To lock up all our food etc when we leave

[ChangerMonNom]

We share a holiday cottage with DH family (his parents, older sister and partner) and use it at different times. For clarity- everyone contributes financially but DH and I the most as we are a family of four and earn more also.

In the summer holidays, we tend to go up the first few weeks of august, then head home. At this point, SIL and partner will come and use it. They probably use it more than us in total as they have no kids so can go during term time also, and can WFH so tend to have lots of mini breaks throughout the year.

When we leave, we make sure place is spotless and leave fresh milk (if SIL due to arrive), eggs, coffee, occasionally some treats and always whatever is left of all purchases (cooking oil, laundry powder, condiments, kitchen roll, plentiful loo roll).

On the flip side, SIL and partner will use all our stuff up and not replace it, meaning we often arrive late evening and find we are missing eg oil to cook dinner or even toilet roll.

We have mentioned this politely a few times but got no meaningful response (other than to say ‘it’s just the two of us, we hardly use anything’) This 100 per cent won’t be just thoughtlessness on their part - SIL is notoriously tight.

Anyway- we are due to pack up Sunday and I am considering putting all store cupboard items in a combination lockable suitcase and keeping them stashed away until our return. They will no doubt notice this as they take for granted things like salt and dishwasher tabs being available.

DH told me not to he so petty and ‘go high’, but honestly I’m fed up of SIL and her partner’s behaviour and this might be the only way to make them see what they are doing (although to he perfectly honest, I will slightly enjoy pissing them off).

So who’s right MN?

Then you say “yeah we do consume so much more, and we used it all this time, no time to replenish” and as others have said, leave some very basic stuff, a few t bags, a splash of milk, so they’ll have to go shopping

I know, and when I explained DS1 in particular has a giant hot chocolate most evenings, she actually got a bit huffy, like this wasn't in the spirit of things. Very fucking puzzling.

Team Petty!
love the 3 tea bag plan. I’d suggest no loo roll at all, but leave the empty cardboard roll on the hanger…hate meanness!

My comment above was to @PamIsAVolleyballChamp

It's annoying, but if you know this always happens, why not just take oil etc with you?

Great! That would make the tea curdle .

I wouldn't even consider this as petty. You want there to be toilet roll and oil when you arrive. You've bought toilet roll and oil. You know, unless you lock them up, they won't be there next time. So, you're putting your items away.

"We just want to ensure that there's oil/toilet roll/whatever when we arrive next time". Don't use a combination lock - use a keyed padlock. Otherwise they'll ask you for the combination.

Do you think they are taking your stuff home with them?

ew yes be as petty as possible

best idea

And OP do not do a 'kitty' as it is not going to work one bit especially as SIL is 'tight' ...

@ThatCyanSheep I guess the beauty of a holiday cottage instead of air bnb is that we leave lots of stuff there eg underwear, few changes of clothes, toothbrushes, so we don't actually have to pack things from home - ideally not oil or salt and pepper either!

I'd leave one teabag between the two of them! 😆

Take it all with you and feign ignorance if challenged.@ChangerMonNom

Don't let it be easier to say no to you.

If he doesn't want an argument he needs to resolve the problem not expect his wife to suck up his sister's selfishness.

I'm with the OP.

BE PETTY.

Its a sure fire way to focus his mind and to get his sister not to be a twat.

This! So you're still being generous, but they can't take the piss.

Well ideally, they'd cooperate, so I'd be really annoyed too. I think it would be best to leave the bare minimum and take anything else home, rather than lock it away which might appear too pointed. That way you aren't leaving them without but they aren't gaining much either.

Can you keep a bag / box of the essentials ready packed at home for the next time you visit, so it's as easy for you as possible? (We had years of sharing a holiday cottage so I know the packing required can be significant.)

Yes!

I let a close friend use my holiday property - it was about 3 miles from any sort of shop.

She used all my fucking TAMPAX without replacing it.

Just following to find out what you decide to do tbh 😅🙈

Oh dear, never thought of that. 😇. But it’s ok, there is a very old packet of dried milk in the back of the cupboard, they can use that and make a very weak pot of tea with Teabag 3.

3 teabags, half a toilet roll, 1 dishwasher tab and any emptyish bottles of oil etc. Take everything else home, then you are completely beyond reproach. Good luck!

Agree with you, don’t leave it or lock it away, otherwise it just builds resentment. It would greatly pee me off also , with you on this one x

Bring all the half used cooking oil, laundry powder and other opened dried products home with you.

Otherwise just let them use it. They obviously presumed that's what it was there for. If you didn't leave it they'd supply their own.

To 'lock away' an opened box of persil of half used washing up liquid seems unnecessarily petty. If you don't want them to use it take it with back home.

These people are your family, you seem like you're a bit annoyed with them in general. As sharing household products in a holiday home shouldn't really cause such discord.
Is that the case?

Ok ive just put a box of teabags and some olive oil in the suitcase that I know we won't get round to using, just to see how it 'feels'.

The combination is currently DS2's bday( but given she never sends him a card or present, I'd say she won't guess ). Still I should probably figure out how to change it.