Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed with MIL's almost out of date chicken?

228 replies

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 18/05/2026 09:55

Last night, about 4pm, MIL turns up while I was out with a pack of chicken breasts with the use by date of yesterday, puts them in our fridge and says they have to be eaten today (yesterday) as it's the last day. DH tells me when I get home that there's chicken in the fridge that must be eaten tonight.
I'm like, OK.... But I have stuff I had planned for dinner tonight and all week in fact, and I've got my own use-by dates on the stuff I bought and the week's dinners planned accordingly and now you're going to throw that all out of whack because we have to eat MIL's chicken instead, because of her poor planning and/or reluctance to throw out her own shit, you acting like her food waste bin?
But DH thinks we should be grateful?
Who's side are you on?

OP posts:
Original poster
MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 18/05/2026 10:04

PurpleLovecats · 18/05/2026 10:02

You don’t have room in the freezer for two chicken breasts?

Did I say how many?

OP posts:
FeliciaFancybottom · 18/05/2026 10:04

You seem determined to make this a big deal so, put the chicken breasts in a paper bag, get in the car and drive to her house, set the bag on fire and throw it at her front door, all the while shouting, "I don't want your fucking chicken".
That should show her.

Eenameenadeeka · 18/05/2026 10:03

You don't have to eat it. I'd have either frozen or cooked at the time and then put in fridge to use the next day. I get not wanting to change what you already had planned at the last minute But it's not a big issue worth a fight surely.

rwalker · 18/05/2026 10:03

Not getting the drama cook it slice it for sandwiches cook a meal with it it will last a couple of days or just bin it

really isn’t worth getting wound up about

Hillarious · 18/05/2026 10:03

Mountain. Molehill.

PurpleLovecats · 18/05/2026 10:02

You don’t have room in the freezer for two chicken breasts?

sunshineday850 · 18/05/2026 10:02

I’d find it a bit annoying. It’s not like it’s a particularly nice gesture, a load of chicken breasts which you suddenly have to cook just because of someone else’s poor planning.

Original poster
MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 18/05/2026 10:01

Laarah · 18/05/2026 10:00

I'm betting you don't like your MIL right? She has tried to do something nice to save you money.

Eat them, freeze them, cook them to use as snacks/sandwich filling through the week or throw them in the bin.

No she didn't, she just wanted somewhere to dump her chicken.

OP posts:
Yeahyeahyeahnooooo · 18/05/2026 10:01

I couldn't get worked up about this personally.

Malinia · 18/05/2026 10:01

Cook it, then you get an extra few days to use it. You could just slice it for sandwiches for lunches.

I couldn't get upset about this, it's not a major issue

HoraceCope · 18/05/2026 10:00

op has no room in the freezer

Laarah · 18/05/2026 10:00

I'm betting you don't like your MIL right? She has tried to do something nice to save you money.

Eat them, freeze them, cook them to use as snacks/sandwich filling through the week or throw them in the bin.

FeliciaFancybottom · 18/05/2026 10:00

Since when has 4 pm been night?

Namechangetheyarewatching · 18/05/2026 10:00

Cook the chicken, stick it in the freezer, make casserole with it next week.

bridgetreilly · 18/05/2026 10:00

MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 18/05/2026 09:59

You can't stick things in the freezer on the last day, can you? I thought yours supposed to do that the day you buy them?
Anyway, got no room in the freezer

Show quote history

Of course you can. Just remember that when you take them out, you need to use them immediately.

BananaMilkshake77 · 18/05/2026 10:00

You can definitely freeze it

HoraceCope · 18/05/2026 10:00

and yes you can freeze things on the best before or use by date.

Username19893847477374 · 18/05/2026 10:00

I freeze things on the last day, and it's never been an issue

Whataflippincircus · 18/05/2026 09:59

Just bin it and move on.

HoraceCope · 18/05/2026 09:59

do you not have a freezer?
do you not have room in your freezer?
she does seem to be over stepping and i would be annoyed

WallowingInMud · 18/05/2026 09:59

Freeze it, cook it, chuck it. It really doesn’t matter and it certainly doesn’t warrant an AIBU.

Original poster
MrCollinsandhisboiledpotatoes · 18/05/2026 09:59

bridgetreilly · 18/05/2026 09:58

Just stick them in the freezer.

You can't stick things in the freezer on the last day, can you? I thought yours supposed to do that the day you buy them?
Anyway, got no room in the freezer

OP posts:
Laarah · 18/05/2026 09:59

Literally a drama out of nothing. Stick them in the freezer - either cooked or uncooked. They are still in date.

Favouritefruits · 18/05/2026 09:58

Can you not just freeze the chicken?

bridgetreilly · 18/05/2026 09:58

Just stick them in the freezer.