College student locks up food to keep roommate from eating it, 'she can't afford food.' AITA?

"AITA for locking food so my roommate doesn’t eat it?"

I know it sounds bad but hear me out. I (19F) am university student, I have two roommates (19F & 25F) . This rant is about the 25yo. Backstory, I meal prep on Mondays for the days I have classes which is Tuesday-Friday.

I leave the house around 5:30am (gym) & get back around 7pm because my lab classes runs late. However, recently, my roommate has been eating the food I meal prep. For instance, If I meal prep on Monday, the food for the week would be gone by Wednesday night and I would have nothing to eat for Thurs & Fri.

When I asked her about it, her excuse was “I am too tired from work to cook, the food looks like it’s going to waste so I ate it since you’re never here, I’m really doing a favor for us both tbh” even after I told her a couple of times that MEAL PREP IS FOR 4 DAYS. I lowkey just gave up.

My other roommate said that her fruit gets eaten as well and it’s the same excuse “it’s going bad” blah blah blah. We’re first year uni students, we really don’t know what to do when it comes to this tbh.

Honestly, it’s so draining living with someone like this. Especially when she brings up the fact that my parents pay for my rent and food while she works a full time job and is barely getting by with the cost of living nowadays. Apparently to her, it really doesn’t affect me directly. Technically she’s right and part of me really feels bad that she can’t afford food but I’m just helpless.

Recently, she got petty by leaving the Tupperware in the sink and saying that it’s technically my dishes so I had to wash it? bruh what? so in the midst of anger from this, I installed these fridge lock boxes that require a code to unlock.

Although, I found it really hard to resort to this as I’ve always been taught to respect others and it feels like I’m going against my core values, I just feel taken advantage of. Ever since I’ve installed this she called me a “b” and has been acting really upset . Giving me and my other roommate the silent treatment.

She would also make snide remarks like “greedy” etc. or she would bring her friends over and make comments like “sorry can’t eat here, the food is in jail” and laugh it off. and now I’m starting to think that maybe I was indeed stingy and greedy. Honestly, people...AITA for installing lock boxes to keep my roommate from getting into my food?

Here's what people had to say to OP:

Doggedart said:

NTA. What's the bet she's also using your toiletries? She is a thief. And just because your parents pay for things doesn't mean she's entitled to them. It means she's stealing the raw materials from your parents and the prep/cooking time from you.

I see a few options: Move out. Get her to move out. Just continue dealing with her remarks. Every time she makes a remark about the food being in jail, respond with something like "well, if I didn't live with a thief I wouldn't have to lock my food away" or...

"Well it's either the food is in jail, or the food thief goes to jail, so I thought I chose the nicer option." Embarrass her in front of her friends, and the comments might stop.

EvryDayGal said:

NTA: She needs to learn some manners. Also gaslighting you because she’s in a situation where she has to work is just plain petty and rude. Lock your food up. If she makes remarks, tell her to say it with her chest since she has the audacity to say it in the first place.

Ask her to repeat what she says when she says it. Take the power away from her. Call her out on her childish behavior. Tell her if she doesn’t like it, she’s more than welcome to leave and you and your roommate will find someone who is respectful.

st_nick5 said:

Definitely NTA. Not only was she stealing your food she was stealing the time you put in to prep the food. She has no respect for the fact that you have nothing to eat when you get home late.

MmaRamotsweOS said:

NTA. You are not her personal food bank, end of story.

winterworld561 said:

NTA and no, you're not greedy and stingy, you did the only thing you could to stop a thief so stop feeling so fucking guilty. Stop being soft. Report her to the landlord or whoever is in charge and see about getting her out. She is a horrible person.

She steals both your food, then when she can't get it she bullies you then gets her friends to come over and bully you. Dude, don't ever feel bad for this b. Get her out. Begin a petition or something.

Impossible_Smile4113 said:

NTA. Your roommate is the AH and knows it, but she wants to bully you into giving up your food. Dismiss your guilty feelings and keep your food locked up. She wants to run her mouth; let her. It's not your job to feed her.

And you seem like a good-natured person, so if she'd been mature as a twenty-five-year-old with two teenagers should have been, she could have probably sat down and discussed potentially finding an alternative to stealing your food. She can choke on her attitude, just not your meal prep or entitlement.

BareBonesTek said:

NTA. I’d go a step further and get myself a small dorm fridge for my room and keep my food in there (especially if your room locks independently.)