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AIBU?

To make lunch from the buffet breakfast at our (frankly) ludicrously expensive hotel in Crete

312 replies

luverlyjubberly · 05/08/2008 11:52

We are off on holiday tomorrow and we booked this a year ago.....before my dh lost his job and before we couldn't really afford it. However, it was too late to cancel without losing our money and we didn't want to disappoint the kids, so we are off anyway. This means we are staying in an expensive 5 star resort on a small budget. I'd already paid for the bed/breakfast so I'm thinking, since they have a massive buffet (we've been before) that we ought to stock up on rolls, cheese, ham, fruit etc and feed ourselves this at lunchtime to save money. We have two kids who would be happy enough with this and I reckon it would save us a small fortune. However dh is really against it saying that it's something he'd never do, we'd have to do it on the quiet - which he hates the idea of - and he thinks it's giving our kids the wrong message (like we are stealing or something)....

Views please.. don't kill me please - I'm just trying not to go into mounds of debt...

OP posts:
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WideWebWitch · 05/08/2008 11:54

I don't think it's on tbh.
Can you do a shop when you get there and have lunch from that rather than in any restaurant/cafe?
Or is there any way you can raise some cash before you go?
I think it is giving the wrong message, sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear but I agreee with your dh.
Having said that, I've just read Hotel Babylon and apparently lots of Brits do this.

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fluffyanimal · 05/08/2008 11:54

You've paid for it, if it's a help-yourself-as-much-as-you-want buffet, then what's the difference if you take some away to eat later? It is definitely not stealing if you've already paid for it. I'd do it. In fact, I have done it in the past.

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WideWebWitch · 05/08/2008 11:55

I think I'd just find it embarrassing. And if you have to do it sureptitiously then it will be stressful. If you are ok with being brazen about it maybe it'll be ok.

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moondog · 05/08/2008 11:56

Good God, is de rigueur to thieve from buffet. Go for it.
My dh once had seven different puddings from abuffet, just because he could.

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mum2taylor · 05/08/2008 11:56

I agree with fluffy....you pay 5 star prices for a 5 star hotel anyway....kids never eat as much in the mornings so you probably dont get your moneys-worth for breakfast anyway! GO FOR IT!

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themoon66 · 05/08/2008 11:59

it would be far too embarrassing if they told you off in front of other guests. I wouldn't do it for fear of this.

Could you not just eat breakfast very late, thereby covering two meals in one very long, fill your face, sitting? (brunch).

You can shop locally in small supermarkets for lunch more cheaply than going and sitting in cafes.

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Bumdiddley · 05/08/2008 12:01

Excellent idea. I decanted a apple juice at a breakfast buffet.

Pile up your plates and hoif it into your handbag

The way I see it is that you're doing your duty to stop food waste

Your dh doesn't have to get involved!

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witchandchips · 05/08/2008 12:02

I wouldn't do it tbh. It is stealing as you are only paying for the food you can eat at that sitting.

BUT... my guess is the buffet will be open til around 11. No harm in having a late + big breakfast that will see you all through to early tea at 5ish

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nametaken · 05/08/2008 12:02

When I was in Egypt last year "ze germans" kept doing this all the time AND THEY WERE ALWAYS CAUGHT AND HUMILIATED.

A tiny little egyptian waiter would come running over and shout NO NO you cannot take the food away.

Don't do it because:

  1. How on earth are you gonna hide lunch for 4 people about your person
  2. They WILL BE WATCHING you like hawks
  3. It's stealing
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tiredemma · 05/08/2008 12:05

I did this at a 4* on majorca, just a napkinful of biscuits and a few other perishables. I was caught the head waiter, berated like a small child and felt reasonably chastised throughout the remainder of the day.

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Blu · 05/08/2008 12:06

Well, I have done this many times when on my own, travlling for work on magre expenses...but have always done it surreptitiously - I can't imagine assembling a picnic for family in this way. I thnk you would need considerable 'front'to do it openly. Just casually grab the odd piece of fruit or something.

And if you shop in greek shops / veg stalls rather than tourist-orintated supermarkets you should be able to cater for basic beach lunches reasonable economically - bread rolls, tomatoes and local cheese rather than imported produce. Bakeries do lovely spinach-y, cheesy pastries quite cheaply.

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fluffyanimal · 05/08/2008 12:09

On the other hand, it is true that if you eat a really big breakfast, you may not need lunch. I've had this experience also.

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Blu · 05/08/2008 12:09

Well, tales of people being spotted and berated have ensured I will never do it again!

If you pack lightly you can tuck in tins of tuna, etc?

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falcon · 05/08/2008 12:09

I'm with your dh on this one, it is stealing really, at a buffet the agreement is that you can consume as much as you like so long as it's between the set times.

I'd do as www suggests and do a shop, or perhaps you could ask at the end of the buffet if they'd let you have some of the items for a small fee, some buffets will do that, and who knows they may even take pity on you and let you have it for nothing.

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Shoegazer · 05/08/2008 12:11

I have done it, but I am brazen and I don't care I like to think I am getting my money's worth. However, I didn't do it for 4 people, that would be quite a task! Just get a loaf of bread and some cheese/ham from the supermarket.

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nametaken · 05/08/2008 12:11

LOL, that's begging!!!!!

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MaloryDontDiveItsShallow · 05/08/2008 12:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

falcon · 05/08/2008 12:14

I'd rather beg than steal and if you're paying a fee for the food, it isn't really begging is it?

It's quite common in America I believe for some buffets to charge a small fee if people wish to take some home., that way they can take some home sans the guilt.

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TheHedgeWitch · 05/08/2008 12:18

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haggisaggis · 05/08/2008 12:19

We always seem to eat enough at the breakfast buffet so we don't need lunch - in Montreal this year ds managed to have 7 courses one day!
Mind you, in that hotel you were also encouraged to take food away to eat later..

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Caz10 · 05/08/2008 12:20

i'm always quite happy to walk off with eg a banana or something, but no more than that.

last time i went on hols with dh our lunch came from the supermarket every day, just bread, ham/cheese, some fruit and water, only a few euros.

also late brekkie and early tea.

once when we were extremely skint and even the supermarket was pushing it, we would go down early and REALLY linger, so cereal, fruits etc, then a while later some sausages or whatever, then by last serving time we were on coffee and pastries! did us until tea

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Alambil · 05/08/2008 12:21

That's what big beach bags are for - to take the food with you

You paid for it; you're entitled to eat it!

I did it at Butlins a few weeks ago... so did EVERYone else.

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posieflump · 05/08/2008 12:22

We used to do that as students.
We were in halls so got breakfast and dinner
I used to make jam sandwiches at breakfast to have for lunch as was too skint to buy anything else!

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falcon · 05/08/2008 12:22

You're not entitled at all to eat the food other than in that room or ouwith opening and closing of the buffet.

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wannaBe · 05/08/2008 12:24

I think it's chavvy tbh.

And of course it's stealing, if it was a take away buffet then that's different, but it's all you can eat, not all you can fit in your handbag.

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