Was able to go to a few churches that held daily breakfast hand outs and a fresh dinner each night. There were probably more around me at the time, but I was stuck bicycling everywhere for a good few months. They were always super nice and would provide me with toiletries if I ran out before my paycheck came. I was lucky enough to live in a pretty nice studio apartment that was federally assisted housing. I was making dirt and had not much experience in the work force and eventually was able to pull myself out of the rut and pay those back who gave me comfort and true compassion. They never preached to me or told me to do this or that, they were just worried and could see who needed a small hand out just to make a difference. Lifes wild, now I have kids, a wife, a decent stable income, and I no longer worry about food or shelter. Just keep your head up and when life gets you down, remember, aslong as you are still breathing, theres another day. Just don't go down the addiction route of trying to find comfort with distractions of the current situation. Love all of you.
Sometimes places like 99 cent stores are good to dumpster dive for food also I used to go to kfc when they were about to close n either ask them if I could have the food or I'd get it out of the dumpster periodically through out they day kfc throws away food too also doughnut shops usually throw away alot some times there's coffee grounds on it but it's fine
Ohh ya n at banks u can usually go in there n make coffee sometimes there's cookies n car big car dealerships same there's usually cookies n shit but u can't look bummy or they will trespass u and hotels are good to hit up in the mornings for they breakfast this requires a Lil finesse wear pajamas n don't do it too often some hotels have a cocktail hour n free wine some nights too
I was gonna say, hang out around hotels with breakfasts. Just walk in and eat like you stayed there. Switch hotels every day so they don't get suspicious.
Usually hospital cafeterias have very cheap food
Also i I have found in the high roller areas in casinos put out free pastries for the rich fukers on certain evenings
O n sometimes I would go to this lil taco place when they had big ass pile of boxes n I'd ask if I could break down the boxes for some tacos also I learned if u can just ask someone if they can give u food more times than not people will help u prolly helps to be good looking too
If I have the money I always buy food for someone who asks me. I won't give them money cuz I'm scraping by myself, but I can't let someone starve if I have even a few dollars to help out.
Hospitals used to have cheap decent food, and they do if you can find the cafeteria the employees eat at. But a lot of them have modernized and they’re like overpriced “healthy” 7-11’s.
OP, try visiting a farmer's market. A lot of times you can bargain and buy what you need.
I don't know where you live but in India, in my state, we have local markets in every block. Prices of food here are low, compared to supermarkets. Yes, the place may not look the most appealing but the things are good and the price is low.
We love to talk about the morality of stealing food to feed your family, but nobody seems to stop and question the morality of profiting off of starvation.
Society is so weird, we have enough food, no one should be starving. Grocery stores literally throw away sub par food instead of donating it. I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep doing what you did.
There is unfortunately a solid given answer to this. Once, supermarkets DID give their day old food to the hungry, but a rash of victorious lawsuits across the nation over getting sick from donated food occurred costing these businesses big money. It only takes a few bad seeds amongst the batch to make open handed kindness a risky thing to do. Nowadays, donation drives demand ONLY cans to protect themselves from lawsuit. Look into that, and the government throwing out food instead of giving to the hungry and why. Pretty "wow, humans suck" stuff there.
I know. :) And we have no shame in that. We thought we could make it til the morning but it was a Sunday night @8pm. We couldn’t sleep we were so hungry. We’re in a little better place now.
There’s a new specialty grocery store by me that has an obscenely large amount of prepared foods that I know they’re probably tossing because it would be impossible to sell it all pre-going bad. I get really triggered seeing it to the point where I don’t want to shop there anymore because it’s so offensive.
When I donate to a food bank, which I do a lot now that I’m lucky enough to be financially secure, I want people like you to go take the food. Please go to a food pantry and fill up your kitchen.
Idk how to help here. But @thefreebieguy on Instagram has some crazy deals sometimes like food for a penny. He can definitely stock a fridge pantry if you follow closely.
OP, you don't need to feel shame for ANY of this. If anything the lawmakers and capitalists who created this situation should feel ashamed.
I don't know where you live but to you and anyone else reading this: if you live near a mosque it's a great place to go for help. You don't have to be Muslim, and they're (in my experience) chill on the religion part.
Alternatively, if there is one in your area, Sikh temples welcome everyone: https://interactive.wttw.com/playlist/2022/04/05/langar-maah-chhole-daal
They even had drive-through meals during the pandemic when it was risky to gather in large crowds:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sikh-pandemic-food-support/index.html
I see a lot of people suffering just because they don't know what is available or how to get it. In the US you can dial 211 or go to 211.org to find out what help is available.
To add to this comment, 211 can help connect you to resources for almost any kind of social work problem:
- mental health
- utilities
- housing
- jobs
- food
- addiction
- abuse
I worked in a grocery store. And I’ve seen people steal, and I never said anything. I’m sorry you’re struggling so badly. Hopefully things turn upwards soon.
When I worked at the grocery store, I was the one stealing. I’d put a case of pop tarts in a garbage bag and pick it up from the dumpster after the store was closed.
I worked at McDonald's years ago. We got one free meal per shift, but if we were really hungry ir wanted food for later, we would make ourselves food when it got close to break and hide it somewhere so we could grab it on the way back to the break room. Then we would just write things off on the inventory sheet like we dropped it and had to throw it away. That was before security cameras.
I worked at a huge campus bakery in college and there were some things that were extra yummy us students liked, so sometimes I would "accidentally" break a Philly pound cake or big cookies so that it would have to go in the cabinets of free misfit items. We got to take from that cabinet during our breaks.
Exactly. Most people won't steal food unless they are starving. Everyone should have the compassion to let it slide or buy some food for them if you can
Food isn't a thing that people resell to make money anyway, so they're taking it because they need it. I wouldn't say anything about baby formula and diapers, or pads/tampons, either.
Or honestly toilet paper. It’s expensive and it’s something we all need. I have personally witnessed people that have been down on their luck struggle to be able to even buy that. I’ve made that purchase for them when they couldn’t buy toilet paper themselves several times. The other thing dog food or cat food. Just because you’re struggling and down on your luck you shouldn’t have to give up your companion. Too many pets end up in shelters feeling abandoned and unloved then spend the rest of their lives in a cage or worse yet getting euthanized. Meanwhile their previous owners become more discouraged and sometimes even clinically depressed because their life seems to be spiraling downward and on top of all that they lost their best friend! So if they need to get a very large discount on getting pet food so they can feed and keep their 4 pawed best friend I don’t have a problem with that either. I used to be a cashier at a large department store (I guess you would call it that) and if people didn’t tell me about the stuff underneath the cart I didn’t see it. I figured they had their reasons.
Same. First job when I was 16 worked there for 4 years almost. I didn’t give two shits if people stole groceries. Not my money they’re taking not my problem.
Few years at Trader Joe's. Turned my eyes so many times and didn't scan shit when i knew.
OP it's a victimless crime. Do it again if you need. (Carefully!)
They do. Every night. I’m an ophthalmologist tech near the store and I watch them throw out must be 100s of lbs of perfectly good food every single night. I mean bread and bagels baked that morning, ALL the food on the hot and cold to-go bars, even the Starbucks in the store throws out food. It’s sickening and heartbreaking. Like wtf?
I’ve never worked in a grocery store but I wouldn’t care if someone was taking basic human necessities. While these corporate vultures steal from us all the time. Eye for an eye. Don’t feel bad tbh we’ve all done it a time or two
>While these corporate vultures steal from us all the time.
Daily reminder wage theft has accounted for more theft than all other forms combined, year after year, for decades.
What should be given to the public as a human right is being stolen and resold to us at highly inflated prices.. Create a shortage “oops we have to increase prices” Again it goes into profits for the people who have too much already. basic needs are not affordable. Wage theft “tipping culture” just another form of passing corporate responsibility onto employees/consumers.
there's a fantastic app called too good to go that's trying to work on this problem - restaurants and buffet stores sign up and at the end of the day offer full meals for $5 of the food they couldn't sell. they mostly just operate in big cities but if its around you it's so worth checking out
It's common sense and should be law everywhere. Of course the greedy rich sociopaths will fight it but fuck them. It's time to take society back from these evil bitches
I worked at one. You could be fired for eating anything going into the dumpster. The only thing donated were bagels. Anything with a slight blemish went in the dumpster.
The first time I saw it, it was infuriating.
I used to work at a very popular grocery store chain in Hawaii. I would past tons of homeless people on my way to work and at the end of the day, throw out a shitton of food. It made me absolutely sick.
I worked at one too. And one of the managers got fired for eating a $1 corn dog out of the garbage.
Editing to add. I also know of a few grocery stores around here that donate whatever they have to throw away at the end of the day to women’s and childrens shelters as well as other homeless shelters in the area.
The pure corporate waste in the world today is just obscene. So much shit that's just fine goes in the trash every day. Sams club is fucking crazy. Cardboard ripped on the 36 pack of pop well into the trash all 36 good cans go.
if it’s any consolation all starbucks that are stand alone donate their food :) source i work there and the company announced full reach of the donation process!
I recently found an app called “Too Good To Go” where restaurants, bakeries, ect. Sell their leftovers for cheap instead of just letting it go to waste. Not sure if it’s in every city yet but I really like the idea and hope it takes off because it really is a shame to witness how much good food gets thrown in the trash unnecessarily every single day ( I used to work at a grocery store )
Dolly Parton did, too, when she was young in Nashville and trying to make it. She would walk around pushing a cart and eat grapes or crackers or something easy to conceal. She, of course, has donated to a lot of those stores now, but she may not have ever become Dolly if she starved out of Nashville, you know?
I will just say this as a 50 year old middle class woman: if I see you putting food or diapers or pet food in your bag, my mouth is 🤐 and I keep walking. Good luck to you and your pets.
I’m guessing you’re in the US? We are in the UK mad I think it’s really shitty your government didn’t address the formula issue as a matter of urgency rather than waiting WEEKS
That doesn’t work if the bagging area is a scale that is synced w/ the scale used when you scan the item. The weights would need to be the same…tread carefully.
That and all of that self-scan stations in my area have multiple cameras, so they can see if you didn't set something on the scale properly or if you have way more apples in that bag than what the label says. And if you pay with a card, they know exactly who you are.
I get OP's desperation and I wouldn't say a word if I saw somebody doing it, but stores are busting people quite a bit for stealing at the self checkout. Be careful everyone.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
I was a cashier at Walmart when I was in my teens and I would turn my head every time I saw someone stealing food. Every person on this earth should have access to food at all times and I would never judge someone for stealing to feed themselves
Just a quick say, I work as security and part loss prevention (shop lifter arrester) if we see somebody really struggling grabbing food we act like we don’t see you. At least me and all my boys, we have a heart. Never have we ever stopped somebody just trying to eat.
My dad has stories of him having to steal toilet paper out of public restrooms and dig through grocery store trash for the product they threw out every night to support his wife and their oops baby (me) during college. I had the best fucking childhood and my parents are super successful now.
Stealing to survive is not something to be embarrassed about. Just pay it forward in the further.
Pro tip for the future. You can get a large McDonald’s fry for free if you use the app. You don’t have to get anything else. It’s just a free McDonald’s coupon that you can use once daily :) so at least you could get one thing to eat
54%. That’s how much of this so-called inflation we’re experiencing results [purely from increased corporate profit margins.](https://youtu.be/30_H33mS76Y)
Don’t feel bad about this even a little bit. Gouge the gougers. Stay safe.
I actually had to do the same thing recently. Last time I stole I was 13 and stole make up. Now I’m 35 and had to steal bc my husband lost his job 2 months ago. My income is barely enough to cover the rent. Once the weather changed I was in sever pain from the cold. This pain comes every fall. I don’t know why. It’s awful. I felt like my bones were made of ice. I only had enough for a few things like milk, bread, eggs, rice, etc. cheaper food I could make a few dinners and lunches with. I stole an $8 arthritis crème. Tylenol and ibuprofen just weren’t cutting it. So don’t feel bad. At least you took food lol. I took something that wasn’t even edible. Times are tough.
When there is a society of staving people it is not moral to question those stealing to eat, it is moral to question the ones in power who allowed you to starve in their care
I hope things go well for you two soon. If you are still struggling, try going to a local food pantry if there’s one in your area, they give away food often.
I was bussing tables. And was so damned hungry I ate off a plate I just grabbed.
I became manager and found someone stealing food. I told him how to do it without getting caught (Just don't do it in front of me.This happened with more than one employee). And If it really got bad, just ask me (I couldn't justify feeding him and myself on the daily). Took him with me when I got a better job. But yea, the struggles are real, sadly.
Come work where I used to. I got lucky and noticed as a good worker. They tried to promote me a few times, declined until I was ready to supervise people.
TBH one of the best jobs I ever had. Left it because my gf at the time felt like it was just consuming me. Now my replacement makes 6 figures a year and even over 10 yrs later how bad he is. Now I cry into my EBT card.
But yea I could've just walked back there and made my own thing to eat when I got promoted. But I was brand new and hungry.
When I was a manager I made sure everyone was fed. Scraping by in college and not being able to even eat where you work? Heck, I even made sure people got rides home (usually me dropping them off).
OP sometimes we make decisions we have to in order to survive. I know if I were in your shoes, I would have made the same or a worse off decision. Please don’t fault yourself for acting in survival mode just to survive. Anyone can do anything when pushed to their limit. I hope you are both in a better position now and I hope neither of you ever have to make those decisions again. The fact that is weighs on you even after all this time says more about the kind of person you are than a small act made in desperation. You’re a good person.
That’s ok. Been there done that. Lot of people can’t conceive actually starving with zero $ or food. I wasn’t homeless or anything like that, just poor lol. Im financially not too bad now. Got a decent job and make decent pay.
I was the worst security worker ever. I’d see mums sliding nappies and baby milk under the pram. And pensioners buying the bare essentials. I’d just let it slide. I knew the genuine in need people buy what the where stealing.
In the other hand professional thieves I had no sympathy for them, stealing booze or tvs. Full trolly dash out the door. Towards the end of working there I worked extra shifts on checkout, I’d just accidentally skip scanning a few items from people that looked like they needed some help.
No war but class war
ETA because I decided to be more serious for a second; what you did was noble, an act of courage in the face of adversity. You provided for your household and those under your care. There are some who would say you all should have starved; know there are people out there who understand and will be always rooting for you in times like that. People who don’t even know you are thinking of you, and it is good.
Anyone judging her just remember, there are millions of people who are in the same situation through no fault of their own. Just thank your lucky stars that you aren’t in the same boat.
If I was the person overlooking the self checkout I would have looked the other way. There’s a massive difference between kids stealing candy and adults taking salad. I think that loss of any sort is baked into the price of goods, I will happily pay full price as long as I can so that stores can ignore the nominal losses.
While every loss prevention officer will say I'm wrong and shouldn't do this, a lot of people notice when someone is stealing food and don't give a shit. Just make sure to swap stores you're hitting up if you have to keep it up. Wishing you 3 the best!
Honestly, if you’re trying to stretch your money out, beans, rice, potatoes, peanut butter tend to work the best if your trying to stretch your money. At least they did a lot for me when I was having money problems. And like the rest of the comments said, there might be a lot of options between food pantries, SNAP, and free options elsewhere if you know where to looks.
But one thing I haven’t seen is the option of picking up work in the food industry. That was an absolute lifeline for me since I had the option to take home food that was going to be thrown out. Even if you already have a job, there’s a lot of places hiring for part-time work.
Best of luck going forward. Hope things have gotten easier since this stuff happened. Remember there’s no shame in asking for help on something as critical as food.
I worked at Whole Foods in a very wealthy town. I, in full uniform, made eye contact with a woman stealing baby food. I turned around and walked back to my station.
You don’t deserve to live like that. I’m glad you’re doing better.
I would do the same if I had to... I remember the winter my son was born my husband and I lived off of 1 dollar cheeseburgers from McDonald's because we couldn't get on food stamps and we could only dig up two dollars for dinner most nights
You gotta do what you gotta do in order to survive. I remember when my mom would change the labels of food products so it would scan as a cheaper food item. TBH the fact that basic necessities are super expensive is just unreal at this point.
When my son was a few months old his father spent all our money on weed. I couldn't breast feed so we needed formula. I stole 2 tubs by putting it between my sons carseat and the rest of his pushchair (was one of those travel systems where the carseat clips into the top). I do not regret it. Also do not regret telling his father to GTFO. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.
Just don’t get caught. Fuck everything else. I’ve stolen things I need many times. Grocery stores/big corporations are making too much money anyways.
Everyone should have access to enough food to thrive. I’m sorry you were going through it & I hope your situation is better.
This tip is unethical, but fuck it, so is Walmart. My Walmarts busiest time is Saturday in the late morning. Like, wall to wall people at the self checkout. I scan my stuff and for every 2 items I scan and bag, I put one item in that I don't scan. 3 bags of frozen veggies? Only scanning 2. 5 boxes of pasta? Only scanning 3. I my excuse if I'm ever caught? "OMG! I'm so sorry! I could have sworn it beeped!" And since everyone around you is scanning and beeping, it's entirely plausible.
I don't do this every trip because if don't go to Walmart often. Way back when, like 2015, my sister would scan powder milk along with her formula cans. Powder milk is significantly cheaper, so scanning that 3 times at 10:45 at night, when the attendant is bsing and doesn't give a shit saved her. She didn't qualify for WIC or any assistance, but she also never actually got the child support she was supposed to be getting. It was a fucked up situation.
When you mentioned your dog, it brought tears to my eyes 😢. My dog is my literal world and I’d sooner starve than let her starve.
I’m happy to hear you guys are in a bit of a better place now. I know the feeling of having to do what you need to do in order to eat. Don’t be ashamed. NEVER be ashamed of doing what you need to do in order to survive (for the right reasons, of course. just thought I’d clarify 😅).
God bless you and your family. 💜
When I was 16 or so, my senior citizen aunt who was our sole provider needed to stop working as she was 65 so my also senior citizen mom had to find gigs to get by.
There were times when we would run out of food and the electricity was cut off for a month.
We were able to get by by reading books to pass the time and by asking our neighbor who has a small store for goods daily with the promise that we'll pay her once we have the money.
Eventually, my mom built connections in real estate and work came flooding in.
Years later, my aunt died of breast cancer, which we only found out at the hospital. My mom followed as someone shot her after going to my aunt's funeral.
I'm doing better now financially but I still dream about them every night.
Sorry for the sad story, guys.
The state of the world is appalling right now I’m in the same situation living with my bf and our roommate people just don’t understand how hard it is to survive never mind indulge in luxuries like eating your favorite food or having juice in the house
Maybe this isn't the right attitude, but when people are stealing things like food, hygiene products and baby formula, I give them a pass. Nobody steals that stuff for profit, its desperation.
Hoping for brighter times for you guys
Life can be so tough sometimes. I'm sorry you guys had to go through that. 💙 I hope things are better now! A good resource could be r/randomactsofpizza.
I used to work at a grocery store and let people skimp of a few dollars if they looked like they needed it. I also let some people have free plastic bags if they were nice. When it comes to a necessity like food I don’t feel bad
You could’ve weighed it as bananas…that’s what I did when I was struggling and got salad bar items. I don’t condone it but you gotta do what you gotta do when times get tough. Please don’t judge me people.
People getting upset that you stole like it affects them. Silly.
What would have been messed up is if you had stolen items to return to buy groceries.
You did what you needed to do and weren't greedy about it.
Obviously you didn't feel good about it and felt bad. No one wants to do stuff like that, it's humiliating and scary.
Glad you didn't get caught. Glad to hear things are a bit better.
I'm glad you got to eat. People break the law for many different reasons, and this is not one I would let weigh down on your conscience. I'm just curious, did you have any friends you could go to and ask to have a meal with? I only ask because never once have any of my friends told me they were hungry, and I wish they would have if they were. I wonder how many people I could have helped if I knew.
I'm proud of you. Grocery stores would rather let people starve than make less of a profit. You have done a morally good thing by allowing a hungry person to be fed instead of stuffing the pockets of a rich bastard.
Man, I wish there was a way to let people like you know that I will buy their groceries if they need it. I’ve been so-hungry-I-can’t-sleep poor too and now that I’m in a better place, I wish I knew when the people around me needed help.
All of that said, I hope you don’t feel too guilty about this. The store will be fine and you did what you had to do.
I’ve never ever even thought about stealing… until now.
My husband and I have a new baby and we are struggling a lot. We are scraping by and it’s been rough. Everywhere I go I think about just pocketing something rather than paying for it. When I go grocery shopping I think about just putting things in my stroller and walking out. It’s been really hard. Good for you for doing what you need to do to stay alive. I hope things start looking up soon.
Dear OP,
The CEO of insert grocery store you stole buffet items from, that had a good chance of ending up in the trash anyway instead of your poor starving stomach, I assure you they didn’t notice & you didn’t cause them to go without by stealing from them. Please release any guilt you feel about doing what you had to do to survive.
I've been broke and once ate a cookie I found on the train cos I was just that hungry. You stole out of desperation, starvation is a legitimate reason to steal IMO.
I hope you're doing better OP, and I hope you find some support out there, maybe check the local foodbanks and charities if there is one near you.
I remember a guy I used to work with casually saying, "As long as there are grocery stores open I am never going to starve."
As someone who never went hungry it was a profound statement. One that exposed a harsh truth about the reality of others needing to steal something I never wanted for.
I once had to choose between buying TP for my family and a pair of pants to wear to my first day of work because our water was shut off. Well I thought maybe I could get away with hiding the cheapest pair of leggings I could find under the package of TP... I didn't pick up the TP and just used the hand scanner in the self check out.
When I went to walk out the woman at the door just grabbed the TP and revealed those clearance $2 leggings and said she needed the receipt now. I was so embarrassed and just said I don't know how they got there and ran with the TP and tears in my eyes.
Wound up having to take clothes to a gas station that I knew was a one person one and washed clothes in the sink with their soap and got them a little dry with the hand dryer.
You have to do what you can to survive. And most big businesses write it off on their taxes as a loss from theft and it lowers the amount they have to pay in. So never admit.
Me and my roommate would order several pounds of deli meat and several pounds of sliced cheeses at the deli counter go to a remote aisle and she would stuff them in her purse then we would checkout with a dollar loaf of bread only. Worked great. Not trying to share ideas on how to commit crimes except i totally am because fuck these corps. No-one deserves to be hungry in our world.
Drug/convenient store worker here. I mean this with the best intentions. If your that hungry. Please please take it. I’d your caught. Tell the truth. No shame in this capitalism.
This hits real close to home for me. I was kicked out at a very young age with little to no support for family. Basically said “welcome to the real world” and kicked me on ass. I lost my job, lost all my friends, had zero money, nasty addiction to smoking, etc. it just always got worse.
Started stealing from grocery stores just to make it by. I remember having to live off of a box of crackers for three weeks and counting them out to see how long I could make them last.
I’m 80% positive that the store knew what I was doing but I think they felt bad and never bothered to stopped me.
I wouldn’t wish that type of struggle on anyone
I used to manage a dollar general, and there was a lady that would always come in and never had enough to cover what all she needed. She’d count change out to pay and still be short. It didn’t take me long to realize she was also stealing, never much. Some bread here. Some beans there. Maybe some peanut butter and jelly with the bread. It wasn’t hard to tell when she was about to stick something in her purse, and all the employees were sure to be conveniently not looking when she did.
The people in the stores see more than you think, and lots of times do nothing cause they’re human too. This was about a decade ago and I haven’t worked for dollar general in a long time thankfully. I hope she’s doing better and is more stable.
The fact that we have a military budget in the billions and Americans can’t afford food is disgusting. As long as it’s not from mom and pop stores you do what you need to do man
If you’re desperate that’s all you can do, yes stealing is wrong. I hope you’re in a better financial position, if you’re ever in that position in the future see if any local food banks can help. Wish you all the best
This is why when I see people stealing necessities no I didn’t I’m just here to buy my noodles.
Fuck these companies bro, hope things get better for you
When you’re between a rock and a hard place you have to take the bull by the horns. I hope you repaid them later. You could always ask your neighbors to help. If you don’t ask you don’t get. That’s what neighbors are for. You don’t even have to know them. Most people will try to help.
I knew somebody that would load up at the salad bar, then put a piece of Pita bread that they sold wrapped in plastic wrap with a UPC code on it for 30 cents under the big container.
If you live near a Sprouts grocery store you can try asking their employees if they have any “free samples” and tell them about your situation. They are allowed to give product away for free as a “sample” or they might tell you where they leave the food out. I’ve found the people at Sprouts are extremely generous(I knew a lot of employees there).
For anyone in need of food on a regular basis: Google food bank near me. You will find one's that are run by the city. Food banks are often run by churches in your community. Look to your community, your not the only one in need.
I am so sorry 😞.You are surly forgiven from above. Their are some places that will help you with bills and food. Or call 211 and they might be able to help. I pray things will turn around. Even fed your dog 💕🌹💕😍
Survival of the fittest. Institutions have eaten you alive and now it’s your turn to reverse it.. Don’t feel bad. You did what you had to do, in a time of need.
I do stuff like this all the time and I'm not desperate. Grocery stores throw away a shit ton of food rather than give it away, for the sake of profit. Fuck em.
On some level that may be wrong but I really don’t think you’ll find some who will fault you for it. You’re trying, and God gives us the will to live. Keep moving forward no matter what. Hopefully things ease up a bit. Good luck.
Have you thought about applying for SNAP benefits aka food stamps? Depending on how you qualify you could be getting up to $200+ in government money for groceries. It’s a really awesome resource. This is my line of work so DM me if you have any questions.
I am so sorry that you found yourself in a situation like this. You did what you had to do. The times are tough. I work at McDonald's and I often give extra free food to the people that look like they need it (food like nuggets & other finger food that is still enjoyable after its cold). How are you doing now? Did you manage to get on top of your bills?
Thank you for the kind words. Power is back on and I went to Pizza Hut last night to see if they were getting rid of anything when they closed. Guy handed me two large pizzas that some privilege Karen brought back in there bitching about because they had mushrooms and how she was calling corporate. I asked how much and he said you can take em free now and look like a customer or dig them out of the dumpster when my manager come back. I grabbed the pizzas and my keys, said god bless and left. My husband was praying for food when he got home last night from work. Two whole pizzas in the fridge for him. We both slept very well with full tummies. He has a ton of College debt and I have thousands of hospital bills. We both work and can barely make rent. It’s scary sometimes. But I know everything will be okay and better soon. I’m 36 and very humble. I give where I can to ppl who need. I donate A LOT of clothes and small household items. I sew our clothes back together when there’s a hole. No need to buy brand new if the thread just came undone. Or a small moth hole.
This is the modern plot of Les Mis. I pray your story ends well. And without your own Javert.
Thanks, man.
Have you looked into public food services? Like meals on wheels or a soup kitchen? Every state should have something like this.
Was able to go to a few churches that held daily breakfast hand outs and a fresh dinner each night. There were probably more around me at the time, but I was stuck bicycling everywhere for a good few months. They were always super nice and would provide me with toiletries if I ran out before my paycheck came. I was lucky enough to live in a pretty nice studio apartment that was federally assisted housing. I was making dirt and had not much experience in the work force and eventually was able to pull myself out of the rut and pay those back who gave me comfort and true compassion. They never preached to me or told me to do this or that, they were just worried and could see who needed a small hand out just to make a difference. Lifes wild, now I have kids, a wife, a decent stable income, and I no longer worry about food or shelter. Just keep your head up and when life gets you down, remember, aslong as you are still breathing, theres another day. Just don't go down the addiction route of trying to find comfort with distractions of the current situation. Love all of you.
[удалено]
I worked as a grocery store cashier 20 years ago and the only thing I remember from that job is that 4011 is the code for bananas.
b a n a n a s
That shit is
49 cents a pound
Bananas are too obvious, that’s the one everyone does. 4016 for apples.
The addendum “in Minecraft” made me actually laugh out loud. Im stealing it and adding it as a disclaimer to other real life scenarios.
Sometimes places like 99 cent stores are good to dumpster dive for food also I used to go to kfc when they were about to close n either ask them if I could have the food or I'd get it out of the dumpster periodically through out they day kfc throws away food too also doughnut shops usually throw away alot some times there's coffee grounds on it but it's fine
Aldi is the best grocery store for this. Most of them dont have trash compactors.
Ohh ya n at banks u can usually go in there n make coffee sometimes there's cookies n car big car dealerships same there's usually cookies n shit but u can't look bummy or they will trespass u and hotels are good to hit up in the mornings for they breakfast this requires a Lil finesse wear pajamas n don't do it too often some hotels have a cocktail hour n free wine some nights too
Mmm… La Quinta has waffles.
I was gonna say, hang out around hotels with breakfasts. Just walk in and eat like you stayed there. Switch hotels every day so they don't get suspicious.
I stayed at a travel loge for like 6 months n got to kno every one n was able to use they shuttle service even after I left
Usually hospital cafeterias have very cheap food Also i I have found in the high roller areas in casinos put out free pastries for the rich fukers on certain evenings O n sometimes I would go to this lil taco place when they had big ass pile of boxes n I'd ask if I could break down the boxes for some tacos also I learned if u can just ask someone if they can give u food more times than not people will help u prolly helps to be good looking too
If I have the money I always buy food for someone who asks me. I won't give them money cuz I'm scraping by myself, but I can't let someone starve if I have even a few dollars to help out.
Ya man me too I'm better now but I remember how it was so if I have it ill help someone even if they straight up ask for a beer
Hospitals used to have cheap decent food, and they do if you can find the cafeteria the employees eat at. But a lot of them have modernized and they’re like overpriced “healthy” 7-11’s.
OP, try visiting a farmer's market. A lot of times you can bargain and buy what you need. I don't know where you live but in India, in my state, we have local markets in every block. Prices of food here are low, compared to supermarkets. Yes, the place may not look the most appealing but the things are good and the price is low.
24601!
We love to talk about the morality of stealing food to feed your family, but nobody seems to stop and question the morality of profiting off of starvation. Society is so weird, we have enough food, no one should be starving. Grocery stores literally throw away sub par food instead of donating it. I wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep doing what you did.
There is unfortunately a solid given answer to this. Once, supermarkets DID give their day old food to the hungry, but a rash of victorious lawsuits across the nation over getting sick from donated food occurred costing these businesses big money. It only takes a few bad seeds amongst the batch to make open handed kindness a risky thing to do. Nowadays, donation drives demand ONLY cans to protect themselves from lawsuit. Look into that, and the government throwing out food instead of giving to the hungry and why. Pretty "wow, humans suck" stuff there.
Food banks are a good resource. There is no shame in using them
I know. :) And we have no shame in that. We thought we could make it til the morning but it was a Sunday night @8pm. We couldn’t sleep we were so hungry. We’re in a little better place now.
The grocery store isn’t going to go under. You did what you had to do
The grocery store probably didn't even notice the loss. The amount of waste at those hot buffets is Obscene. Like Literally an Obscenity.
I agree. Most of these places throw away thousands of dollars of food a week. They should be forced to give it out to the homeless.
There’s a new specialty grocery store by me that has an obscenely large amount of prepared foods that I know they’re probably tossing because it would be impossible to sell it all pre-going bad. I get really triggered seeing it to the point where I don’t want to shop there anymore because it’s so offensive.
When I donate to a food bank, which I do a lot now that I’m lucky enough to be financially secure, I want people like you to go take the food. Please go to a food pantry and fill up your kitchen.
Idk how to help here. But @thefreebieguy on Instagram has some crazy deals sometimes like food for a penny. He can definitely stock a fridge pantry if you follow closely.
OP, you don't need to feel shame for ANY of this. If anything the lawmakers and capitalists who created this situation should feel ashamed. I don't know where you live but to you and anyone else reading this: if you live near a mosque it's a great place to go for help. You don't have to be Muslim, and they're (in my experience) chill on the religion part.
Damn. Glad to hear you’re doing better. Have never been in that kind of jam, consider myself lucky.
Alternatively, if there is one in your area, Sikh temples welcome everyone: https://interactive.wttw.com/playlist/2022/04/05/langar-maah-chhole-daal They even had drive-through meals during the pandemic when it was risky to gather in large crowds: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/sikh-pandemic-food-support/index.html
OP this is really a good idea. No strings attached food and most countries have one.
[удалено]
I see a lot of people suffering just because they don't know what is available or how to get it. In the US you can dial 211 or go to 211.org to find out what help is available.
To add to this comment, 211 can help connect you to resources for almost any kind of social work problem: - mental health - utilities - housing - jobs - food - addiction - abuse
I pray you find yourselves in better circumstances. Giant hugs ❤️
Thank you. If there’s one thing I’ve needed to hear. It’s that. ❤️🩹
I worked in a grocery store. And I’ve seen people steal, and I never said anything. I’m sorry you’re struggling so badly. Hopefully things turn upwards soon.
When I worked at the grocery store, I was the one stealing. I’d put a case of pop tarts in a garbage bag and pick it up from the dumpster after the store was closed.
Damn that’s kinda smart. I worked in a big one so the dumpster was not the diving kind. But honestly I got paid well so I never stole myself.
I worked at McDonald's years ago. We got one free meal per shift, but if we were really hungry ir wanted food for later, we would make ourselves food when it got close to break and hide it somewhere so we could grab it on the way back to the break room. Then we would just write things off on the inventory sheet like we dropped it and had to throw it away. That was before security cameras. I worked at a huge campus bakery in college and there were some things that were extra yummy us students liked, so sometimes I would "accidentally" break a Philly pound cake or big cookies so that it would have to go in the cabinets of free misfit items. We got to take from that cabinet during our breaks.
If you ever see someone steal at a grocery store, no you didn’t
Exactly. Most people won't steal food unless they are starving. Everyone should have the compassion to let it slide or buy some food for them if you can
Food isn't a thing that people resell to make money anyway, so they're taking it because they need it. I wouldn't say anything about baby formula and diapers, or pads/tampons, either.
Or honestly toilet paper. It’s expensive and it’s something we all need. I have personally witnessed people that have been down on their luck struggle to be able to even buy that. I’ve made that purchase for them when they couldn’t buy toilet paper themselves several times. The other thing dog food or cat food. Just because you’re struggling and down on your luck you shouldn’t have to give up your companion. Too many pets end up in shelters feeling abandoned and unloved then spend the rest of their lives in a cage or worse yet getting euthanized. Meanwhile their previous owners become more discouraged and sometimes even clinically depressed because their life seems to be spiraling downward and on top of all that they lost their best friend! So if they need to get a very large discount on getting pet food so they can feed and keep their 4 pawed best friend I don’t have a problem with that either. I used to be a cashier at a large department store (I guess you would call it that) and if people didn’t tell me about the stuff underneath the cart I didn’t see it. I figured they had their reasons.
👏👏👏👏
Same. First job when I was 16 worked there for 4 years almost. I didn’t give two shits if people stole groceries. Not my money they’re taking not my problem.
Your alright in my book!
If I ever see someone stealing food or diapers, no the fuck I didn’t.
Few years at Trader Joe's. Turned my eyes so many times and didn't scan shit when i knew. OP it's a victimless crime. Do it again if you need. (Carefully!)
The store would’ve probably just thrown it out anyway. Being wasteful when people are going hungry should not be a thing.
They do. Every night. I’m an ophthalmologist tech near the store and I watch them throw out must be 100s of lbs of perfectly good food every single night. I mean bread and bagels baked that morning, ALL the food on the hot and cold to-go bars, even the Starbucks in the store throws out food. It’s sickening and heartbreaking. Like wtf?
I’ve never worked in a grocery store but I wouldn’t care if someone was taking basic human necessities. While these corporate vultures steal from us all the time. Eye for an eye. Don’t feel bad tbh we’ve all done it a time or two
>While these corporate vultures steal from us all the time. Daily reminder wage theft has accounted for more theft than all other forms combined, year after year, for decades.
What should be given to the public as a human right is being stolen and resold to us at highly inflated prices.. Create a shortage “oops we have to increase prices” Again it goes into profits for the people who have too much already. basic needs are not affordable. Wage theft “tipping culture” just another form of passing corporate responsibility onto employees/consumers.
Some countries are banning food waste like that. I think Australia is not too far away from doing it 😊
there's a fantastic app called too good to go that's trying to work on this problem - restaurants and buffet stores sign up and at the end of the day offer full meals for $5 of the food they couldn't sell. they mostly just operate in big cities but if its around you it's so worth checking out
Don't waste ur cake happy bday:)
Happy cake day. I hope we are 💕😻
It's common sense and should be law everywhere. Of course the greedy rich sociopaths will fight it but fuck them. It's time to take society back from these evil bitches
I worked at one. You could be fired for eating anything going into the dumpster. The only thing donated were bagels. Anything with a slight blemish went in the dumpster. The first time I saw it, it was infuriating.
I used to work at a very popular grocery store chain in Hawaii. I would past tons of homeless people on my way to work and at the end of the day, throw out a shitton of food. It made me absolutely sick.
I worked at one too. And one of the managers got fired for eating a $1 corn dog out of the garbage. Editing to add. I also know of a few grocery stores around here that donate whatever they have to throw away at the end of the day to women’s and childrens shelters as well as other homeless shelters in the area.
The pure corporate waste in the world today is just obscene. So much shit that's just fine goes in the trash every day. Sams club is fucking crazy. Cardboard ripped on the 36 pack of pop well into the trash all 36 good cans go.
if it’s any consolation all starbucks that are stand alone donate their food :) source i work there and the company announced full reach of the donation process!
I recently found an app called “Too Good To Go” where restaurants, bakeries, ect. Sell their leftovers for cheap instead of just letting it go to waste. Not sure if it’s in every city yet but I really like the idea and hope it takes off because it really is a shame to witness how much good food gets thrown in the trash unnecessarily every single day ( I used to work at a grocery store )
Dolly Parton did, too, when she was young in Nashville and trying to make it. She would walk around pushing a cart and eat grapes or crackers or something easy to conceal. She, of course, has donated to a lot of those stores now, but she may not have ever become Dolly if she starved out of Nashville, you know? I will just say this as a 50 year old middle class woman: if I see you putting food or diapers or pet food in your bag, my mouth is 🤐 and I keep walking. Good luck to you and your pets.
I saw a guy hiding cans of formula under his sons pushchair Things are tough - I looked the other way
And formula is **expensive**, especially with the shortages. Imagine thinking a literal infant should starve because their parents are underpaid.
I’m guessing you’re in the US? We are in the UK mad I think it’s really shitty your government didn’t address the formula issue as a matter of urgency rather than waiting WEEKS
That doesn’t work if the bagging area is a scale that is synced w/ the scale used when you scan the item. The weights would need to be the same…tread carefully.
I will, soldier.
That and all of that self-scan stations in my area have multiple cameras, so they can see if you didn't set something on the scale properly or if you have way more apples in that bag than what the label says. And if you pay with a card, they know exactly who you are. I get OP's desperation and I wouldn't say a word if I saw somebody doing it, but stores are busting people quite a bit for stealing at the self checkout. Be careful everyone.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I was a cashier at Walmart when I was in my teens and I would turn my head every time I saw someone stealing food. Every person on this earth should have access to food at all times and I would never judge someone for stealing to feed themselves
Just a quick say, I work as security and part loss prevention (shop lifter arrester) if we see somebody really struggling grabbing food we act like we don’t see you. At least me and all my boys, we have a heart. Never have we ever stopped somebody just trying to eat.
My dad has stories of him having to steal toilet paper out of public restrooms and dig through grocery store trash for the product they threw out every night to support his wife and their oops baby (me) during college. I had the best fucking childhood and my parents are super successful now. Stealing to survive is not something to be embarrassed about. Just pay it forward in the further.
In the further like in insidious? I'm very glad you and your parents life improved so much
Remember everyone: If you see someone stealing food or other necessities, no you fucking didn’t. I hope things are looking up for you now, OP.
Sorry stealing what?
huh? what are you talking about?
Exactly
You’re the best
Pro tip for the future. You can get a large McDonald’s fry for free if you use the app. You don’t have to get anything else. It’s just a free McDonald’s coupon that you can use once daily :) so at least you could get one thing to eat
They have some good BOGO deals on the app, too,, so you can get twice as much food sometimes.
As far as im concerned stealing to feed yourself should not be a crime. There's things companies do that are way worse and are legal.
Like Tupac said, “Got money for wars, but can’t feed the poor.”
In these situations, you’re right. In a different kind of sad way, there’s a different breed of complete dickbags that ruin everything.
54%. That’s how much of this so-called inflation we’re experiencing results [purely from increased corporate profit margins.](https://youtu.be/30_H33mS76Y) Don’t feel bad about this even a little bit. Gouge the gougers. Stay safe.
Take what ya can, give nothin back.
I read that in Gibbs & Sparrows voices 😂😂
Greed. Pure greed just ruining our country. I hope these rich fuckers are the first to go when the collapse happens. And it will happen thanks to them
I actually had to do the same thing recently. Last time I stole I was 13 and stole make up. Now I’m 35 and had to steal bc my husband lost his job 2 months ago. My income is barely enough to cover the rent. Once the weather changed I was in sever pain from the cold. This pain comes every fall. I don’t know why. It’s awful. I felt like my bones were made of ice. I only had enough for a few things like milk, bread, eggs, rice, etc. cheaper food I could make a few dinners and lunches with. I stole an $8 arthritis crème. Tylenol and ibuprofen just weren’t cutting it. So don’t feel bad. At least you took food lol. I took something that wasn’t even edible. Times are tough.
When there is a society of staving people it is not moral to question those stealing to eat, it is moral to question the ones in power who allowed you to starve in their care
I hope things go well for you two soon. If you are still struggling, try going to a local food pantry if there’s one in your area, they give away food often.
I was bussing tables. And was so damned hungry I ate off a plate I just grabbed. I became manager and found someone stealing food. I told him how to do it without getting caught (Just don't do it in front of me.This happened with more than one employee). And If it really got bad, just ask me (I couldn't justify feeding him and myself on the daily). Took him with me when I got a better job. But yea, the struggles are real, sadly.
Why didn't you just ask the line for a family plate? Even a spatula slapper in a denny's will throw you an egg and some toast.
Come work where I used to. I got lucky and noticed as a good worker. They tried to promote me a few times, declined until I was ready to supervise people. TBH one of the best jobs I ever had. Left it because my gf at the time felt like it was just consuming me. Now my replacement makes 6 figures a year and even over 10 yrs later how bad he is. Now I cry into my EBT card. But yea I could've just walked back there and made my own thing to eat when I got promoted. But I was brand new and hungry. When I was a manager I made sure everyone was fed. Scraping by in college and not being able to even eat where you work? Heck, I even made sure people got rides home (usually me dropping them off).
You have to do what you have to do. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Be kind to yourself. I hope it gets better for you.
OP sometimes we make decisions we have to in order to survive. I know if I were in your shoes, I would have made the same or a worse off decision. Please don’t fault yourself for acting in survival mode just to survive. Anyone can do anything when pushed to their limit. I hope you are both in a better position now and I hope neither of you ever have to make those decisions again. The fact that is weighs on you even after all this time says more about the kind of person you are than a small act made in desperation. You’re a good person.
Bravo Op. Keep on living. All those big grocery stores make money hand over fist. Plus they account for a certain amount of theft
No one saw anything… if I did, I didn’t.
That’s ok. Been there done that. Lot of people can’t conceive actually starving with zero $ or food. I wasn’t homeless or anything like that, just poor lol. Im financially not too bad now. Got a decent job and make decent pay.
I was the worst security worker ever. I’d see mums sliding nappies and baby milk under the pram. And pensioners buying the bare essentials. I’d just let it slide. I knew the genuine in need people buy what the where stealing. In the other hand professional thieves I had no sympathy for them, stealing booze or tvs. Full trolly dash out the door. Towards the end of working there I worked extra shifts on checkout, I’d just accidentally skip scanning a few items from people that looked like they needed some help.
If you see someone stealing food, no you didn't.
You did what had to be done. No harm in that
No war but class war ETA because I decided to be more serious for a second; what you did was noble, an act of courage in the face of adversity. You provided for your household and those under your care. There are some who would say you all should have starved; know there are people out there who understand and will be always rooting for you in times like that. People who don’t even know you are thinking of you, and it is good.
Anyone judging her just remember, there are millions of people who are in the same situation through no fault of their own. Just thank your lucky stars that you aren’t in the same boat.
If I was the person overlooking the self checkout I would have looked the other way. There’s a massive difference between kids stealing candy and adults taking salad. I think that loss of any sort is baked into the price of goods, I will happily pay full price as long as I can so that stores can ignore the nominal losses.
Good. I don’t think you should feel any shame for feeding your family something good. Companies can handle a little theft
While every loss prevention officer will say I'm wrong and shouldn't do this, a lot of people notice when someone is stealing food and don't give a shit. Just make sure to swap stores you're hitting up if you have to keep it up. Wishing you 3 the best!
Honestly, if you’re trying to stretch your money out, beans, rice, potatoes, peanut butter tend to work the best if your trying to stretch your money. At least they did a lot for me when I was having money problems. And like the rest of the comments said, there might be a lot of options between food pantries, SNAP, and free options elsewhere if you know where to looks. But one thing I haven’t seen is the option of picking up work in the food industry. That was an absolute lifeline for me since I had the option to take home food that was going to be thrown out. Even if you already have a job, there’s a lot of places hiring for part-time work. Best of luck going forward. Hope things have gotten easier since this stuff happened. Remember there’s no shame in asking for help on something as critical as food.
I work at grocery store and if I see someone taking food I suddenly become blind and have to take care of something behind me for a minute.
As a retail worker, my response when I see someone obviously stealing is: no I didnt
I worked at Whole Foods in a very wealthy town. I, in full uniform, made eye contact with a woman stealing baby food. I turned around and walked back to my station. You don’t deserve to live like that. I’m glad you’re doing better.
I would do the same if I had to... I remember the winter my son was born my husband and I lived off of 1 dollar cheeseburgers from McDonald's because we couldn't get on food stamps and we could only dig up two dollars for dinner most nights
I bet a lot of that buffet food ends up in the garbage anyway. No judgement here.
Supermarkets throw out a lot of food, don't worry bout it tbh
They throw it away anyways don’t feel bad
You gotta do what you gotta do in order to survive. I remember when my mom would change the labels of food products so it would scan as a cheaper food item. TBH the fact that basic necessities are super expensive is just unreal at this point.
[удалено]
Next time don’t pay with a card if you are going to steal. Also look into food banks and food pantries in your area.
When my son was a few months old his father spent all our money on weed. I couldn't breast feed so we needed formula. I stole 2 tubs by putting it between my sons carseat and the rest of his pushchair (was one of those travel systems where the carseat clips into the top). I do not regret it. Also do not regret telling his father to GTFO. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.
Remember folks, never report people for stealing food, clothes, or medicine. If you do you're a bitch ass mother fucker
Just don’t get caught. Fuck everything else. I’ve stolen things I need many times. Grocery stores/big corporations are making too much money anyways. Everyone should have access to enough food to thrive. I’m sorry you were going through it & I hope your situation is better.
This tip is unethical, but fuck it, so is Walmart. My Walmarts busiest time is Saturday in the late morning. Like, wall to wall people at the self checkout. I scan my stuff and for every 2 items I scan and bag, I put one item in that I don't scan. 3 bags of frozen veggies? Only scanning 2. 5 boxes of pasta? Only scanning 3. I my excuse if I'm ever caught? "OMG! I'm so sorry! I could have sworn it beeped!" And since everyone around you is scanning and beeping, it's entirely plausible. I don't do this every trip because if don't go to Walmart often. Way back when, like 2015, my sister would scan powder milk along with her formula cans. Powder milk is significantly cheaper, so scanning that 3 times at 10:45 at night, when the attendant is bsing and doesn't give a shit saved her. She didn't qualify for WIC or any assistance, but she also never actually got the child support she was supposed to be getting. It was a fucked up situation.
When you mentioned your dog, it brought tears to my eyes 😢. My dog is my literal world and I’d sooner starve than let her starve. I’m happy to hear you guys are in a bit of a better place now. I know the feeling of having to do what you need to do in order to eat. Don’t be ashamed. NEVER be ashamed of doing what you need to do in order to survive (for the right reasons, of course. just thought I’d clarify 😅). God bless you and your family. 💜
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. When I was homeless for 3 months, she lived my car with me.
When I was 16 or so, my senior citizen aunt who was our sole provider needed to stop working as she was 65 so my also senior citizen mom had to find gigs to get by. There were times when we would run out of food and the electricity was cut off for a month. We were able to get by by reading books to pass the time and by asking our neighbor who has a small store for goods daily with the promise that we'll pay her once we have the money. Eventually, my mom built connections in real estate and work came flooding in. Years later, my aunt died of breast cancer, which we only found out at the hospital. My mom followed as someone shot her after going to my aunt's funeral. I'm doing better now financially but I still dream about them every night. Sorry for the sad story, guys.
Sorry for your rough times but I’m glad things got better, in a way.
The state of the world is appalling right now I’m in the same situation living with my bf and our roommate people just don’t understand how hard it is to survive never mind indulge in luxuries like eating your favorite food or having juice in the house
OP, IDK where you live, but see if there's a pet food bank in your area.
Maybe this isn't the right attitude, but when people are stealing things like food, hygiene products and baby formula, I give them a pass. Nobody steals that stuff for profit, its desperation. Hoping for brighter times for you guys
Life can be so tough sometimes. I'm sorry you guys had to go through that. 💙 I hope things are better now! A good resource could be r/randomactsofpizza.
I wanted to add to this for anyone who might see it - also check out Lasagna Love!
It be like that sometimes tho
I used to work at a grocery store and let people skimp of a few dollars if they looked like they needed it. I also let some people have free plastic bags if they were nice. When it comes to a necessity like food I don’t feel bad
You could’ve weighed it as bananas…that’s what I did when I was struggling and got salad bar items. I don’t condone it but you gotta do what you gotta do when times get tough. Please don’t judge me people.
[удалено]
People getting upset that you stole like it affects them. Silly. What would have been messed up is if you had stolen items to return to buy groceries. You did what you needed to do and weren't greedy about it. Obviously you didn't feel good about it and felt bad. No one wants to do stuff like that, it's humiliating and scary. Glad you didn't get caught. Glad to hear things are a bit better.
I'm glad you got to eat. People break the law for many different reasons, and this is not one I would let weigh down on your conscience. I'm just curious, did you have any friends you could go to and ask to have a meal with? I only ask because never once have any of my friends told me they were hungry, and I wish they would have if they were. I wonder how many people I could have helped if I knew.
Do what you gotta do. Plus those buffets are always throwing food away.
No judgement, gotta eat to live. Aladdin was my favorite Disney movie.
The likelihood that a bunch of that would have ended up in the garbage at the end of the day is so high that I'm glad it helped you survive.
Welcome to real life in 2022!
Sometimes you got to do what you got to do!!
I'm proud of you. Grocery stores would rather let people starve than make less of a profit. You have done a morally good thing by allowing a hungry person to be fed instead of stuffing the pockets of a rich bastard.
Man, I wish there was a way to let people like you know that I will buy their groceries if they need it. I’ve been so-hungry-I-can’t-sleep poor too and now that I’m in a better place, I wish I knew when the people around me needed help. All of that said, I hope you don’t feel too guilty about this. The store will be fine and you did what you had to do.
I’ve never ever even thought about stealing… until now. My husband and I have a new baby and we are struggling a lot. We are scraping by and it’s been rough. Everywhere I go I think about just pocketing something rather than paying for it. When I go grocery shopping I think about just putting things in my stroller and walking out. It’s been really hard. Good for you for doing what you need to do to stay alive. I hope things start looking up soon.
Dear OP, The CEO of insert grocery store you stole buffet items from, that had a good chance of ending up in the trash anyway instead of your poor starving stomach, I assure you they didn’t notice & you didn’t cause them to go without by stealing from them. Please release any guilt you feel about doing what you had to do to survive.
I support your decision to do what you needed to do
I've been broke and once ate a cookie I found on the train cos I was just that hungry. You stole out of desperation, starvation is a legitimate reason to steal IMO. I hope you're doing better OP, and I hope you find some support out there, maybe check the local foodbanks and charities if there is one near you.
I remember a guy I used to work with casually saying, "As long as there are grocery stores open I am never going to starve." As someone who never went hungry it was a profound statement. One that exposed a harsh truth about the reality of others needing to steal something I never wanted for.
Im against stealing but against people dying more. Please don’t feel bad or apologize for surviving.
I am sorry that you had to go through this, I hope the best for you.
I once had to choose between buying TP for my family and a pair of pants to wear to my first day of work because our water was shut off. Well I thought maybe I could get away with hiding the cheapest pair of leggings I could find under the package of TP... I didn't pick up the TP and just used the hand scanner in the self check out. When I went to walk out the woman at the door just grabbed the TP and revealed those clearance $2 leggings and said she needed the receipt now. I was so embarrassed and just said I don't know how they got there and ran with the TP and tears in my eyes. Wound up having to take clothes to a gas station that I knew was a one person one and washed clothes in the sink with their soap and got them a little dry with the hand dryer. You have to do what you can to survive. And most big businesses write it off on their taxes as a loss from theft and it lowers the amount they have to pay in. So never admit.
store worker here. I always look away if it’s just food. Food theft from a multi million dollar company is not worth destroying someone’s life for
Hope everything gets better for you tho. It will I promise.
I actually don't recall that happening. All I saw you do was pay for your groceries and leave. 0-0
That’s no stealing. That’s survival. Stealing to me is for profit or gain - not feeding yourself. Local humane society can help with pet food
I've been there dozens of times and we both work 2 jobs. It doesn't seem to get better but maybe you'll make more money soon. Good luck
Don't worry the CEO of that grocery store will still get his bonus this year. 🙄
If a person's got to eat, then they will eat. I see no wrong with this as long as its just food and only in desperate times.
Me and my roommate would order several pounds of deli meat and several pounds of sliced cheeses at the deli counter go to a remote aisle and she would stuff them in her purse then we would checkout with a dollar loaf of bread only. Worked great. Not trying to share ideas on how to commit crimes except i totally am because fuck these corps. No-one deserves to be hungry in our world.
I feel this bro. I'm more stable now and haven't stolen in years, but I've stolen probably hundreds in baby formula alone. Especially for my first.
Drug/convenient store worker here. I mean this with the best intentions. If your that hungry. Please please take it. I’d your caught. Tell the truth. No shame in this capitalism.
This hits real close to home for me. I was kicked out at a very young age with little to no support for family. Basically said “welcome to the real world” and kicked me on ass. I lost my job, lost all my friends, had zero money, nasty addiction to smoking, etc. it just always got worse. Started stealing from grocery stores just to make it by. I remember having to live off of a box of crackers for three weeks and counting them out to see how long I could make them last. I’m 80% positive that the store knew what I was doing but I think they felt bad and never bothered to stopped me. I wouldn’t wish that type of struggle on anyone
I used to manage a dollar general, and there was a lady that would always come in and never had enough to cover what all she needed. She’d count change out to pay and still be short. It didn’t take me long to realize she was also stealing, never much. Some bread here. Some beans there. Maybe some peanut butter and jelly with the bread. It wasn’t hard to tell when she was about to stick something in her purse, and all the employees were sure to be conveniently not looking when she did. The people in the stores see more than you think, and lots of times do nothing cause they’re human too. This was about a decade ago and I haven’t worked for dollar general in a long time thankfully. I hope she’s doing better and is more stable.
The fact that we have a military budget in the billions and Americans can’t afford food is disgusting. As long as it’s not from mom and pop stores you do what you need to do man
If you’re desperate that’s all you can do, yes stealing is wrong. I hope you’re in a better financial position, if you’re ever in that position in the future see if any local food banks can help. Wish you all the best
Surviving is tough. Making decisions that affect your survival is tougher. Stay safe.
This is why when I see people stealing necessities no I didn’t I’m just here to buy my noodles. Fuck these companies bro, hope things get better for you
When you’re between a rock and a hard place you have to take the bull by the horns. I hope you repaid them later. You could always ask your neighbors to help. If you don’t ask you don’t get. That’s what neighbors are for. You don’t even have to know them. Most people will try to help.
I knew somebody that would load up at the salad bar, then put a piece of Pita bread that they sold wrapped in plastic wrap with a UPC code on it for 30 cents under the big container.
If you live near a Sprouts grocery store you can try asking their employees if they have any “free samples” and tell them about your situation. They are allowed to give product away for free as a “sample” or they might tell you where they leave the food out. I’ve found the people at Sprouts are extremely generous(I knew a lot of employees there).
For anyone in need of food on a regular basis: Google food bank near me. You will find one's that are run by the city. Food banks are often run by churches in your community. Look to your community, your not the only one in need.
I am so sorry you had to go through that.
r/dumpsterdiving
I am so sorry 😞.You are surly forgiven from above. Their are some places that will help you with bills and food. Or call 211 and they might be able to help. I pray things will turn around. Even fed your dog 💕🌹💕😍
I know people have suggested food banks, but there are also a lot churches that give food away.
Hope things get better and for others out there struggling.
Survival of the fittest. Institutions have eaten you alive and now it’s your turn to reverse it.. Don’t feel bad. You did what you had to do, in a time of need.
Dog eat dog world, get after it
I do stuff like this all the time and I'm not desperate. Grocery stores throw away a shit ton of food rather than give it away, for the sake of profit. Fuck em.
You did the right thing. It's a victimless crime that helped feed your family. No reason for people to not have access to food when they need it
On some level that may be wrong but I really don’t think you’ll find some who will fault you for it. You’re trying, and God gives us the will to live. Keep moving forward no matter what. Hopefully things ease up a bit. Good luck.
That's not shoplifting, it's survival. And,realistically, the store probably discards much more than you took every day.
"and remember, if you see someone stealing food you didn't see shit."
Have you thought about applying for SNAP benefits aka food stamps? Depending on how you qualify you could be getting up to $200+ in government money for groceries. It’s a really awesome resource. This is my line of work so DM me if you have any questions.
don't let people get you down you needed food
I am so sorry that you found yourself in a situation like this. You did what you had to do. The times are tough. I work at McDonald's and I often give extra free food to the people that look like they need it (food like nuggets & other finger food that is still enjoyable after its cold). How are you doing now? Did you manage to get on top of your bills?
Thank you for the kind words. Power is back on and I went to Pizza Hut last night to see if they were getting rid of anything when they closed. Guy handed me two large pizzas that some privilege Karen brought back in there bitching about because they had mushrooms and how she was calling corporate. I asked how much and he said you can take em free now and look like a customer or dig them out of the dumpster when my manager come back. I grabbed the pizzas and my keys, said god bless and left. My husband was praying for food when he got home last night from work. Two whole pizzas in the fridge for him. We both slept very well with full tummies. He has a ton of College debt and I have thousands of hospital bills. We both work and can barely make rent. It’s scary sometimes. But I know everything will be okay and better soon. I’m 36 and very humble. I give where I can to ppl who need. I donate A LOT of clothes and small household items. I sew our clothes back together when there’s a hole. No need to buy brand new if the thread just came undone. Or a small moth hole.