's stuff because I'm an asshole. Communication first and foremost, but I've lived with too many lazy depressed men who can't change.

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I'd also just say "Could we designate some space for me? I don't have any space for the groceries I'd like to buy."

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dedbus posted...

Honestly if you have a bread box, you've become the boomer.

I have a bread bin so I guess I fit that criteria.

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grimhilde00 posted...

I would just designate half the freezer and half the shelves, etc, and say those are yours and that you want to supply your own food.

This. It's important to have boundaries.

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