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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:
RubyMentor · 19/12/2025 00:34

Yes this time of year the boot of the car will be fine- just hope it’s not anything smelly

TheUsualChaos · 19/12/2025 00:31

Who thinks you can just free up 2 whole fridge shelves at Christmas? I'm intrigued to know what it is. Hopefully something that can be eaten quickly!

tartyflette · 19/12/2025 00:26

It's a fuckton of caviar (which will hang around for ages as lots of people - kids especially - will hate it. ) plus lemons, rye bread, onions etc.

PickAChew · 19/12/2025 00:20

Pah. Didn't post.

Family member has bought refrigerated gifts
PickAChew · 19/12/2025 00:20

Maybe it's an elaborate fruit sculpture.

OonaStubbs · 19/12/2025 00:13

2 shelves in a big fridge is a lot of cheese.

DeemonLlama · 19/12/2025 00:12

It will be an entire wheel of cheese they got in a raffle at work or something 🤣 something smelly and offensive!!

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/12/2025 00:11

Guessing cheese

FestiveFruitloop · 19/12/2025 00:09

If it’s cheese, it doesn’t actually need to be refrigerated…

Snugglemonkey · 19/12/2025 00:07

Plenty of stuff is grand out of the fridge, in a cool place. I do Nigella's turkey in brine every year and it is grand in the garage. Cheese is safer again! I would see what it is before committing any space though!

GiveUsACoffee · 19/12/2025 00:05

I need to know what they decide to bring!

HardworkSendHelp · 18/12/2025 23:57

DallazMajor · 18/12/2025 20:25

Is it Mounjaro ?

Oh my god I would love a few months of that for Christmas 🤣

Leftsidefacing · 18/12/2025 23:56

Much as I want to know what it is - if I were you I would say please do not bring said thing, then when they do, let them be unhappy that you won’t have it brought in.

But I’m mean.

canklesmctacotits · 18/12/2025 23:56

This is so stupid on the part of the guest that I have to wonder if it’s deliberate. They’re going to want all the oohs and aaaaahs when it’s finally revealed, too. And who tf is going to want to eat an unexpected two-shelves-worth of refrigerated food at Christmas? God I’m so annoyed and it’s not even anything to do with me 😂

DreamTheMoors · 18/12/2025 23:55

Look.
It very well could be cold hard cash.
I learned decades ago to never say “no” to a surprise.
You just never know.

And I think, based on your description, that you’d really hurt their feelings if you told them not to bring it - just wait until they arrive and go with ”I told you so 50 times,” and put it in a cooler in the garage, like you want.

Deep breaths, @ScottyandWestie— it’ll all work out. ❤️

Manro · 18/12/2025 23:47

Boot of the car is a good compromise

AlwaysADramaHadEnough · 18/12/2025 23:47

Simply say there is no room. When they arrive and expect room they will find out the hard way. Then let it be their issue.

FollowSpot · 18/12/2025 23:47

ApolloandDaphne · 18/12/2025 23:05

Just ask them to leave it on the boot of their car? We have often stored our turkey in the boot.

Yeah my Mum did that one year… and then my Dad did a last minute clear up and went to the tip on Christmas Eve.

You can guess the rest…

IncessantNameChanger · 18/12/2025 23:39

DallazMajor · 18/12/2025 20:25

Is it Mounjaro ?

🤣

could be worse. My dad bought cheese one year and didn't say it needed to go into the fridge

whattheysay · 18/12/2025 23:35

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 😬😬😬😬

Were you expecting it because that’s a very strange thing to bring to someone’s house as a surprise you’re expecting them to eat

whattheysay · 18/12/2025 23:31

What is wrong with people, I have 2 fridges and next week they will both be full if someone said clear 2 shelves I’d have to say no sorry there’s no room at all please don’t bring it. Then I sound petty af over fridge space whereas they are in fact stupid people.

Renamed · 18/12/2025 23:25

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 😬😬😬😬

Do you have to eat it out of the bucket?

MotherOfCrocodiles · 18/12/2025 23:24

My MIL wouldn’t give me a whole fridge shelf, even when I was feeding a bay exclusively with expressed breast milk. And that wasn’t even Christmas!

WildLeader · 18/12/2025 23:20

You’re hosting, your fridge

TELL THEM IT IS GOING IN A COOL BOX IN THE SHED.

come on, you got this

Hicupping · 18/12/2025 23:19

Fancy thinking you can rock up to someone doing Christmas lunch and have 2 fridge shelves to yourself.

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