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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think it was my curry?!

567 replies

Lolabear38 · 04/01/2026 06:12

Bit of background - we’ve had guests staying with us for the last 5 days. During that time I’ve cooked and paid for 90% of the meals and cleared everything away. There’s been large meals (they’re big eaters), snacks, puddings, alcohol etc. Relevant just to show I’m not (or at least I don’t think I am) being tight I suppose.

Last night we ordered an Indian take away (I couldn’t face cooking for us all again). We all ordered a curry and rice each, and a variety of sides. For no particular reason I didn’t eat all of my main meal, everyone else finished all theirs. We all had roughly the same amount of the sides. I got my curry and put it in the fridge.

Today we went for a pub lunch so when it came to dinner in the evening I said it was leftovers from the last couple of days and put out everything/ cooked up a few bits and pieces that needed eating. Everyone helped themselves and as they were eating I heated up my curry. DH’s friend, with a plate full of food already, suddenly said ‘oh I didn’t realise there was curry on offer! I’ll have that’. Somewhat put out I said ‘this is actually the curry I ordered last night and kept what was left, I thought I’d finish it tonight’. He replied with ‘But we can all share it can’t we? Leftovers are all fair game’. I kind of laughed it off and when the curry was warmed through I quickly put it on my plate and just sat down to eat - I’m talking maybe 1/2 of a regular portion of curry was left? He looked at me, raised his eyebrows and said ‘I guess Lola doesn’t share food, hey?’

Who is BU?

YABU - leftover curry belongs to anyone who wants to eat it, whether they ordered it or not, stop being so weird.

YANBU - you ordered that curry. Everyone else ordered their own and ate it all. The leftovers of your curry belong to you.

We split the cost of the take away fairly between us all, if that matters.

OP posts:
MrsPositivity1 · 04/01/2026 19:25

He is being very greedy. Did they pay their share for the take away?

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 04/01/2026 19:26

This thread has been derailed crazily as I’ve been reading!! They always do though.

I agree he shouldn’t have thought the curry was up for grabs - but, and it’s a small but, maybe the way you worded it (not sure exact wording of course) meant he thought leftovers from previous nights included your curry. But well done for not giving in!

Rednotdead · 04/01/2026 19:56

I wouldn’t inviting them again, very rude

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

Lolabear38 · 04/01/2026 20:54

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

Me 🙋🏻‍♀️

OP posts:
Twinkletoes127 · 04/01/2026 21:02

Lolabear38 · 04/01/2026 20:54

Me 🙋🏻‍♀️

Me too

Alpacajigsaw · 04/01/2026 21:13

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

Lots of people!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 04/01/2026 21:26

Some things are so much better reheated the next day - some casseroles, for example. I love leftovers - I don’t have to think about what to have for lunch.

Nothing7 · 04/01/2026 21:35

I think OP is getting a bit of a hard time really as her relationship with her DH is irrelevant to the question and just because he isn’t a great cook doesn’t mean he doesn’t contribute.
I don’t think it’s an issue taking the curry. In fact if we brought curry around to someone’s and we’d paid and there were left overs we would leave them for the host. The OP is the host. Also perfectly ok to finish her curry.

Personally I would have probably eaten it at a separate meal time when the guests weren’t there (it would have absolutely lasted more than a day) just because it might make guests feel weird that the food wasn’t ok enough for the host to eat despite that not being the sentiment. Or I would have said im putting out a selection of picky bits but I’m going to finish my leftover curry, there isn’t enough to go around but hope you don’t mind.

sprigatito · 04/01/2026 21:52

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

Who doesn’t?! Nobody in 2025 is slovenly and wasteful enough to turn their nose up at perfectly good leftover food, surely?

mathanxiety · 04/01/2026 22:35

Ohthatsabitshit · 04/01/2026 06:19

I’d just say “Lola is all shared out, but you are welcome to treat her to curry any time you please” and eat it in front of him with gusto. Rude.

Lol - yes to this.

mathanxiety · 04/01/2026 22:37

zanahoria · 04/01/2026 19:07

He made a stupid joke but then brought it up again at the dinner table insulting someone who had been feeding him for five days.

Agree.

This is a man who doesn't like the word No. A most unattractive trait. I wouldn't invite him again.

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 22:45

sprigatito · 04/01/2026 21:52

Who doesn’t?! Nobody in 2025 is slovenly and wasteful enough to turn their nose up at perfectly good leftover food, surely?

We certainly don’t reheat food nor do we keep leftovers 🤢

Rpop · 04/01/2026 22:46

FreddysFingers · 04/01/2026 06:28

No way, that was really rude and grabby of him! It was YOUR leftovers from the takeaway, not the general leftovers from your cooking. Even if he made the first comment as you took your curry out, he should have stopped when you dished it up for yourself, what did the other guests have to say when he was making these rude and grabby comments? And yes, agree with a PP who said that you should have been treated to that curry anyway!

This. 100%.
don’t question yourself OP. I would have thought exactly the same as you and acted the same as you and started to overthink it too. But don’t. He is being quite rude.

nomas · 04/01/2026 22:55

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

Why do you think they’re called leftovers?

Grammarnut · 04/01/2026 22:57

Talipesmum · 04/01/2026 13:22

But the OP said that’s specifically not how they ordered the takeaway - she said they’d all ordered and eaten their own dishes, not a communal feast style.

And she served everyone else first at the “picky tea” and they were already all served up and eating when she sorted her curry out for herself. It’s not terribly rude for the guest to say he’d like some when he spotted it, as like you say everything else had been put out to share. But when OP said “'this is actually the curry I ordered last night and kept what was left, I thought l'd finish it tonight.” - that was pretty clear and he was definitely rude to say “but we can all share it can’t we?” in response. And then to raise his eyebrows at her and rebuke her for it after when he’s been eating food she’s cooked for FIVE DAYS?

(edited to add - your comment changed between my reply and posting it, your edited version is more fair)

Edited

Yes, I realised that I had been unfair and came back to edit it. You are right, though. The guest was rude and also ungrateful. Wouldn't invite him back.

zanahoria · 04/01/2026 22:58

sprigatito · 04/01/2026 21:52

Who doesn’t?! Nobody in 2025 is slovenly and wasteful enough to turn their nose up at perfectly good leftover food, surely?

I enjoy zhushing them up the next day, always something you can add to get them a bit of a twist

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:03

nomas · 04/01/2026 22:55

Why do you think they’re called leftovers?

Because it’s what’s left over after cooking and no body eats it!
Ours goes in the bin!

nomas · 04/01/2026 23:06

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:03

Because it’s what’s left over after cooking and no body eats it!
Ours goes in the bin!

Oh Brenda 😔. If nobody ate leftovers, it would be called rubbish, not leftovers.

BunnyLake · 04/01/2026 23:08

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 20:11

YABU
Who reheats and serves leftovers?

And me 🙋‍♀️

BunnyLake · 04/01/2026 23:09

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:03

Because it’s what’s left over after cooking and no body eats it!
Ours goes in the bin!

That’s really odd. So no one has another helping later on even if there’s half a lasagne or curry or casserole left?

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:11

BunnyLake · 04/01/2026 23:09

That’s really odd. So no one has another helping later on even if there’s half a lasagne or curry or casserole left?

No, we don’t have another helping later, once we’ve eaten that’s it!

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:11

nomas · 04/01/2026 23:06

Oh Brenda 😔. If nobody ate leftovers, it would be called rubbish, not leftovers.

Edited

Hardly!

BunnyLake · 04/01/2026 23:13

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 22:45

We certainly don’t reheat food nor do we keep leftovers 🤢

It can’t be a new concept to you though that it’s common practice amongst a lot of people. It’s very wasteful to throw perfectly good food away just because it didn't get eaten at first serving, especially if it’s been untouched.

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 04/01/2026 23:14

BrendaSmall · 04/01/2026 23:11

No, we don’t have another helping later, once we’ve eaten that’s it!

And you were genuinely under the impression that this was normal standard behaviour? Unless you’ve existed in a very small bubble for your entire life, how is it news to you that most people don’t bin their leftovers?