AIBU to “steal” this?

[AmiABadPersonn]

Hello everyone I just want your opinions on this as today I’ve been in a heated argument with my friend as to wether I am unreasonable or not.

I am off work on maternity leave so the funds are tight at minute. There is a man who lives near me I believe he is drug user, he sells half price stuff and also takes orders on what you want for half price. He knocks on my house about 1 or 2 times a week with a bag of half price goods. I always buy washing detergent and softeners from him because you can get a whole weeks laundry of the nice brands for around £10. Money is tight as I have just had a baby and I have 2 other children with my husband also. i also sometimes get baby milk formula from him if I’m running low because it’s cheap.

I feel like this is not wrong because if I didn’t buy it other people would. Even if no one bought it he would steal it anyway in hopes someone would buy it eventually.

Today my friend was at my house when he came so I offered her to have a look what he had. She immediately asked him where he got this stuff from and he replied “shop”. She didn’t say much after but when I finished buying my items she started shouting about how I’m funding his drugs addiction and I shouldn’t support it because I am now stealing too. I told her to relax it’s fine it’s only a couple of items. She didn’t say much and finished her coffee and left quick.

So am I morally wrong for this? Or would you do the same?

I’ll post that again the image was terrible

No, it’s not.

There’s no chance I’m associating with drug users/thieves - let alone regularly having them visit my home where my children are. It’s such a bad judgment call that I’d expect social services to look dimly on that as it puts them at risk.

Sorry but this drug user seems okay because OP is giving him money. What if this man no longer sells what OP wants, and he takes issue with the lack of money from OP? He might turn a blind eye for a couple of weeks, but ultimately he wants his drug fix and he knows OP has the cash. It’s the unpredictable and unsafe nature of the situation that seriously calls into question OP’s ability to keep her family safe.

Like what? Do you think it's OK for a thieving shop lifter ( who btw will be involved in evrry other crime imaginable to feed his habit) to her kids door for some fucking laundry detergent? What about when he's stopped and he attacks a young girl doing her Saturday job? Is that OK with you? Would it be OK if he popped round and burlged your house?

Well there was that time you replied to the op stating "Don't delude yourself, People like you cost the rest of us honest people hhigher prices."

This kinda reads like you think supermarkets charge low prices and then increase them because of thefts or expected thefts.

I don't think they do as I explained to @Milkand2sugarsplease I think they charge the highest amount they can get away with so as to increase the profits and therefore the wealth of their shareholders.

It was at this point that you suggested I could perhaps "join the rest of us in the real world!"

From these comments it seems that you think supermarkets are charging the lowest prices they can and those prices would surely be lower if it wasn't for those pesky shop lifters ruining it for everyone. It seems very charitable to me, that supermarkets would put aside their desire to make profits in order to make my life and yours a little easier by reducing our shopping bills.

Maybe I just misinterpreted your meaning.

Since I've been adding your quotes to this post I thought I'd include this one , its officially my favourite!
"and I am far from stupid!!"

How do you know that he is a druggie or that he steals?

He could be poor or sick.

I would never buy baby formula from anywhere but a reputable shop.

Consider buying laundry detergent from large agricultural shops. They sell good brands in bulk commercial containers at a reduced price. Consider reducing how often you wash too.

I would not support that man but I might offer him a vouchure to buy a local pie or give him some print offs of local jobs like packing supermarket shelves etc.

I would not support that man but I might offer him a vouchure to buy a local pie or give him some print offs of local jobs like packing supermarket shelves etc.

He'd love that, he could sell the voucher at the next house for 50% of its face value.

And I'm sure the supermarkets would love to employ one of their known shoplifters.

Following on from @Zippedeedooda re costs

Have you looked at Aldi also for Baby Formula
Aldi Mamia formula is 88p / 100g
Asda prices range from £1.31 to £1.61 / 100g.
No idea about Lidl but I’m sure the prices are much lower too than major supermarkets

Aldi and Lidl ingredients are much the same as others including own brands, Cow & Gate and Aptamil. ( The UK Government have strict guidelines on baby formula)

Much like their nappies, which in my opinion are the best on the market, I wouldn’t discount the ‘discount’ stores.

Don’t buy from thieves.
Businesses are loosing millions.
The Government is losing millions in lost tax affecting us all!
Employees are facing real violence at the hands of these criminals that you are supporting OP

Risk of contamination of products
Risk of said drug user being part of a much bigger problem/potentially surveillance by Police/arrest of thief and his customers who have committed criminal offence of handling stolen goods/automatic report to Social Services/a whole world of trouble

people are assuming he is lifting it from a shop, he could easily be lifting it from someone vulnerable.
if some thug showed up to most seniors homes they probably would hand over their soaps and canned goods.
the problem is also that you are befriending this fellow of dubious background, would you be okay if your children began hanging out with his children.
if he knocked on your door one day and asked to step in for a few minutes (while dodging the police or someone who's more of a thug) would you be okay with that?
sorry that money is that tight, but you are part of the problem.

No, it doesn’t. Baby milk has to be the highest priority. Other things might have to be gone without but that doesn’t mean stealing, or knowingly buying stolen goods, is OK.

All these perfect people. Yes if I had enough money to do my shopping I wouldn't touch him with a barge poll. But if I was on my arse of course I would.

Of course shops raise their prices to cover the cost of theft. Your post is illogical.

This is ridiculous - no one needs all those cleaning products. You are not "struggling" and buying laundry scent balls - a ridiculous extravagance most people manage perfectly well without - not to mention the indoor pollution they cause.

You can't say you buy from him because it is cheap, then spend 4x what you need to - just buy laundry pods from aldi and forget the stain remover, scent balls, softeners, and other stuff no on needs

you could spend more on food if you didn't spend £10 a week on unnecessary scent balls etc

You are the reason for high supermarket prices- you are causing high prices for everybody else.

money isn't tight @AmiABadPersonn has £10 a week to spend on scent balls and whatever.

This is just the extravagance they have admitted to, and they only admitted it because they don't judge it as an extravagance. Which implies to me that there are many more extravagances and unnecessary spending going on that have not been admitted to, if this is any indication of how poor their judgement is.

I expect there is load and loads of money being wasted, but even if there isn't, there is £35 a month being wasted on unnecessary laundry products

@AmiABadPersonn

You are clearly very bad with money and spending vastly more than you need on unnecessary crap.

You are building up a relationship with an unpredictable criminal when you have young children in the house

You are responsible for putting up supermarket prices for everybody

You are being the worst possible example to your children

You are going to get a criminal record for receiving stolen goods. This will trigger a SS investigation into your parenting and put a serious limit on your future earning potential

Time to grow up and be a proper adult

Wont it be great fun when he peers over your shoulder at his next shop at home visit and spies your tv or MacBook and can then have someone take orders for those items, picking up of course when you’re not home. How would you like that? Someone coming and stealing from you? Just like he’s doing to others with your encouragement. I know karma doesn’t work like that but wouldn’t it be fun if it did and next time you came home from the shops your house was emptied? I know you’d understand the bloke up the road is having a hard time financially and can’t afford a full price computer!

This. I buy a big box of fairy washing powder for £12 that lasts probably close to a year, and that’s with almost daily washing.

If you’re really strapped for cash you do not need to spend £10 a week on laundry products.

Not sure why you think it's a victimless crime ? Prices go up for everyone because of shoplifters.
@AmiABadPersonn

I don't have much money I buy laundry powder from Asda £3.50 and it lasts two weeks for a family of five.

I wouldn't do it, id quietly judge you for doing it. But I wouldn't fall out with you

I am sure the chances of this happening is very high. That is normal when you build up a relationship with criminal addicts

I would not give my baby formula that didn't have a clear chain of handling.

You don't know who he has around the formula, how it is stored, contaminants etc

And yes you can check the seal but we all hav eheard the stories of a needle being used to inject things in a sneaky way through seals.

That is my biggest issue here.

Honestly, buying stolen goods is unethical. You're supporting illegal activity, which can have broader negative consequences. It's understandable, but there are better ways to save money.

Wow - shown your true colours with this statement. PP was right - you have no moral compass. Why do you think prices are high in the shops - to cover for lowlife thieves and their 'customers' like you.