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AIBU?

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Original poster

Family member has bought refrigerated gifts

408 replies

ScottyandWestie · 18/12/2025 20:15

AIBU - Family member arriving on Saturday to stay for the whole of Christmas has just advised me they are bringing gifts which need to be refrigerated. It’s not alcohol but they will not explain what the items are for fear of “spoiling the surprise” and will need “possibly two shelves of the fridge”. I have a large fridge but due to catering to a huge amount of people over the Christmas period it’s full and will be at capacity tomorrow. I explained this but they are adamant. AIBU to suggest they store their gifts in a cool box in our shed?

OP posts:
Pherian · 19/12/2025 09:14

ScottyandWestie · 18/12/2025 20:15

AIBU - Family member arriving on Saturday to stay for the whole of Christmas has just advised me they are bringing gifts which need to be refrigerated. It’s not alcohol but they will not explain what the items are for fear of “spoiling the surprise” and will need “possibly two shelves of the fridge”. I have a large fridge but due to catering to a huge amount of people over the Christmas period it’s full and will be at capacity tomorrow. I explained this but they are adamant. AIBU to suggest they store their gifts in a cool box in our shed?

They sound eccentric and clueless. I’d politely follow up with a text to remind them to bring a cool box for their gift. If she rocks up without one just let her sit with her own stupidity.

LarrySherbert · 19/12/2025 09:14

MySweetGeorgina · 18/12/2025 23:02

Oh the excitement!

my brother once did this with my mum at Christmas, she said whatever it was had to go in the shed

it was…..

a dried sheep’s head in a bucket (it’s a Norwegian thing, his partner is Norwegian)…. then we had to eat it 😬😬😬😬

😮Why did YOU have to eat it?! Nothing on earth could have persuaded me that I had to partake of that.

Muttley17 · 19/12/2025 09:13

If it needs to be kept cold, ask how they are keeping it cold during the 3hr journey to you. Or if its defrosting during the journey 🤔

MissMoneyFairy · 19/12/2025 09:13

It would be a waste if it's food that you've already got or are planning so hopefully your son finds out what it is.

Fedupoftheshits · 19/12/2025 09:10

DallazMajor · 18/12/2025 20:25

Is it Mounjaro ?

🤣🤣🤣

TheTaupeScroller · 19/12/2025 09:08

ScottyandWestie · 18/12/2025 22:08

I will update with what turns up. I have asked my son to give me some clues when he does the pick up and a better idea of the size. Everyone knows fridge space is sacred in the run up to Christmas.

I don't think it's "sacred" for most people 😂 shops are only shut for a few days (or reopened with empty shelves, same thing)

but expecting 2 shelves in a fridge is rude at any time of the year.

Christmas or not, people ASK! Bloody rude not to. And they ask BEFORE buying their "surprise" . Not everybody has fridges the same size and a spare one in another room

B1anche · 19/12/2025 09:06

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/12/2025 04:27

Instead of no room at the inn

it’s no room in the fridge

😂😂

Poor baby cheesus, banished to the garage.

Elektra1 · 19/12/2025 09:01

This is ridiculous. Everyone knows the fridge is rammed at Christmas! Can’t wait to hear what it is.

boredoflaundry · 19/12/2025 09:01

I wouldn’t even bother with a cool box in the shed. Surely they can just leave it in the car!

I bought some cheese at a Xmas market recently and that was exactly what several stalls were suggesting you do with it.

I do have a huge empty fridge in my garage, but I still left the cheese in the car a week before I moved it.

Jane143 · 19/12/2025 09:00

That’s a really good idea to ask neighbour if you can put a few bits in their fridge. Also this time of year it’s cold enough outside to keep stuff in shed/garage

HisNotHes · 19/12/2025 08:51

Yanbu. Just message back and tell them firmly “I’m sorry but the fridge will be completely full and there’s absolutely no way I can fit them in. A cool box in the shed is the best I can offer”.

ArcticGrass · 19/12/2025 08:46

I always buy my sister cheese for Christmas, now wondering if she is cursing me every year!

Skyflymom · 19/12/2025 08:35

I bet it's a mini hamper that's got cheese in it! Had similar bought for us before. Theyll be fine in a cool box with ice packs. I've just had a big weekend away with girlfriends. Fridge space was limited and we did "fake Christmas" so had all the usuall chilled stuff. I made up a fridge box and kept it in the boot of the car. Ice packs were still frozen when we used it Sunday (lasted from Friday!) I did put the freezer box inside a couple of big cardboard boxes for further insulation and froze Tupperware filled with water so the blocks were big but it worked perfectly

Imdunfer · 19/12/2025 08:34

Why would you ask your son to recce the size when he picks them up? You've said no. No means no.

CharlotteCChapel · 19/12/2025 08:31

67eleven · 18/12/2025 22:26

We got told one year to "keep a shelf free" for a badly butchered ox tongue (shudder)

Yum. Ox tongue is really nice if you dont think about what it actually is. The perks of having a grandfather as a butcher.

Vartden · 19/12/2025 08:30

Are they normally this idiotic! Everybody knows a fridge at Christmas is one huge balancing act! Who has two shelves that just happen to be empty?!

UninitendedShark · 19/12/2025 08:30

So who is this family member with main character syndrome?

I do hope it’s not prepared charcuterie boards because they go dry pretty quickly.

CharlotteCChapel · 19/12/2025 08:27

We keep our overflow in the sheds. We also have three fridges, my son & I share one and DH has the other two(not really but it feels like that at times)

They aren't bringing a turkey are they?

VictoriaEra2 · 19/12/2025 08:20

My guess is charcuterie boards and platters

stichguru · 19/12/2025 08:18

I have been known to buy a hamper for people, but you can definately say no to them needing 2 shelves of the fridge! I'm talking a hamper with a couple of packs of cheese that need taking out and fridge-ing!

Whatwouldnanado · 19/12/2025 08:14

Shameless place marking. My money’s on cheese or salmon.

ErrolTheDragon · 19/12/2025 08:12

now we all want to know what it is!
Apart from ‘weirdly inconsiderate’ - apart from the fridge space, assuming it’s something edible won’t a shelf or two of fridge space worth be likely to impact the rest of the catering and result in waste of good food.Confused

jetlag92 · 19/12/2025 08:10

We had a lovely well meaning neighbour who turned up with two trays of homemade canapes a few Christmasses ago. I obviously thanked her, but said that we didn't have any room in the fridge or freezer - we were out for dinner that evening and always had a particular meal on the next evening.

She insisted and we ended up throwing them away.

She then did the same thing the following year and I had to tell her that we couldn't take them!

CrazyCricketLady · 19/12/2025 08:07

Grow your own mushrooms I reckon!

JoeTheDrummer · 19/12/2025 08:06

WineBeforeWhine · 19/12/2025 07:26

Cheese doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Show quote history

Most cheeses do, especially softer ones. Or at least kept somewhere the temperature of a fridge. It doesn’t need to be served at fridge-temperature, but I certainly wouldn’t be eating a Brie on Thursday which has been sitting under the Christmas tree since the previous Saturday.