Anonymous asks :
Hi Lucy,
My boyfriend is unemployed, so whenever I'm at work I feel that all he does is eat and watch movies. Even when I save something in the fridge for myself, he eats it. I'm afraid to tell him about it because I might come across as someone who is greedy or stingy about food.
Hi Anonymous,
Agony Aunts on Female First
This sounds frustrating when it's likely that you are the one paying or the food if he has no or very little income right now.
If you haven't talked to him about this already then it might be worth doing so. It's not just about the food- it's about the expense- which is important to recognise when there is only one of your earning in the household. It might be wise to put it to him like this rather than the missing food.
If he is on job seeker's allowance then perhaps ask him to use that money to pay for his food, so he has a budget to work with rather than you paying for it, if that is what is happening now. He might be more frivolous with his eating if he isn't taking the backlash when it comes to grocery shopping. If he realises how much it's costing, if it's coming out of his own pocket he might dial it back a bit.
If he won't change his habits, perhaps take some things to make your lunch at work and leave them there. Most work places have a fridge- so maybe you can store some things there so you can be sure that when you go to get something you know it will be there. Or store some things in a secret place that he doesn't know about in the house. It sounds extreme but if he has an addiction to certain foods, then it will not only do you bank balance some good but also his waistline.
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