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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not have DD keep ordering McDelivery every day?

120 replies

Shoebills · 19/08/2023 13:45

DD is 17 and has a job, so it is her money but all she has done this summer hols is order McDonald's to the house. What happened to McDonald's being cheap? Her orders are always £15 odd and she still eats breakfast and dinner with that. I just think it's unhealthy and the biggest waste of money. Would it be unreasonable to say she can't keep ordering it to the house?

OP posts:
Itsnotrightbutitsok · 19/08/2023 16:02

Obviously you can’t stop her but I would definitely be telling her what a waste of money it is.

I would calculate how much money she’s spent on it since the start of summer to show her the reality of it.

I would try and encourage her to do it every other day or just the weekends, so not a full no but a compromise.

Tell her that lots of supermarkets do frozen alternatives so why not get a load of that and then it’s there whenever she wants it.
Or is it the fancy drinks she likes.

It’s times like this when I’m glad I live in Cornwall and the nearest McDonald’s is almost 20miles away as I know my DC would be doing the same lol.

woodhill · 19/08/2023 16:11

Yanbu so wasteful

Occasionally is fine

Original poster
Shoebills · 19/08/2023 16:13

It's so expensive. The delivery and fees is definitely a big chunk of it and she gets that new chicken burger thing (McCrispy Deluxe?) the bacon looks awful which is quite expensive apparently! And always has to buy some kind of extra such as a latte or cheese bites or something like that.

She isn't fussed on my opinion, it goes one ear and out the other and she just tells me that there's things I buy that she wouldn't want to spend her money and I should accept people are just different.

She doesn't pay rent/bills, no. I'd feel a bit bad making her pay to contribute to me housing her while she's still a child and legally my responsibility and I chose to have her. That's just a personal thing really. I don't give her an allowance or anything though, I especially wouldn't contribute to just help when she uses her money in this way.

OP posts:
LadyKenya · 19/08/2023 16:21

Cowlover89 · 19/08/2023 14:47

Could be worse. Could be spending her money on fags or drugs.

Junk food is a drug for some people. The habits that this young lady is forming now, could shape the rest of her life.

Scaredycatttt · 19/08/2023 16:24

Maybe get her to watch that documentary where the bloke ate nothing but mc Donald's for weeks, it might put her off a bit. I think it was called 'Super Size Me'

Runnerinthenight · 19/08/2023 16:26

It's absolutely minging food now anyway. It's even worse when it's delivered.

I do hear you though @Shoebills. I have three 20-somethings and the amount of takeaways they order drives me mad! Then food I've bought doesn't get used. The freezers are full, the fridge is full, the food cupboard is full. They're just too fucking lazy to make anything.

They are all supposed to be saving too, but won't listen when I point out the money they're wasting.

I don't know what anyone can do about it - it's their money. It's so damn annoying though!

towriteyoumustlive · 19/08/2023 16:26

It might be unhealthy but the meals contain HUGE amounts of saturated fat! I'd be more worried about her health than the money!

Inowseeyourtruecolorsandredflagswhattookmesolong · 19/08/2023 16:27

At least if she orders it thru the app she will be earning points towards free mcdonalds in the future ....

woodhill · 19/08/2023 16:34

Runnerinthenight · 19/08/2023 16:26

It's absolutely minging food now anyway. It's even worse when it's delivered.

I do hear you though @Shoebills. I have three 20-somethings and the amount of takeaways they order drives me mad! Then food I've bought doesn't get used. The freezers are full, the fridge is full, the food cupboard is full. They're just too fucking lazy to make anything.

They are all supposed to be saving too, but won't listen when I point out the money they're wasting.

I don't know what anyone can do about it - it's their money. It's so damn annoying though!

Yes I don't understand it

knobheed99 · 19/08/2023 16:34

I would work out approximately how much she has spent on Mcds this summer and show her what she could have bought instead for that money - eg. a new phone, clothes, concert tickets whatever.
I had a bit of a McDs problem a few months ago due to depression and stress. I was really at a very low point (slightly better now). I was coming back from gigs late and getting a McDs on the way home and sometimes just to make myself feel a bit better I was driving to McDs when there was absolutely no reason to, just to get myself out of the house and make me feel a bit less sad. I knew I had to get out of this habit because junk food absolutely does not help depression one little bit. So I started saying to myself that every time I resisted the temptation to buy a McDs I would put the money I would have spent in a piggy bank (about €12 each time for a meal here) and I could then have that money to spend on some decent meals out on my summer holiday.
The money added up fast! I still had to be strict with myself though and I had to keep saying, you can have anything you want to eat, even if it's a bit junky, as long as it isn't bloody McDs. So that sometimes meant supermarket sandwiches, sometimes oven chips and burgers at home.
Then I went on holiday and I've come back and the urge to go to McDs has disappeared. I'm also currently working on making my schedule easier so that I always have time to eat a decent meal. Also, I can cook really good, healthy meals - I'd just got myself into a bit of a state!

I have waffled a lot here - but I think you maybe need to unpick with her exactly why she feels the need to order McDs every day? Is it laziness - can't be arsed to prepare lunch? Is it depression - the McDs makes her feel better? Is it suddenly having quite a bit of money because of having a job and she's not quite sure how to spend it?

I don't think you can ban her from ordering to the house though - she'll just keep saying it's her money. But the major problem is that the stuff is designed to be addictive so the longer it goes on the more damaging it is.

woodhill · 19/08/2023 16:35

I'd being encouraging her to save a bit and point out to her how much it all adds up but I'm sure you've done that anyway

MrsMarzetti · 19/08/2023 16:36

Is your Daughter paying rent or living rent free so she can save for a deposit ? If she is rent free, if she is i would be well hacked off that she was spending £85 a week on shit food. That is £450 a month she isnt saving.

wast542 · 19/08/2023 16:38

Sounds pretty disgusting tbh. She will end up hugely obsess - if she's not already

wast542 · 19/08/2023 16:40

Cowlover89 · 19/08/2023 14:47

Could be worse. Could be spending her money on fags or drugs.

Eating food like this daily is much worse than smoking

woodhill · 19/08/2023 16:42

I would hate all the extra packaging she is bringing into the house especially if it's not recyclable.

Bandyarsia · 19/08/2023 17:15

It's all the hidden charges, delivery, card charges, they even charge a "small order" fee, my daughter is always at it, drives me insane.

mondaytosunday · 19/08/2023 17:18

My son went mad once and ordered three takeaways in one day!! One off though.
She's doing herself no favours eating that junk but not sure how you can stop her, other than say you will not be making her any dinner as she's already had it, which may only make her order more!

Mynewnameis · 19/08/2023 17:19

I'd be talking to her about her rent free lifestyle in time for her 18th birthday

Prescottdanni123 · 19/08/2023 17:25

I sometimes order maccies on my lunch break. It never comes to more than £8. How much is she ordering?

BeenThereDoneThat101 · 19/08/2023 17:33

There are clearly a lot of parents of non teens who think that it’s possible to ban a 17 year old from having McDonalds.

I agree it’s grossly unhealthy but the truth is that if you ban it from the house she’ll just get it on her way home from work.

Yes I would express an opinion on how much money she’s spending on junk food, but that’s as far as you can go.

The reality is that at 18 she could be going to uni and spending the first year of her uni life living on beer and pot noodle, and everyone would just view that as a right of passage.

QuestionableMouse · 19/08/2023 17:35

I worked for them and ate it every shift for months. I put loads of weight on and it really knocked my health! It's fine occasionally but she'll probably regret it having it so often. On the plus side, she'll likely sicken herself soon and not want any!

ElthamLemur · 19/08/2023 17:35

So she’s at home and ordering McDs for lunch every day, and you are cooking dinner for both of you (and other family?).

When you say she has a job, do you mean she is working full time from home?

And are you also at home all day? If yes, what are you eating for lunch?

The reason I’m asking is to work out if you could maybe make lunch for her too- yes, it is going to make her even more lazy, but at least she’s be eating better food. Is she refusing to let you do that?

Failing that, if you also have a maccy D with her a couple of times a week that will make the delivery fee better value for money!

QuestionableMouse · 19/08/2023 17:37

Prescottdanni123 · 19/08/2023 17:25

I sometimes order maccies on my lunch break. It never comes to more than £8. How much is she ordering?

A medium meal is around £7 now, without any extras (like milkshakes) and delivery is usually £3 or more. The promo meals are more expensive too.

I actually ordered it in for the first time last week and for a bbq QP, large coke, large fries and a mini flurry, after delivery it was around £15.

Coyoacan · 19/08/2023 17:43

What the heck is the problem with drugs? It would also be her money, wouldn't it?

Anyport · 19/08/2023 17:44

It might be her money but she is still a child. It might not be the worst thing in the world but it is very far from being good. Tell McDonalds to stop delivering to your house.