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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My mum has thrown away over £150 worth of makeup and medication

558 replies

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:06

I have a small pouch that I carry around with me everyday. It’s got a lot of medication in it (antihistamines, painkillers, stomach medicine), as well as 5 lip sticks and 4 lip liners. In total it comes to over £150 worth of stuff in a space NK small pounce (which is expensive in itself!).

I was at my mum’s on Thursday night when she complained about her having bad hay fever. I pulled out the pouch and handed it to her, and although I thought I’d put it back in my bag I must’ve left it on the side. I realised tonight it’s missing as I’ve gone through my bag ahead of work tomorrow and she’s admitted that she has thrown it away.

AIBU to say she should replace it? Both the makeup and medication she’s thrown away?

OP posts:
Growlybear83 · 12/07/2026 21:51

The pouch might have got a bit manky being in the bin for a couple of days but the contents should still be fine. Ask your mum to get it out, or if she won’t, surely it’s worth going round to look for it yourself rather than waste all that money?

TheScreen · 12/07/2026 21:50

Just send her a list of what was in there to replace it all. It sounds like it wouldn't hurt them to rebuy it all for you if they're happy to write off stuff like apple watches and phones!

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:49

Bjorkdidit · 12/07/2026 21:44

But surely the lipstick cases can be wiped down even if the bag is ruined?

The medicines sealed in blister packaging are also cleanable, so most of the value can be saved. It's bizarre that she'd just throw things away like that, but equally odd that you jump straight to her replacing it all without even bothering to look in the bin.

Who carries 9 lip products around with them anyway?

Me, because I move this little pouch from bag to bag so it has day and night products in it, it’s amazing what it fits in! I’d just rather she at least dug through the bin and washed it

OP posts:
notatinydancer · 12/07/2026 21:49

likelysuspect · 12/07/2026 21:22

How is it bizarre, unless you're suggesting she did it on purpose?

Ive done it plenty of times, you're clearing up and something goes in the bin by mistake.

I’ve never done that. Certainly not an item like this.

SallyAnnDrivesACar · 12/07/2026 21:48

Well you did accidentally leave it there. She accidentally threw it away.

Same really!

bellhawk · 12/07/2026 21:48

Yes, it was disrespectful of her to throw your possessions away. I wonder if she did similar to you growing up - aside from the expensive items they've lost / replaced without a care - maybe that's why it's hitting a nerve more now, as it reminds you of other incidents that involved your personal items going missing without an apology.

Isometimeswonder · 12/07/2026 21:48

You forgot it, she threw it. 6 and 2 3s really.
I'd get it back myself personally, and ensure I checked my belongings better on leaving the house.

DidILeaveTheGasOn · 12/07/2026 21:47

The value of everything sitting in plastic containers inside a fabric pouch and just letting it go to waste. I'm pretty attached to my cosmetics and have too many, but I'd still go through the bin if this happened. They are so expensive and lipsticks or lipstains last forever. Find a leftover mask from Covid, chuck it on and go digging. Yes it's rank but the sheer monetary value being wasted is crazy.
What if it's shades you can't easily replace? Retailers discontinue shades or formulas so often now.

Decacaffeinatednow · 12/07/2026 21:47

Is the food waste in bags?
Cannot tell you how many times we have upended bins and gone through them looking for things accidentally thrown out. Still alive to tell the tale.

suburburban · 12/07/2026 21:46

I’d be furious especially when you were trying to help her, why can’t she retrieve it, downright careless on her part

emptynestling · 12/07/2026 21:44

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:38

Hilarious.

The bag is fabric and plastic - it has seams and can absorb liquid.

At the very least she should be the one digging, not me!

Not….. liquid!!! Just get someone to fish around for it (yes her but if she’s an awkward git then take some responsibility for forgetting your stuff) and give it a good clean.

Jesus wept the hand wringing as if it’s been shot into space by NASA 🙄🙄🙄

Bjorkdidit · 12/07/2026 21:44

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:38

Hilarious.

The bag is fabric and plastic - it has seams and can absorb liquid.

At the very least she should be the one digging, not me!

But surely the lipstick cases can be wiped down even if the bag is ruined?

The medicines sealed in blister packaging are also cleanable, so most of the value can be saved. It's bizarre that she'd just throw things away like that, but equally odd that you jump straight to her replacing it all without even bothering to look in the bin.

Who carries 9 lip products around with them anyway?

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:43

LIZS · 12/07/2026 21:42

Bin was collected after you left? Seems unlikely.

No, it doesn’t get collected until Thursday. But there’s food waste in there and it’s been baking for 3 days in this heat, the thought of digging through it turns my stomach

OP posts:
LIZS · 12/07/2026 21:42

Bin was collected after you left? Seems unlikely.

JanBlues2026 · 12/07/2026 21:42

How did she know she had thrown it away unless she did actually do it on purpose?

LindorDoubleChoc · 12/07/2026 21:41

Edenmum2 · 12/07/2026 21:17

I would defo be looking in the bin if I knew they were still in there. Everything in there is self contained

Her mother needs to be looking through the bin.

notacooldad · 12/07/2026 21:41

If you have that many lipsticks / liners in one handbag then presumably you have a lot of makeup at home anyway so it’s not a big deal?
Seriously?
What about the price of the bag and the medications?
I rhink you have missed the point of why op is upset. Op, I think your mum has acted very strangely. If course you look at what your throwing away!

Franjipanl8r · 12/07/2026 21:40

I think the strangest thing in all of this is the fact you don’t feel able to just tell your mum you’ll need her to transfer money so you can replace it. Or send her a list of what to buy so she can buy the replacements herself. I’d be livid if my mum did that and she’d know exactly how I felt.

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:38

emptynestling · 12/07/2026 21:37

YABU, precious and wasteful. You are talking about sealed medication inside of a sealed bag.

The Apple doesn’t fall at all far from the tree as you’re stamping your feet and demanding wasting more money and resources replacing if instead of just cracking on and retrieving it.

You are your mother’s daughter.

Hilarious.

The bag is fabric and plastic - it has seams and can absorb liquid.

At the very least she should be the one digging, not me!

OP posts:
emptynestling · 12/07/2026 21:37

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:35

I’m sorry but why should I have to dig through their grey rubbish, which includes food waste as their local council doesn’t operate a food waste recycling scheme, that’s baked in 35 degree temperatures for the last three days, because SHE was careless? It’s vile and even if the bag is in there it’s not sanitary to use any of it!

YABU, precious and wasteful. You are talking about sealed medication inside of a sealed bag.

The Apple doesn’t fall at all far from the tree as you’re stamping your feet and demanding wasting more money and resources replacing if instead of just cracking on and retrieving it.

You are your mother’s daughter.

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:35

emptynestling · 12/07/2026 21:34

Yabu silly. It’s either worth 150 quid and quick dig with rubber gloves or you’re just the same as them thinking it can just be got rid of on a whim.

pick a lane.

I’m sorry but why should I have to dig through their grey rubbish, which includes food waste as their local council doesn’t operate a food waste recycling scheme, that’s baked in 35 degree temperatures for the last three days, because SHE was careless? It’s vile and even if the bag is in there it’s not sanitary to use any of it!

OP posts:
nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:34

weavingrugs · 12/07/2026 21:31

I find this sort of thing intriguing (sorry OP).
Just the idea that people have so much stuff that they simply scoop up a random thing in their home, in this case a beauty bag and chuck it away without a second thought .
Not once thinking, let me have a look inside, I wonder what I’ve left in here, or even I can’t remember buying this. No, just lob it straight in the bin!

It’s such a strange way to live.

She lost her phone once. Didn’t even bother calling it or anything, just ordered a new one and paid the house insurance excess!

OP posts:
emptynestling · 12/07/2026 21:34

nostyleandnoclothes · 12/07/2026 21:19

I just don’t really want to dig through heat baked rubbish when she’s the one who threw it out, and she definitely won’t do that!

Yabu silly. It’s either worth 150 quid and quick dig with rubber gloves or you’re just the same as them thinking it can just be got rid of on a whim.

pick a lane.

likelysuspect · 12/07/2026 21:33

Pollyanna87 · 12/07/2026 21:25

It’s not normal to frequently accidentally throw things away. I can’t think of a single instance where I’ve ever done it.

Not 'normal'?

What is normal, who are you measuring against? Yourself?

People make mistakes and have accidents, that is normal. Unless OP is saying she thinks her mum does this on porpose, its an accident.

Cherrysoup · 12/07/2026 21:33

She needs to replace the lot. Send her links. What a completely weird thing to do. I’ve just packed similar meds for a trip next week, antihistamines, paracetamol, buscopan etc. I rarely use it, but I like to have it.