A woman brings lunch to work almost every day to avoid spending money on takeout near her office. Over several weeks, she noticed her food going missing, sometimes a whole container and sometimes just part of it.
Then she caught a coworker pulling her labeled container out of the office fridge. He admitted he’d taken her lunches before, but when she asked him to pay her back about $70, he refused.
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5 DAYS TO A BETTER BUDGET
Bringing Lunch to Save Money
Buying lunch near her office gets expensive fast. A sandwich, salad, or takeout meal can easily cost $12 to $20 or more.
Bringing food from home helps her keep that spending under control. Over a month, packing lunch can save hundreds of dollars.
Sunday Meal Prep
Every Sunday, she prepares meals for the week. She stores them at home and brings only the container she needs each day.
That system keeps her organized. It also means she knows exactly what she packed each morning.
Food That Kept Disappearing
A few weeks ago, she started noticing missing food. At first, she wondered if she was just misremembering what she’d packed.
But it kept happening. Eventually, it was clear that someone was taking her lunches.
Caught at the Fridge
Yesterday, she walked into the office kitchen before lunch and saw a coworker taking a container from the fridge. It was hers, and her name was written on the lid.
She asked why he was taking it. He looked embarrassed and said he thought it was leftover food from a previous day.
Large Portions as an Excuse
She pointed out that her name was on the container and she’d packed it that morning. He then admitted he’d taken some of her lunches before, though he insisted it hadn’t been many times.
He said he assumed she wouldn’t mind because she sometimes packed large portions. She told him portion size didn’t matter, and if he wanted food, he should have asked.
About Twelve Lunches and $70
Based on how often food went missing, she estimates he took around 12 lunches. That adds up to about $70 in groceries and prep.
For someone trying to save money, $70 matters. It’s roughly the cost of a week or more of groceries for many people.
A Request for Reimbursement
After work, she messaged him and asked him to pay her back. She made it clear she was only asking for what she spent making those meals.
He got defensive and said it was ridiculous to charge him for food he’d already eaten. He also said he hadn’t realized how much it bothered her and promised to stop.
She told him taking food with her name on it wasn’t a misunderstanding. Promising to stop didn’t make up for what he’d already taken.
Going to Management Over $70
He’s still refusing to pay. Now she’s considering reporting the situation to their manager.
Part of her worries that getting management involved over $70 might seem excessive. But she also doesn’t think he should get away with taking other people’s food without consequences, and she’s left deciding whether standing her ground is worth the tension it could create at work.
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