The global economy is in a very peculiar place right now, and some people are feeling their wallets getting lighter and lighter. While some food items have gotten cheaper, others have skyrocketed in price, so it’s become hard to budget. And not everyone is willing to change their eating habits to adapt to the new circumstances.
Redditor u/Wrong_Psychology5461 turned to the AITA online community for a verdict after a spot of drama at home. He revealed how he ended up yelling at his girlfriend after she ate all of his food, and then spilled the beans about her eating habits. As it turns out, money’s very tight, but she keeps eating all of their food. “Like, all of it.” Read on for the full story. Bored Panda has reached out to u/Wrong_Psychology5461 via Reddit, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from him.
When money is tight, the entire household has to be on the same page when it comes to managing expenses
Image credits:Kevin Malik (not the actual photo)
A guy revealed how he finally lost it because his girlfriend kept eating everything that she could get her hands on
Image credits:voronaman111 (not the actual photo)
Image credits:Wrong_Psychology5461
Talking about the issue didn't seem to help before
The OP shared some context about the situation at home. His girlfriend is unemployed, having been laid off half a year ago. So, for the past six months, the boyfriend’s been the one covering their rent, utilities, and groceries. And here’s the issue: according to the redditor, his girlfriend’s eating habits mean that they “always run out of food money” before his paycheck comes in.
“She'll eat everything she wants, and leave me with plain crackers or lettuce. I mean, everything. Even stuff I've specifically labeled or said I want. The cupboards will be bare and I'll have to skip meals three days before my next paycheck because she's eaten everything,” the OP vented on the AITA subreddit.
He finally lost it when his girlfriend ate most of the cupcakes that he’d bought for his sister’s birthday, and drank his fancy pomegranate juice. Things got slightly out of hand—he yelled at her to stop devouring everything that he buys. He pointed out that they’ve talked about her habits before, but she “shuts me down and denies it.”
Most redditors were actually on the boyfriend’s side. Of course, yelling won’t solve anything—clear communication and healthy boundaries will—but the AITA community even ended up giving him some practical advice on what to do next. Some internet users suggested getting a fridge lockbox and pointed out that, “It's not fat shaming to tell someone to stop behaving as if they are 3/4 locust.”
Unfortunately, if talking about the issue doesn’t work, you have to find another way to show your loved one that actions have consequences. Physically locking the food is one way to do this. Only buying enough food for the day is another (though very impractical) approach. Another solution would be to encourage the partner to look for a job so that the couple has a larger food budget to work with.
Image credits:cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Some food items have gotten incredibly expensive over the past year
Over the past year, the price of eggs has risen 36% in the US, margarine went up by 33.4%, and flour got 17.5% more expensive. CNN reports that potatoes also got 9.7% more expensive, the price of cheese skyrocketed by 8.2%, and milk is 5.5% costlier than a year ago.
At the same time, some food items actually cooled down between 2022 and spring 2023. The price of bacon, for instance, fell 5.5% while the cost of fresh fruits depreciated 1.5%. But for Americans who have been battling high inflation, these are extremely small lights at the end of the tunnel. Slightly cheaper bacon won’t make up for the eggpocalypse, for instance.
Though cutting back and learning to budget for groceries can be daunting at first, it’s not the end of the world. We know that not everyone enjoys change (especially downscaling one’s quality of life), but try to think of it as a temporary setback. A challenge that you know you’ll eventually beat.
Your goal is to come up with a system where you and your family are eating enough nutritious food to stay healthy. This can include cutting back on eating out, looking for cheaper alternatives to your favorite items, and downscaling how often you can splurge on the fancier stuff. So fast food and snacks become a luxury, not a daily occurrence.
However, if you’re skipping meals just to make ends meet, you either need to get on the same page with your entire household or you may need to seek outside help—whether it’s asking your family and friends to lend a hand or getting in touch with your local food bank.
Image credits:Max Rahubovskiy (not the actual photo)
Saving on grocery costs requires a bit of creativity
Bored Panda’s written before how one of the biggest steps you can take to cut back on your food expenses is to reduce the amount of red meat that you eat. It’s expensive, and there are cheaper sources of protein available. For example, you could opt for cheaper cuts of meat or embrace beans!
Obviously, buying food in bulk helps your wallet out a lot, too! You can cooperate with your friends, relatives, and neighbors to buy larger quantities of food and then put them in the freezer for the future. So long as you freeze your groceries properly so it doesn’t spoil, you won’t lose any nutrients inside them. You can do this with meat, vegetables, and fruit.
And in case you need a go-to recipe for a quick meal, consider making a stir-fry. You can use whatever ingredients are seasonal (don’t be scared to buy discounted unaesthetic veggies), or you can grow some greens and herbs in your garden.
Image credits:Tara Clark (not the actual photo)
The boyfriend shared some more context in the comments of his post
The internet was very supportive of the guy. Here's what some people had to say about the entire thing
