Disagree with communal fridge

[Frannni]

Our neighbour, we shall call them “neighbour X” recentl started a discussion on the street WhatsApp about needing a communal fridge so anyone on the street can store excess fridge stuff over the summer. Everyone chipped in and “neighbour x” bought the fridge.

I am starting to get a bit miffed about it all, as firstly the fridge is kept at neighbour Xs house, which means they kind of control it. Secondly, we needed to use it recently to store excess drinks as we were having people over. Guess what, it was full so no use at all.

What has really annoyed me is that I have since heard it was mainly full due to neighbour X filling it with their own stuff. I am feeling really annoyed that we chipped in £50 for something we cannot even use when we need it. AIBU?

Hmm 🤔 it sounds like it was such a good and popular idea that your street needs a second one? Stored at yours? Double down or quit. 😂

Ask for your £50 back and say the one time you have asked to use it, you can’t and you won’t be using it in the future.

Well, why on earth did anyone get sucked into that con??

This sounds like an ideal scenario in a situation comedy. Off to read the widower lasagna thread. I missed that one.

Crazy! We bought a small spare fridge (for xmas etc). I think it cost about £50!

I doubt they thought about that either. Well perhaps apart from the neighbour who has the fridge in his house, he’ll be sending out invoices soon and is already laughing about it. 😂

Oh dear.
My brothers in laws live in a massive gated retirement community in the States. They have fridges/freezers/catering tables and chairs stored centrally. If you are entertaining you book them and they deliver and set them up for you.
This does not translate to a UK cul de sac

Excellent idea!

But £50? I spent £70 on eBay and got a whole one.

Sorry, OP, you got scammed.

I might try this in my street. I'd love one of those huge American fridges. I could just not answer the door to my neighbours.

I'm lost for words tbh!! I'm thinking, 'neighbor x' couldn't afford a fridge and found a way for it to be funded! 🤯

Get together with the rest of the neighbours and tell x you all want your money back.

Really weird thing to get into that like.

Immediately YABU-ed on the basis you have complete intelligence bypass and now moaning about.
I'll say it straight no sane person would agree to this. I would move the whole fridge on a time share basis to add to the idiotic bonkers ideas.
No idea why you didn't just move the stuff out either, no way anyone will stop me getting my money's worth otherwise I'd want a refund

This is both the neighbour... and me reading this

Ask to be bought out.
Go on Gumtree.
Buy your own chest / mini freezer for when you need it.

The idea of a community fridge is usually for a community to give away excess for food others to have for free

i suspect your neighbour got the wrong idea here and is now taking the piss.

id be visiting it all the time to add one or two items just annoy the current ‘hogger’

I only came on because I thought op meant a communal fridge like a food bank sort of thing.
My cousin's daughter is in Qatar, they have a communal fridge setup where anyone drops off excess food with details of contents and date it was cooked.
This is then available to anyone who might need food for whatever reason.
I wonder how many neighbours chipped in £50 for this one, what discussions did you have about it's location and ease of use?

It's very hard to believe that not only did OP fall for this, but other neighbours did too. 🤔

Yeah, and if it’s in their house how can you access it at any time anyway?! Bonkers

Maybe they didn't. Maybe the OP was the only one. Maybe the neighbour bought a new fridge and the OP paid for 15 beers to put in it.

This is crazy. There was absolutely no way this was ever going to work !

That’s one smart neighbour. Shame about the rest of them.

We have a tiny fridge and never really run out of room. The fact they even came up with this idea should have been a red flag that they had loads of excess food waiting to go in it

I'd be reserving my space for a 20lb turkey at Christmas.

What happens if a neighbour moves? Does their part ownership transfer to the new occupier of number 6?

Who cleans the fridge out and bins all the part used jars of pesto, almond milk and half a lemon?

youve been had lol, i have an extra upright freezer in my garage for our own use, madness what if you need something from the xxx fridge when they are out or on holiday,