Food-Stealing Roommates

[carnation]

One of my own college-aged kids is having a problem with his roommates stealing the food that he buys. Seems like nothing has changed from the seventies. Anyway, he's in a dorm situation where there are 4 bedrooms and a common kitchen to an apartment and none of the boys have a seven-day meal plan on campus. When he has confronted his roommates, they get angry and say they don't have any money so why shouldn't they eat his, etc.

I seem to recall a thread years ago in which people talked about this problem and creative ways they solved it. I can't find the thread; does anyone have any ideas?

[Little32]

Originally Posted by carnation

One of my own college-aged kids is having a problem with his roommates stealing the food that he buys. Seems like nothing has changed from the seventies. Anyway, he's in a dorm situation where there are 4 bedrooms and a common kitchen to an apartment and none of the boys have a seven-day meal plan on campus. When he has confronted his roommates, they get angry and say they don't have any money so why shouldn't they eat his, etc.

I seem to recall a thread years ago in which people talked about this problem and creative ways they solved it. I can't find the thread; does anyone have any ideas?

First, wow. Really? That's their response?

Non-perishable items can be stored in his room. Can he buy a smaller refrigerator to keep in his room for things that need it? If the stuff is in his room, I assume they won't be able to get to it.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by carnation

When he has confronted his roommates, they get angry and say they don't have any money so why shouldn't they eat his, etc.

That's BS.

I agree with the Little -- it's not his job to support the eating habits of his entire apartment. I agree w/ the idea of getting a smaller refrigerator to keep in his room. They can be around $100, so it's not super cheap, but in the end, that $100 investment could save even more hundreds in roomie-eaten groceries.

Do the bedrooms have their own locks? That configuration sounds familiar to some in my old school and all the bedrooms had their own locks on them

[moe.ron]

Thing never changed huh? Complete BS that he has to subsidized them. Do what Dr Phil suggested. Teach 'em a lesson in manners.

[carnation]

I would have Baby Berry's old mini-fridge down there in a New York minute but the dorm doesn't permit them. LOL, I'd like to tell him y'all's ideas but I'm afraid he'd use them! Well, WTH...I'm going to call him and direct him to this thread.Hahaha! Maybe he'll use some of these.

[AGDee]

I think in the other thread you're referencing, people sabotaged the food in some way. I remember telling the story about my brother, whose lunch was being stolen daily in junior high school. My mom put cayenne pepper in EVERYTHING one day and gave him lunch money to buy a lunch. His lunch was never stolen again after that day.

[violetpretty]

[chickenoodle]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I guess kindly talking to them and then threatening to whoop ass hasn't worked. Good grief.

Two ideas:
1) Keep the unrefrigerated foods in a plastic bin under his bed.
Get a bedroom minifridge with a lock--I think that's possible. LOL

2) Keep the food in the main kitchen and put his name on it. Then put cat piss in the milk (or Mr Bubbles to be nice) and stuff the cereal boxes with styrofoam. Punk asses.

(If he chooses #2, make sure he has his own nonpiss and nonstyrofoam stash of food somewhere and he doesn't forget that the kitchen food is pissed off when he's trying to feed himself or guests.)

This was my first thought upon reading the OP. I fully endorse #1 and as hilarious it would be to do #2, I strongly suggest talking to the RA or equivalent. File a formal complaint then sit down and do the mediation. If they pull this shit again, then do #2 in a big way. At least you'll have a record of trying to work it out, and there will be proof of the roommate's douchebaggery (their complaints about the piss and packing peanuts).

Originally Posted by violetpretty

ROFL!! Those Kanye jokes will never get old to me.

[VandalSquirrel]

Wasabi fronting as avocado, benefiber in juice/ice tea/punch, horseradish with sour cream

and so on

[33girl]

Ex lax in brownies.

I take it these are just roomies he ended up with through luck of the draw and not people he actually knows.

Or, maybe your son should go ahead and get a meal plan. Aren't they mandatory anymore?

[carnation]

I'm back on and rolling on the floor at all this, calling all kinds of people to look at the thread, lol. Y'all are hysterical!

I think he has a 5-day meal plan and they have 3? Yes, they were luck of the draw although it turned out that one was a guy he barely knew from his high school.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Ex lax in brownies.

I take it these are just roomies he ended up with through luck of the draw and not people he actually knows.

Or, maybe your son should go ahead and get a meal plan. Aren't they mandatory anymore?

I admit it - I've made the Exlax brownies. Didn't think I had it in me, did you? Just melt the Exlax, then stir into brownie mix and bake. It helps if you take one brownie out - then everyone thinks they're fair game.

I also posted a sign, "If you ask first, I'll probably let you have it. If you don't, careful what you eat."

[KSUViolet06]

"Dude, your milk tastes like pee!"

"Right."

[DrPhil]

Your son should just go ninja on them and snatch their meal plans in the dark of the night.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

Your son should just go ninja on them and snatch their meal plans in the dark of the night.

Yeah, this is square, and definitely needed.

I'd also:

1 - Have friends over (preferably after a cocktail, if that's their thing) and eat literally everything in the house. Top to bottom. Don't spare any peanut butter, don't even leave a water bottle. Clean every condiment out, and throw shit away. We're talking sparkling clean.

2 - Wait a week or three before buying anything else, period. Send him a couple extra bucks and have him buy sandwiches and eat them in the common area. Wait for them to purchase.

3A - If whining or bitching continues, then move onto cat piss and pubeburgers.

3B - If the others break down and buy food, eat it. Not all of it - just a bit, just a meal after a late night studying or a can of soup here and there.

Either way, the point will be proven.