How to deal with...

[bAbY_cHiCkEn01]

FLATMATES WHO STEAL FROM YOU?
Seriously I am so unbelieveably sick of my fellow housemates stealing my food...
I have this one housemate who doesn't have a job who gets centrelink (those non australian, this is welfare payment...) but often its so funked up for him he sometimes misses his payments (or so I'm lead to believe). I understand he has very little money but I have to buy all the food for my partner and myself and I earn very little as well. So I can afford what we need and thats pretty much it. But he takes it without asking. I might be fine with it if he asked but he doesn't and its annoying me, sure sometimes its just potatos but its the principal of stealing and not asking, especially when a few months back when I didn't have a job he told me not to use his kitty litter without asking. I did that twice, 3 times at most but he's constantly raiding our food! What the hell do I do... oh and also, I'm too nice and feel too mean to say stop eating my food as well. Yes I am a sissy, but I feel so mean...

 

[Holly]

Get a minifridge and a lock!

 

[YvetteJeannine]

TELL HIM!

The only way to deal with this, and gain any control over the situation is to let him know....Yeah...it sucks; but it's not going to change 'till you MAKE it.

Would HE let YOU eat HIS food? No?

Don't feel mean about it...you can tell him in a very nice way...You pay for it...you aren't picking money from a tree growing in your bedroom...so let him know..It's the *only* way...

Just say "Hey____, I hate to do this to ya, but ya gotta stop eatin' my food on me; I'm going broke trying to feed you and me both"...Maybe you can laugh a little....like you're trying to be lighthearted about it...the situation will 'let you know' how to treat it...The main thing is, you cannot complain 'till you tell him your stash is off limits. Some people just weren't born with "internal faux-pas regulators", (as I call them).