Expensive Chicken Breasts

[bailunrui]

So, I'm a little pissed off right now and since this is a community for support, I thought that I'd post my plight here.

Comments

[wesleysgirl]

Ugh, how awful. Maybe you could practice a breezy smile and a light-hearted "If you don't like how I shop, you can always do some extra shopping for yourself on your own"? And, when the time is right, start a conversation about how X is the amount of money you can afford to spend on food, and that that's the bottom line as far as your shopping for the household goes. If your roommates want extra, more expensive things on top of what you generally buy, they should deal with those ingredients themselves, or you should work out a budget such that they pay extra for you to pick those things up.

[bailunrui]

That's a good idea. I think I'm going to have to implement the budgeting plan. Thanks. <3

[zortified]

I second what wesleysgirl says! There is NO reason why they can't do their own shopping. If they want things you haven't bought, then they can go out, buy them, and put them away with a label saying "this is mine, no one else eat it."

[bailunrui]

Well, I do all of the shopping because I'm the only one who has a car. But, I agree - if they don't like what I buy - they can do it themselves.

[embitca]

Have you thought about maybe having a day each week where the three of you all hit the supermarket together? Personally I would just say tough crap if they don't have a car. It's not your responsibiity. But you can always offer to take them with you and if they don't want to go, that was their decision.

[bailunrui]

There isn't really a time that is good for all three of us to go to the store together - two of us have jobs while we go to school. I'm on fairly good terms with them both most of the time - it was just this recent arrangement and reaction that set me off.

[elfbystarlight]

This is exactly why my housemates and I do our food shopping seperately. We tried for the first year, and... well, it worked as well as yours seems to :) This way, we're each paying what we're prepared to spend - so one housemate who prefers ready meals can spend a fortune on those, and the other who lives on sandwiches just buys sandwich things, and the remaining two fall somewhere in the middle. We buy milk, bread, tea, and other basics out of a kitty we all contribute to, but the rest it worked out far more cost-effective to do on our own.

[bailunrui]

Well, we also cook our dinners together. I think that the extra stuff can be separated, though.

[embitca]

I don't think they should have to scale back their own culinary urges if they have the money to indulge them and that is something of value to them.

I would say it is definitely time to sit down and renegotiate responsibilities though. It might be best for you to shop for your own self and let them fend for themselves... or as other people suggested, recommend that they supplement your shopping with some extra shopping of their own for items that will not be shared with you. I think this is the only way around the inequality and income and values.

[bailunrui]

There will definitely be a change in how we pay for the extra items. This week we're going to talk about me moving out this coming September when the lease is up (due to being unable to afford the rent) and I'll bring it up then.

[justhuman]

I'm with WG's suggestions. Another tact to take is another food buying concept that you can spin. If you plan on a pasta dish with broccoli and you get to the store and the broccoli sucks then it's time for a new plan, instead of eating inferior food.

Likewise, structuring the menu around what's on sale makes sense for folks on a budget. Bonus - the stuff on sale is usually really fresh because they brought in a boatload for the sale.

You might suggest they think about the sales flyer when meal planning -- it might be available online if you don't get it at home.

[bailunrui]

That's a good idea. Thanks!