As a guest, what's the stingiest thing you've ever experienced?

[Marssuri]

Just that!
I'll start

I invited friends for dinner at mine. I made traditional dishes from where I'm from, sausage rougail, chicken cari and dessert.

A few days later they text me telling me to come to theirs for some food at dinner time.

I show up and bring a small jar of chilli peppers. One of the people who invited me goes "is that all you're going to eat?". I was confused and asked what they meant. They replied "It's everyone brings their own food."
I told them I thought they had invited me for dinner and they go "yes, we invited you to come to the house for dinner!".
They saw my face and said "don't worry, we can share some food with you!" before cutting a couple of raw carrots, aubergines, cherry tomatoes with some white sauce and putting them in the middle of the table.
They then served each other the meal they had made for themselves and digged in.

Note from MNHQ - we've had lots of nominations for this thread to be moved over to Mumsnet Classics and, as we're very generous hosts, we've done exactly this.

Two small roast potatoes??????? That’s not enough for a first portion, let alone for those who wanted a second portion!

She set a a date and we all turned up at her house laiden down with wine, nibbles etc having been told just to bring ourselves.

I hope you took the costs of your contribution off what she was charging you. This thread is an eye opener to just how mean people can be. 🌹

I could make a list, but as it’s all one couple, I better not.

Memorably, they invited us for dinner which was pasta and tuna. Literally pasta with a tin of tuna mixed through. No sauce, nothing.

Believable to me, my MIL does this sort of thing, serves up no where near enough for even one each of something like roast potatoes etc, and yes we all just sit there politely not knowing what to say, it’s difficult when the person has seemingly made lots of effort but is completely oblivious

yes we all just sit there politely not knowing what to say

More fool you. "I'm still hungry. Is there anything else to eat?" should suffice.

Or take extra food with you when you visit.

The passiveness on this thread is astounding.

Wow, it's not even 9 am and we have already had the silliest MN comment of the day!

Pretty much yes, I could cobble together a decent meal for 8+ with what's in my cupboard. It may have to be vegan as meat would need defrosting, and that would wipe out my store but sure, I could do it.

Doesnt everyone keep tinned tomatoes, various beans/lentils/rice etc?

Well that’s insane, who on Earth invites guests for dinner and then springs on them they should have brought their own food? Baffling

This is why I love Mumsnet despite some of the less nice people on here. I’m making this for tea 😁. I went to a BBQ once with the richest people I know (actual multi millionaires). We were asked to bring our own meat for the BBQ. To be fair I think it was anxiety and phobia-related but still v v weird and we never went back.

Similar here, although, thankfully only a meal at an Italian restaurant for SIL's 50th.

Paid for my meal and drinks (to the penny, although I did tip). I was driving, so soft drinks only, but was a bit of a shambles when it was dropped on the 10 other guests, who weren't in a fit state to work out their shares of the bill.

Rude comment.

Rude comment.

I agree. Nobody needs complex carbs anyway let alone for each meal.

Doesnt everyone keep tinned tomatoes, various beans/lentils/rice etc?

I do, but I know not everyone else does. My "go to" when we have unexpected guests is pasta in a home made tomato sauce.

The wonderful Chic Murray

We went to a kids party that was around a meal time where the only food provided was a packet of biscuits between the kids. Usually kids always get a party meal

I don't think anyone would want to go for dinner at @DoorPath

As soon as I read this I just knew it was Chic Murray. Brilliant!

First and last post here.
With people have some many friends, so-called friends, I'm glad I've got none other than some of my family.

I blame social media/facebook and similar. Never done those and never will as MO they are cringey or even crass.

Some of these stories are great, keep them coming!

I'll be honest, I don't understand about it being etiquette to bring something if someone has invited you for dinner.

Surely, just for manners alone, you should offer to bring something. I just feel like if someone has gone to the effort, it's polite to offer or bring something as a thank you for the invite?

That said and this will sound contradictory, because I guess it is, I wouldn't expect anyone to bring me something. It's just how I perceive my own manners that I'd take something.

I don't, but a lot of people do.
I think though people are just making the general point that being a wedding guest does involve outlay (even if not outfits, there's often travel etc), and that the people getting married would do well to remember that.

Edited for a typo.

When our sons were kids, they would pop in and out of their friends’ houses and vice versa.

If they were around at meal time, friend would ask them if they had eaten.

If the answer was ‘yes’ she would say ‘well you won’t want anything now, will you?

if ‘No’, she said ‘Well I’m sure your mummy has got your food waiting for you’.

Not stingy just funny and rather sensible. 30 years on she is still one of my dearest friends and the kids, now middle aged, are pals too.

Brilliant!

😂😂😂😂😂

I've just remembered a MIL one. When DH and his sisters were young, they often had a neighbouring child round to play. At teatime MIL sent the friend home for their dinner rather than inviting them to join. Sharing food was always a big issue.

DH says it's a northern thing. MIL wasn't northern. It was in the 60s/early 70s and not something my family would ever have done.