thieving flatmates

3plus1

top_drawer wrote: »

Its not actually a student house although two of us are f/t students. This particular girl works full-time (call centre, so not bad money) but she seems to have a serious lack of money - she lives off food at £5 a week by using all the cheap stuff at asda and just eating a tin of whatever as and when she's hungry...

She doesn't keep her food spend down to a fiver by buying cheap food... she keeps it down by stealing off you and possibly your other housemates. A houseshare is a cheap way to live. She works full time - there is no way she can't afford to eat. She's either pretending to be poorer than she actually is in order to gain your sympathy and scab off you, or she can't manage her finances. Either way, you shouldn't have to put up with her continually stealing.

I wouldn't consider myself tolerant at all - I just accept that some people are naturally selfish and there's nowt we can do to change them. So we just have to work around them. For example, buy two little cans of tuna rather than one big one. It might be cheaper buying a big can than two little ones - but if half of the big can gets eaten by your housemate, what saving have you really made?

From experience, speaking up is just going to cause a big row and make the atmosphere in your house unpleasant. Don't say anything - but make it as hard as possible for your housemate to steal anything off you and eventually eating your food won't be as convenient as it used to be and she'll stop it, without ever realising it annoyed you.

Fire_Fox

top_drawer wrote: »

Its not actually a student house although two of us are f/t students. This particular girl works full-time (call centre, so not bad money) but she seems to have a serious lack of money - she lives off food at £5 a week by using all the cheap stuff at asda and just eating a tin of whatever as and when she's hungry...
Jen

3Plus1 hit the nail on the head.

Seriously, it is perfectly possible to live on minimum wage - head over to the Debt-free Wannabe board and you will find entire families living on £4k a year! Either this girl has secret money worries which you may be able to help with by pointing her in the direction of this website, or she has a major attitude problem.

Stealing is against the law - what is the difference between stealing a tin of tuna or stealing some silver and coppers from your change jar? What is the difference between stealing several tins of tuna, a couple of loaves and a few pints of milk (over the course of time) or stealing £20 from your purse? If she has the same attitude at work she will end up unemployed or with a criminal record.:eek:

ceebeeby

Ohhh, brings back student days / flatsharing memories!!

If you ever find the secret - you'll make a fortune, from it.

Our best solution was if someone bought something 'special' just for them or if they were having friends round, it got a red sticker on it (just a packet of Woolies stickers we left on the fridge) that meant hands off. Anything else was fair game. All the basics we stuck a tenner in a kitty per month for bread, milk, butter, pasta, washing liquid etc.... but that was 20 years ago so probably £20 a month each now.

TDQO

Just steal anything and everything they put in the fridge and see how long it takes before they blow up...

top_drawer_2

3plus1 wrote: »

She doesn't keep her food spend down to a fiver by buying cheap food... she keeps it down by stealing off you and possibly your other housemates. A houseshare is a cheap way to live. She works full time - there is no way she can't afford to eat. She's either pretending to be poorer than she actually is in order to gain your sympathy and scab off you, or she can't manage her finances. Either way, you shouldn't have to put up with her continually stealing.

I wouldn't consider myself tolerant at all - I just accept that some people are naturally selfish and there's nowt we can do to change them. So we just have to work around them. For example, buy two little cans of tuna rather than one big one. It might be cheaper buying a big can than two little ones - but if half of the big can gets eaten by your housemate, what saving have you really made?

From experience, speaking up is just going to cause a big row and make the atmosphere in your house unpleasant. Don't say anything - but make it as hard as possible for your housemate to steal anything off you and eventually eating your food won't be as convenient as it used to be and she'll stop it, without ever realising it annoyed you.

shopaholicleo wrote: »

I have bought a mini fridge, and my stolen food total has dramatically fallen. I'm not totally sure if they're eating my cupboard food though, I've tried to hide it right at the back. I also hide chips in the freezer within two carrier bags, and wrap anything decent in foil. I also bought some laxatives just in case it happens again...

we're not really talking huge amounts of food .... its only occassionally that I will notice that I have a slice or two less bread or milk has gone down a little ... its the first time something which is prepared has gone missing hence I thought she sort of understood my way of thinking .... bread, milk (with limits) is ok but prepared food is not.

I'm not sure about whether speaking up will make the house unpleasant - I seriously hope not as I cant just put up with it. I was going to speak to her but I really am such a wuss when it comes to any form of comfrontation .....

I think she must have some serious money problems or something because she always seems to be skint. I think maybe setting the guidelines now might be a good idea then she knows to buy her own prepared foods. the bread/milk thing comes about I guess because I know I cant eat a full loaf in a few days, same with milk so I was sort of allowing it to go on but am thinking I may economise by putting my loaf in the freezer in batches of slices of two/threes and take them out when I need them. I will leave a note asking people to leave my cooked/prepared food alone.

Jen

Mojisola

If she's doing this to you, she's probably doing it to the others in the flat as well. Can you have a word with them and sort something out between you?

top_drawer_2

she possibly is but like I say she seems to be skint and people sort of sympathize with her, she is very sort of .... attractive, easy to like ... I dont know the word!

Jen

Lokolo

Fit as ****?

She can have my sausage and nuts anyday! :rotfl:

mcroodi

PasturesNew wrote: »

Make some ex-lax chocolate mousse and leave it in the fridge.

that's so meeannn.. but it so made me laugh! :rotfl:

justruth

Argh I think I may have to move into halls, this is everything I dread! (plus all the mess and all the noise)