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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not be able to feed 3 extra adults unexpectedly for lunch?

565 replies

ImFree2doasiwant · 01/04/2021 14:17

I'm single, with 2 small children. I do a weekly meal plan and shop once a week.

If 3 extra adults dropped in for lunch, I'd either be able to feed them but have to go shopping again, or not have enough food in to feed them at all.

Its not like I can't afford to, I just buy the food that we, as a family, will eat. I have a small freezer. I could probably manage dinner better.

Am I that unusual?

OP posts:
grannieali · 05/04/2021 23:27

Most of your posters seem pretty resourceful, but I would not be pleased if three adults invited themselves, or were brought home by a family member at a mealtime.
Very rude, or thoughtless. It is assumed that a female will scrabble around to provide a meal ( as this is gransnet). I would probably do it for form's sake, but would be inwardly seething. Spanish omelette or frittata of anything you've got would be best. I dislike pasta.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/04/2021 00:09

This popped up on my active thing threads again and I just want to say that today my lunch was eating a auerkraut directly from a jar and like.... I think that's why people don't drop on me during eating times because I am very open about my pressive meals as well as my... Not so impressive😂
It's a lottery with me😁

dottiedaisee · 06/04/2021 00:27

Just have a bag of pasta and jar of pesto in a cupboard...easy and job done!!

Sweetpea1532 · 06/04/2021 06:28

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Hahahalol! You are my kinda people! Grin
You had me stumped there with your jar of auerkraut....googled it and it auto corrected to sauerkrautGrin...that makes more sense....and I can just picture me doing something equally as impressive Easter Grin

@grannieali My DH used to drag people over for dinner...I finally told him he could take care of the meal if he ever did it again...his answer? ...oh great, I'll serve a tin of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup....and he did! And they ate it! And asked for seconds!🤣
Another thing he used to do was ditch me and the guests by saying he had to have an early night and then he'd go to bed and leave me to entertain ConfusedEaster HmmEaster Confused..and the people wouldn't go home!! I let that go a few times and then I started saying it before him and going on to bed and leaving him to entertain the person he'd dragged home...funnily enough, surprise visitors never show up any more. And if they do they'll get popcorn or a tin of DHs fav soup. I feel it is very rude to drop in and expect to be treated like honored guests.Easter Hmm

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/04/2021 08:50

Damn typos! 🙈 It's very healthy so at least it was a nutritionally beneficial lunch😂

Sweetpea1532 · 07/04/2021 04:20

@SchrodingersImmigrant
Yes, you're absolutely right....it is super good for you for its probiotic and antioxidant properties. "Let's go to SchrodingersImmigrant's for lunch everyone..I hear sauerkraut straight from the jar is on the menu" ..said no one ever!Easter Wink

jobbyjg · 07/04/2021 04:40

I remember when my now dh and I were very young 18 and just moved into together . We moved to a city for his work and were very poor as were paying way over the odds in rent . I used to cycle at least 20 miles to get to college and my part time job as I couldn't afford the bus .
My aunt and uncle were up having a city break and decided to pop in unannounced then phoned to complain that I hadn't offered them even a drink of tea or coffee!
We didn't drink anything but water as we could afford to buy tea or coffee I was so upset that they felt the need to go and gossip to my parents

ifigoup · 07/04/2021 06:11

Those of you saying you don’t have extra food because you don’t like waste: what do you think happens to it? Tinned food, and things like dried pasta and rice, keep for literally years and years.

If you mean that, say, you yourself don’t eat fresh fruit, therefore you don’t buy fresh fruit on the offchance someone will unexpectedly pop in and eat it before it goes off - then yes, I guess I do understand that. (But YABU not to eat any fresh fruit in that case!)

RampantIvy · 07/04/2021 07:00

@jobbyjg

I remember when my now dh and I were very young 18 and just moved into together . We moved to a city for his work and were very poor as were paying way over the odds in rent . I used to cycle at least 20 miles to get to college and my part time job as I couldn't afford the bus . My aunt and uncle were up having a city break and decided to pop in unannounced then phoned to complain that I hadn't offered them even a drink of tea or coffee! We didn't drink anything but water as we could afford to buy tea or coffee I was so upset that they felt the need to go and gossip to my parents
Did they know that you couldn't even afford to offer a hot drink? If they didn't then I don't think it was wrong of them to assume you were being rude and inhospitable.
SmellsLikeWineIGuess · 07/04/2021 07:36

It’s one thing to assume - another thing entirely to go complaining to other family members, though!

jobbyjg · 07/04/2021 15:40

Ramp yes they did know I apologised and said I was very sorry I didn't have any tea/ coffee to offer them I didn't have enough money in my budget . If I'd known they were coming I would of found a way to buy some savers teabags . I did offer them water . I also think it's important to know my aunt and uncle are very well
Off and our rented flat was above a cafe . They could of easily said do you fancy going out for a coffee to cafe downstairs .
I'm not poor now but at the time our main meals was tinned tomatoes and if we had a bit extra some pasta in it.
I would wish poverty in anyone . I know donate to the food bank as I don't want anyone to go through what I did .my parents knew how poor we were, and my dad had won a lot in in the lottery they didn't give as a penny as they didn't believe in us living together before we were married

jobbyjg · 07/04/2021 15:41

*wouldn't wish poverty

jessstan2 · 07/04/2021 15:46

couldn't of - couldn't have*

memberofthewedding · 07/04/2021 15:57

Back when I was a kid sunday was the day when you did visiting or people came to you. There were no shops or places of entertainment open so the only things to do were to go to church or visit. So if you were at home you sort of expected people might drop in.

Nowadays this rarely happens to me as I dont open the door to unexpected callers! The queen could stand on my doorstep without an appointment and not get an answer. In these days of almost universal mobile phones there is no excuse for "dropping in" on someone.

PeachyPeachTrees · 12/04/2021 11:37

I don't do meal planning and prefer to just get lots of fresh fruit, veg, meat etc. I always have extra store cupboard ingredients for 'emergencies'. I could easily rustle up something for unexpected guests but it would be something simple like pesto pasta or a sandwich.

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