How to stop other travellers eat your food supplies?

[Anonymous]

It may seem like a silly question but it’s a real struggle for me.

We’re renting a large cabin/lodge in a state park for Labor weekend. There will be 3 families, total 10 people.

We agreed to alternate cooking dinners for the whole group. I explicitly said that I’m bringing breakfast and lunch food for our family only and don’t intend to to feed others for breakfast and lunch.

However, I said that too on our precious weekend together and my friend’s kids ended up eating literally all our breakfast food. Its awkward when our family is eating breakfast and the other kids ask if they can have some of it too and their mom doesn’t say anything. These are not little kids, they’re 11-13 years old.

Anyway, I’m trying to avoid the same situation. What would be an assertive way to handle it?

[Anonymous]

If they are close enough friends you are vacationing together, they are close enough to discuss.

A. “I’m planning to bring C for my family for breakfast. Happy to buy for your family too and we can split the cost.

B. Set up a google doc for meal planning and go over it together.

C. Share the food

D. Say “sorry guys, I think your mom brought bagels for you over there.”

[Anonymous]

Either don't go or bring extra food and look at the expense as an investment in your friendship.

[Anonymous]

DO NOT SHARE LIVING SPACE WITH NON-HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS DURING A PANDEMIC.

But if you are, and know these people mooch, then arrange for everyone to contribute financially to shared food.

[Anonymous]

Bring more food!
Sorry, but I think the awkward thing is eating in front of people without being able to offer some.

[Anonymous]

I honestly think it's weird and creates an artificial source of strife if you don't share. You're sharing a house, you're sharing and experience, how hard is it to bring a little extra (all participants, and not just you) and share your food too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Either don't go or bring extra food and look at the expense as an investment in your friendship.

+1.

Group traveling may not be for you.

[Anonymous]

OP here.

It’s not about money. Really!
It’s just I don’t want to bring groceries for 10 people, I just want to bring enough for our family of 3. We are already sharing dinners.

[Anonymous]

You're already planning to share covid -- bring extra Trix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think it's weird and creates an artificial source of strife if you don't share. You're sharing a house, you're sharing and experience, how hard is it to bring a little extra (all participants, and not just you) and share your food too?

It’s not a little extra, it’s bringing 2 or 3 times more than I would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bring more food!
Sorry, but I think the awkward thing is eating in front of people without being able to offer some.

Agree

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It may seem like a silly question but it’s a real struggle for me.

We’re renting a large cabin/lodge in a state park for Labor weekend. There will be 3 families, total 10 people.

We agreed to alternate cooking dinners for the whole group. I explicitly said that I’m bringing breakfast and lunch food for our family only and don’t intend to to feed others for breakfast and lunch.

However, I said that too on our precious weekend together and my friend’s kids ended up eating literally all our breakfast food. Its awkward when our family is eating breakfast and the other kids ask if they can have some of it too and their mom doesn’t say anything. These are not little kids, they’re 11-13 years old.

Anyway, I’m trying to avoid the same situation. What would be an assertive way to handle it?

This is ridiculous on so many levels.

1. Why are you vacationing with other families during a pandemic?

2. If you are all staying in the same cabin, why would you have separate food? Is this an allergy situation? Special diet? Otherwise, you just seem strange -- why share a living space if you don't want to share other things? Like are you planning to share Laundry detergent? Soap? Or are these sort of things also separate? If it's really that big a deal, why not bring your own fridge and store all your food in your room, and then just repeatedly tell everyone no, you can't have any of our food and make a big show of packaging your leftovers and taking them back to your room?

[Anonymous]

Just don't travel with these people if it's going to bother you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

It’s not about money. Really!
It’s just I don’t want to bring groceries for 10 people, I just want to bring enough for our family of 3. We are already sharing dinners.

Why do you assume that you'll be bringing all the groceries? Aren't the others bringing groceries too? If all of you bring groceries for 10 people, you'd be able to feed 30 people in that place. Obviously there's no need for that. Just bring a little extra than you usually bring.

Honestly, you seem too socially awkward to be sharing a cabin with other families. If you can't figure this out, what else can't you figure out? Why not just rent a cabin on your own?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

It’s not about money. Really!
It’s just I don’t want to bring groceries for 10 people, I just want to bring enough for our family of 3. We are already sharing dinners.

Why do you assume that you'll be bringing all the groceries? Aren't the others bringing groceries too? If all of you bring groceries for 10 people, you'd be able to feed 30 people in that place. Obviously there's no need for that. Just bring a little extra than you usually bring.

Honestly, you seem too socially awkward to be sharing a cabin with other families. If you can't figure this out, what else can't you figure out? Why not just rent a cabin on your own?

Betting OP is too cheap to rent a cabin on her own, which is why she's in this situation in the first place. Wonder if she also demands that no one else use her family's toilet paper.