Builders and tea bags

[londonchick]

DH thinks IABU. I, on the other hand am pretty annoyed!!

Builders in our home for the last 2 months. The first month we weren't living here. Now we are back and living our normal lives - going to work, etc.

Got up yesterday afternoon for night shift to find no tea bags left in caddy. Builders have been helping themselves so I asked if they could get some more for DH in the evening and me this morning. Head honcho states yes he'll go out for them.

I get home this morning to find a few tea bags in the caddy - but from a box I had stored on the top shelf in our food cupboard. DH didn't open box so it appears builders have rifled through our food supplies and found them. They would have had to search well as I had them tucked out of sight for emergencies!

I am really quite annoyed that they have gone through our belongings and that they haven't actually put their hand in their pocket for once and stocked up. DH thinks IABU as 'you have to keep builders supplied with their tea'. Invasion of privacy (albeit v minor) obviously isn't an issue for him!

Sorry such a long story but AIBU really? Really? They managed to supply themselves with tea and milk when we weren't living here!!

Milk is another story. Don't get me started on that!!

YABU. Out of politeness, you provide the teabags etc for builders. "invasion of privacy" aside (it's just a food cupboard!!), you asked the builders to get more when you already had a box?

As an aside though, the fencing men I had in last Summer bought their own teabags, milk, mugs and kettle. I was astounded. They also turned down the biscuits I'd bought specially.

YABU. It shouldn't cross your mind not to provide tea for your builders

Yes yabu. What a skinflint!

You hide teabags for emergencies?
Do you live in the middle of nowhere?

Teabags, milk and biscuits are usually provided for builders - they then do a better job.

YABU. For how much tbags cost you are coming across a little tight not supplying them for your builders

I assume they have been doing it this way for at least a month so why the sudden issue?

YABU, the giving the builders/workmen tea and biscuits thing is an adorable englishism.

I try to do it here but they look at me like I am crazy lady and wave their expensive coffee cups and pastries in my face...

No I have provided them while we've been here! It was literally just because I am out of the house for 16 hours a day when on nights and just needed to make sure we had some in as I literally cannot get to a shop and it would have been nice to get a cup of tea when I got home this morning before going shopping and getting proper supplies.

The box in the cupboard has been there for literally ages. It wasn't stashed away from the builders in particular. Just up at the top, right at the back where I store any extra 2for1s. I call it my emergency stash as we can generally find something of use up there when we are really stuck. Had forgotten they were there but the guys would have literally had to get a chair out and then empty everything else from the shelf to find it. Too narrow to get at things any other way. It was this that annoyed me!

Yes yabu. Most people I know have supplied their builders with tea and coffee and milk...even biscuits! You only have to buy a large box...you don't need the best or anything.

My mate got a kettle for them and they had that plugged in near to where they worked...and her kitchen was left alone.

Listen...you can't ask the builders to get more bags...they're busy building! Yes..they looked in the cupboards but maybe you're a bit scary and they were trying to appease you?

Sirzy, I have been supplying them with tea myself up till now while we have been living here (and I did leave bags for them when we disn't live here, and biscuits!) They just used the last lot up yesterday and when I'm on nights I can't do a thing about shopping.

Why didn't you just get your "emergency stash" out when you realised you had run out?

Sorry,it's an unwritten rule...leave a supply of teabags,sugar,milk. Can't imagine not doing it. YABU.

Talk about mixed messagaes to them, your either happy to provide them with drinks or your not. You can't provide them then suddenly complain when they make themselves a drink.

Should they just go without drinks while your not in?

YABU, the price quoted includes 'all the tea that we can drink', it's an unwritten rule. They are probably still complaining to each other, out of respect you should be leaving biscuits as well.

I couldn't be less scary if I tried and literally said it on my way out the door yesterday. I did say the smallest and cheapest would do as I can shop today for more.

I bought a huge box a very short while ago. I hadn't realised they were on the last foil pack of 40 which is why we ran out!

I wish they were busy building!!

And they do have our kettle, and biscuit tin, and coffee and sugar!

I'm really not as evil as people are thinking!

X post with Clawdy.

Sirzy, I didn't realise there were tea bags in the emergency stash until I saw the box at the front of the cupboard. Then remembered MIL had brought them round ages ago. Not our normal brand which is why I remember.

YABU. I've spent years managing contractors on development sites (think cleaning up old industrial sites, boreholes, big plant). The way to a workforce's heart is through subsistence breaks. I have spent a small fortune on Jaffa Cakes and Fish and Chips to keep my sites running smoothly.

So what emergency were you waiting for with these stashed tea-bags that was more important than you and builders needing tea?

I guess most people don't work a week of 13 hour nursing night shifts with 3 extra hours commute. If I run out of tea bags for 1 day then I don't think it's so horrific of me to get the guys just to stock up minimally.

The amount you work is completly irrelevant. You can't spend a month happy to provide them with tea and then all of a sudden complain about them drinking tea