Here's why people are suddenly padlocking their food
- Replies 35
Gone are the days when you could trust your food would still be there when you returned to the fridge.
More and more people report that their groceries and lunches are going missing—and they're turning to padlocks to stop the thieves.
The rising cost of living has left many Australians strapped for cash. With grocery prices skyrocketing, some cash-strapped folks are helping themselves to their housemate's or colleague's food.
While this may seem harmless to the thief, food insecurity is a growing problem.
One incident of food theft involved a mum who needed to purchase allergy-safe food for her one-year-old child. However, much of this special food kept disappearing, leading her to suspect one of her housemates as the likely culprit.
Despite her attempts to address the issue by talking to her housemates about the missing food, no one admitted to being responsible for the theft, and the problem persisted.
To address the problem, she came up with a rather unusual idea. She bought four $1 Woolworths bags and four padlocks for $6, totalling $10.
Even better, these bags were designed to be thin enough to maintain the cold temperature of her food, leaving her not to worry about the food going bad.
So, how does she use these to 'safeguard' her groceries? She tied the bag handles tightly and secured them with a padlock at the top. Once locked, the bag couldn't be opened without cutting it open.
'No one can steal the food unless they cut open the bag, which is super obvious, and no one has done it yet,' she said.
Since adopting her strategy with the lockable bags, the mum reported she had not experienced any further incidents of stolen or missing food. She decided to share this tip on social media, and it quickly gained traction.
Many people were enthusiastic about trying it, with one user commenting, 'That's great! And they can't see what you have in there to tempt them as well.'
Another person empathised, saying, 'Great idea! It sucks that you had to do this, though.'
Surprisingly, the mother wasn't the only one facing this issue of disappearing groceries.
Another person shared she also had to take drastic measures to protect her lunch. She started using a $12 lunch bag from Kmart and a $5 lock to safeguard her food from her colleagues.
The widespread need for such measures surprised many on social media, highlighting the extent to which people were resorting to prevent food theft.
Some even shared stories of experiencing lunch theft, particularly in communal fridges.
'I had to get a lock for my daughter's bag as she kept having her lunch stolen at school. It fixed the problem,' one mum shared.
Another commented: 'We watch a very highly paid person (earns double what we earn) in our office help themselves to other people's lunches…'
Food theft is undoubtedly frustrating, but it's certainly a worrying trend and a sign of the times.
Members, have you ever had the unfortunate experience of dealing with food or grocery theft before? If so, how did you handle the situation?
Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear your stories and any advice you might have for others who may find themselves in a similar situation.
More and more people report that their groceries and lunches are going missing—and they're turning to padlocks to stop the thieves.
The rising cost of living has left many Australians strapped for cash. With grocery prices skyrocketing, some cash-strapped folks are helping themselves to their housemate's or colleague's food.
While this may seem harmless to the thief, food insecurity is a growing problem.
A mum has been forced to padlock her groceries in $1 Woolworths bags in her fridge to stop her housemates from stealing her food. Credit: Facebook/Women Advice & Banter.
One incident of food theft involved a mum who needed to purchase allergy-safe food for her one-year-old child. However, much of this special food kept disappearing, leading her to suspect one of her housemates as the likely culprit.
Despite her attempts to address the issue by talking to her housemates about the missing food, no one admitted to being responsible for the theft, and the problem persisted.
To address the problem, she came up with a rather unusual idea. She bought four $1 Woolworths bags and four padlocks for $6, totalling $10.
Even better, these bags were designed to be thin enough to maintain the cold temperature of her food, leaving her not to worry about the food going bad.
So, how does she use these to 'safeguard' her groceries? She tied the bag handles tightly and secured them with a padlock at the top. Once locked, the bag couldn't be opened without cutting it open.
'No one can steal the food unless they cut open the bag, which is super obvious, and no one has done it yet,' she said.
Since adopting her strategy with the lockable bags, the mum reported she had not experienced any further incidents of stolen or missing food. She decided to share this tip on social media, and it quickly gained traction.
Many people were enthusiastic about trying it, with one user commenting, 'That's great! And they can't see what you have in there to tempt them as well.'
Another person empathised, saying, 'Great idea! It sucks that you had to do this, though.'
Surprisingly, the mother wasn't the only one facing this issue of disappearing groceries.
Another person shared she also had to take drastic measures to protect her lunch. She started using a $12 lunch bag from Kmart and a $5 lock to safeguard her food from her colleagues.
The widespread need for such measures surprised many on social media, highlighting the extent to which people were resorting to prevent food theft.
Some even shared stories of experiencing lunch theft, particularly in communal fridges.
'I had to get a lock for my daughter's bag as she kept having her lunch stolen at school. It fixed the problem,' one mum shared.
Another commented: 'We watch a very highly paid person (earns double what we earn) in our office help themselves to other people's lunches…'
Food theft is undoubtedly frustrating, but it's certainly a worrying trend and a sign of the times.
Members, have you ever had the unfortunate experience of dealing with food or grocery theft before? If so, how did you handle the situation?
Please share your experiences with us in the comments below; we'd love to hear your stories and any advice you might have for others who may find themselves in a similar situation.
.png){kind=icon}
