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?

But that is not OP's position, given that she's spending money on expensive and totally unnecessary laundry scent pods.

Re-read the OP.

She isn't on the bones of her arse. She is buying expensive brands of completely unnecessary additional laundry extras. If she stuck to cheap, own brand washing powder from Aldi she would have loads more to spend on food.

And shop lifting is never victimless.

It's still not OK to buy stolen goods - if you can't afford joints of meat, blocks of cheese or make-up then you don't just have them. I've been skint in the past, I didn't go and help myself from a shop (or get someone to do it for me, in effect) because I couldn't afford things any more.

If you genuinely think "all power to you" to someone who thinks their need for laundry balls or to save money makes it OK to buy stolen goods and is therefore supporting shop workers being threatened and assaulted, prices going up for everyone and the world generally being made a worse place, then I'd disagree with the statement that you're not "a scumbag with no morals".

It's nothing to do with privilege and everything to do with being a decent person.

Well, yes, but this isn't the case for OP ... She can easily afford baby milk.

We grew up poor and underprivileged... Dad worked 2 jobs, mum worked and they went without meals to feed their 3 kids.
Had only second hand clothes that were donated and then passed down through all kids etc.
Mum would unravel old jumpers and knit new clothes for us.
They never once stole, or bought stolen goods.

Did you know the sentence for receiving stollen goods is higher than selling them?

The law =/= morality.

op you are utterly devoid of morality and your justification in supporting crime and increased prices for everyone is sickening. Knowingly receiving stolen goods is the act of absolutely scum.

@AmiABadPersonn not sure if it's been said and if it has its not been said enough, but handling stolen goods is a crime and you can easily end up in prison for it. You are the reason he steals and you are funding his drug addiction and part of the cost of living issues while also funding organised crime gangs who sell the drugs. So yes you are being unreasonable and you are the problem with society

You ban buy a 1.8l bottle of laundry detergent that is enough for 30 washes from Aldi. Unless you are doing more than 90 loads of washing a week, then you don't need to be buying stolen goods.

Baby formula is obviously a bit different, but they can have cow's milk from 12 months and I'm pretty sure if you're on a low income, you can get milk/food tokens from your health visitor

If you're tight on cash, why are you buying scent balls, laundry pods and softener?!

We only ever buy liquid or powder and it's about £5 for a massive box. Buy that and you won't need to commit a crime.

Jeez you might as well go down to the poor local shops and nick it yourself. No you should not buy it.

I wouldn’t say you’re unreasonable as you are trying to save money but definitely that’s morally wrong. Never mind illegal with the stolen goods but you shouldn’t enable addiction.

Have you tried joining a food club or something like it? I get about £30 of food and also laundry liquid/washing up liquid for £4 a week. May be worth looking into.

If you can't afford to be on maternity leave, you should probably have been more careful with your contraception. And your friend is right, you're part of the reason things are so expensive as we're funding the losses the shops encounter from scum like this! You know it's wrong, you just choose to justify it to yourself

I wouldn’t say you’re unreasonable as you are trying to save money

If she was really trying to save money she wouldn't be buying all the unnecessary crap to do her laundry. She would be buying cheap biological washing powder from Aldi.

I subscribe to Which? And get regular emails from them. Today’s email is all about washing detergents.

1. Liquid and gel detergents – keep colours bright, but not always great at keeping whites pristine.
2. Capsule detergents – great for speed and convenience but can struggle with heavily soiled clothes.
3. Powder detergents – great for extra-bright whites and heavily soiled items but tend to fade coloured fabrics.

Laundry Liquid
Aldi Almat Super Concentrated Laundry Liquid Non-Bio was the cheapest laundry liquid at 8p per wash. It does 60 washes per bottle.
Method Concentrated Laundry Detergent was the best at removing stains but cost 26p per wash, with 39 washes per bottle.

Washing Powder
Aldi Almat Bio for Brilliant Whites costs 9p per wash with 40 washes in a 2kg box
Ecover Bio washing powder was the best at stain removal but cost a whopping 48p per wash

Capsules
Laundry capsules cost more than laundry liquid or washing powder, the cheapest costing 16p per wash.

Say the OP does 3 washes a day, she would get nearly three weeks’ worth of washing from a bottle of the Almat laundry liquid, costing £3.99 a bottle.

So why is she spending £10 a week on laundry stuff, or does this include the cost of formula?

BTW the Healthy Start Scheme enables low income families to be eligible for vouchers for milk and healthy foods.

Anyone in this thread who has claimed shop theft is a victimless crime really needs to read up on it more. How do you think large stores recoup money for stolen items? By ever inceasing the cost to us normal folk who have to buy our goods from there everyday. Whether you agree with the profit margins of supermarkets or not, its the consumer who gets hit in the pocket :(

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1968/60/section/22

I’m just going to leave this here!

🤦🏼‍♀️ what is wrong with people!? You know he is nicking from shops to fuel a drug habit. You are being incredibly selfish too, whilst in the mean time every other law abiding citizen has to pay out for your gains with prices rising, not just though shoplifting but it’s certainly not helping!!!

You are not stealing, but it is still morally wrong-you are fuelling someone's drug addiction to save a couple of quid, would you be happy telling the child you are carrying you did this?

I’ve bought stuff off someone in the pub. But regretted it when I’ve thought about it. No way would I want anyone coming to my house.

You’re totally in the wrong and it’s kind of crazy you even have to ask the question🫤 Not the kind of thing I’d want to teach my kids is okay morally. And how are you spending £10 per week on laundry?! I think I must £10 every 6 MONTHS on detergent/fabric conditioner/whitener.

Thanks to this thread I've decided to try unbranded laundry detergent at £7 per month

oh it's a MN classic:
OP - "Am I being unreasonable?"
Everyone - "Yes. Yes you are."
OP - "No, I'm NOT"

honestly why bother coming on here?

You could be receiving stolen goods - which is a criminal offence. It will cost you far more in the long run if you are caught: what would happen to your children; the cost of insurance if you could find an insurer; being banned from certain occupations.

You are knowingly receiving stolen goods. No excuse.