So I (19f) live in a dorm with two other girls. We’re all pretty chill, but I’m definitely the one who keeps a mini fridge and a snack drawer stocked. I work a part time job as a student assistant, so I pay for all my own food. My friend (let’s call her Jen) (19f) is in my room basically 24/7. She’s super sweet, but she has this habit of "sampling" my snacks. It’s never a whole bag of chips or a full soda. It’s always can I just have a handful of those? or can I take one sip of that? which is kinda annoying. At first, I didn’t care. But it’s been months and it adds up. Last week I bought a specific pack of expensive imported ramen I’ve been wanting to try, and I came back from class to find the pack open and literally HALF the noodles gone. Jen was like "oh I just wanted a bite to see if I liked it lol." I told her she needs to stop eating my stuff and that if she wants snacks, she needs to go to the store. She said I was being stingy because it’s just a tiny bit of food.
So, I started a tab.
Every time she took a sample, I wrote it down in my notes app with the price. Yesterday, I sent her a Venmo request for $15 with the caption Snack Tax. Jen totally flipped. She can’t believe I’m nickel-and-diming her over a few crackers and some noodles. My other roommate thinks it’s funny but says that i should’ve just put a lock on my drawer instead of sending the Venmo.
AITA?
Put a lock on your fridge and your drawer and say no when you don’t want to share something. They can get b***** about it if they want to but you live on a limited income and they do not have the right to take any amount or portion of your belongings.
Being a student assistant doesn’t pay enough for me to be a literal food bank.
I’m looking into fridge locks today because I’m tired of the ‘it’s just a bite’ gaslighting.
That $15 will buy you a lock
NTA.
Start telling her no or lock your food
Yes and no, counting a handful of chips here and there or a sip of a drink is crazy works, but who tf opens someone’s ramen and takes half of it??😭 I’d crash out for that alone bc either take all of it or none at all and at least ask.
fr I’m with you “a few chips” is whatever, but opening my ramen and jacking HALF is unhinged at that point it’s not snacks, it’s straight up disrespect… I’d crash out too lol
A few chips sounds like whatever until it’s once a week for months on end. Food is expensive, especially snack food. A “handful” of chips recurrently equals a whole bag pretty quickly.
Any friend would have shown up with a $20 bill and said “this is for the snacks I’ve been eating”
She’s garbage
It’s called theft. NTA