I work in a small office. There are four of us, including the boss. I have been on a low-carb diet since January. Every morning I drink coffee with whipping cream (0 carbs). It is a chore to make sure I always have cream at the office. (I usually grocery shop on the weekend and have to write myself a note to remember to take it from home to the office on Monday.) This morning, I brought a new carton of cream, but had just enough left in the old one for two cups. I went back to get my second cup and the carton was in the trash. I thought I had accidentally thrown it away instead of putting it back in the fridge. Then my coworker said, “Oh, I used the rest of your cream because my coffee was so hot.” Please don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind sharing anything and everything, but I am on a special diet. This woman eats everything that doesn’t eat her first. I don’t want to have to make a trip to the store more often than usual while she is using my “diet” food. I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to sound like a stingy heifer, but I also don’t want to not be able to have my coffee because someone has used all of my stuff. Please help me think of a nice way to tell her not to use it.
- Does the "company" (I realize there are only four of you) provide any other kind of milk for coffee?
- If so, you could tell your co-worker nicely the reason you buy the cream. She obviously has an alternative.
- If not, then it sounds as if anything in the fridge is fair game for anyone else to use. You might need to hide your cream in a brown paper bag going forward. Alternatively, if you really want to be nasty, you could say, "Oh, really? I would have thought you'd want to avoid all that fat in the cream." ;)
It’s one occurrence. I wouldn’t call that a pattern.
Where I worked, anything unlabeled in the common fridge was common food. You could put a note on your cream the next time.
She knows it’s mine. And I don’t know that she hasn’t done it before, it just happened that she emptied the container and I guess felt she had to fess up. And the office does furnish coffee mate.
If it bothers you tell her honestly that you bought that because of the low carb diet. Tell her you hope she understands and not use your cream.
I’m in a small office too. I choose to eat much differently than my co-workers who eat anything in sight. We all put our food in the refrig and it is not a problem to not label things overall.
I agree that a one time occurance - and, the last little bit in the carton - is not worthy of a face to face comment or confrontation. Happens again? Then perhaps.
I can see myself asking or “borrowing” a little creamer from half full container that was not mine - but I would NEVER use the last bit!!
It sounds like you had two cartons of creme there and she just helped finish off the old one. In her mind, you still had a lot left. I would just put your name on it and if she uses it again tell her that it is part of your special diet.
Search for “fridge locker” on Amazon and it will bring up a little lockable crate that is 7.5 inches wide and tall and 11 inches deep. Using this allows you to say, “Gee, I wish you wouldn’t steal my stuff” without actually saying anything.
Another option, if you can use half-and-half instead of whipping cream, is to buy a big box of Mini-Moos from Sam’s or Costco. These are ultra-pasteurized and will keep at room temperature for several months.
If it becomes an ongoing issue, put your cream into a thermos with your name on it.
buy a thermo lunch bag with your name on it and put your cream in that. Then keep the lunch bag in that in the work fridge. I doubt she’ll open up your lunch bag.
Another option…the large container of creamer doesn’t cost much more, but is twice as much. Cream (or half and half) lasts a long time in the fridge.
I started working in a new office years ago where there was always a carton of half and half in the fridge. I thought it was provided for everyone to use, like the coffee, since there was no name on it. Until the day when I casually used it in front of a co-worker who informed me that it was his. I was so embarrassed…I apologized and explained my misunderstanding of the situation and immediately started buying it myself (and told him to use it!).
Using the last of a carton that you KNOW is someone else’s is very bold, IMHO, although the fact that you had another makes it somewhat less egregious. I think you should just A) put your name on it, and B) next time you encounter her at the coffee pot say something to the effect that you don’t want to sound stingy, but you buy it because you are on a special low-carb diet, and you don’t want to find yourself without it. At least she may refrain from using up another carton.
Or instead of B, you could put a post-it on the fridge door or on the carton that says "Guys, please don’t use up my cream, I’m on a special diet. Thanks 
"
“I buy this whipping cream because I’m on a low-carb diet, and I don’t want to use Coffee Mate. If you like the whipping cream, too, I could buy a larger container, and we could split the cost. Are you interested?”
I would wait until she did it again
I would do nothing. I think she is aware now, and hopefully it won’t happen again. When I put things like salad dressing, ketchup, etc. in the work refrigerator, I just assume others may use it.
I was really hoping this was going to be way more awkward than that. I wouldn’t wait and spend any time worried about it. The precedence has been set, time to nip it in the bud. You’ll have no idea if she continues using it until you’re iut.
I’d make a generic conversation. …maybe a little humor and don’t make a huge deal out of it.
I don’t think I could tell a co-worker anything unless an “offense” was really serious. That’s why I’d try to find a solution that doesn’t require a confrontation…keeping it in a lunch bag, or buying the biggest size for a little bit more $.
“Oh, no problem, feel free to use my @#$%, without asking, whenever you feel like it.”
I second the suggestion to get a box of Land 'o Lakes Mini-Moo individual creamers and keep them at your desk. My daughter used them at college this past year.
I love cream in my coffee, so I don’t practice what I’ll preach, but you could try learning to like black coffee. There would be no frig issues, and you’d automatically cut out another 100 or so calories per day.
“Eats everything that doesn’t eat her first” - that sounds a bit harsh!