34
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
It is difficult to share "leftover food" assuming you mean the food you just had during lunch and did not finish. (If you meant the leftover dinner from yesterday, you can skip to the ...
- 547
15
votes
Accepted
How to deal with someone who always takes, but never gives back?
It depends on whether you want to keep the relationship.
How important is this person to you?
What is it that keeps you going back to help them?
Once you answer these for yourself, you have two ...
- 9,779
14
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
First, do not offer food that has already been on your plate or has been touched with your eating utensils (fork, etc) after you've taken a bite. For this to work it needs to be clear that the food ...
- 3,296
9
votes
Etiquette of sharing food at workplace?
Indian here. Sharing food is an untold courtesy and few of them deem themselves entitled to take a bite of food from our lunch boxes, yes, without asking.
Handling it varies from person to person, ...
- 1,008
8
votes
Accepted
How do I balance saying no and being liked?
Your best approach here is to be honest but keep it about yourself instead of the other person:
I'm sorry, but it's my personal policy to not lend anything I'd be unhappy giving as a gift, and I ...
- 5,891
8
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my leftover food?
I don't think you can. You can share. Bring food specially cooked for them.
You wanted to be nice and avoid wasting food. I don't ...
- 22.1k
6
votes
Merging a chore schedule
Surely your life is not so blissfully chore free that all there is in the world is dishes? Why not say that she will do all the dishes all the time, on her schedule, since she feels the need to do ...
- 44.5k
6
votes
Accepted
How to deal with lack of reciprocity in sharing information?
It is true that friends share information. It is also true that generously sharing information with someone may be one of the steps that leads towards your becoming friends. But this isn't ...
- 44.5k
6
votes
My roommate cooks so much I don't get a turn with the kitchen
The problem isn't that your roommate uses the kitchen too much, the problem is you both want to use it at the same time. If she only cooked for thirty minutes a day, but it was during your break from ...
- 5,891
6
votes
Accepted
How to tell flatmate that one of her visitors often leaves the toilet in a dirty state?
If nothing else helps you will have to be honest. But you have options before that.
Start the soft and subtle way that doesn't address one person directly but expresses your wish in general.
Place a ...
- 1,507
5
votes
How can I make it clear that a conversation with a friend should stay private?
Assumptions
Firstly from what you have said I am going to assume your friend is speaking in good faith about the miscommunication on the confidentiality of the information as opposed to trying to ...
- 509
5
votes
How can I make it clear that a conversation with a friend should stay private?
. . . how do I get my friend to not share what we talk about with others?
There really is no infallible method for doing this; it all relies upon the principles of trust and understanding.
You need ...
- 3,368
5
votes
Accepted
Merging a chore schedule
If she can't stand, specifically, SEEING dirty dishes in the sink, maybe you could consider putting them "out of sight and out of mind". This worked for me in my bachelor days, when I could leave ...
- 66
5
votes
How to politely ask roommate not to spend too much time in bathroom?
Ask him to give you a chance to use the bathroom briefly before he goes in. That way, you won't have an emergency, and he can read the newspaper cover to cover. This is what we try to do at my house,...
- 2,896
4
votes
Etiquette of sharing food at workplace?
You have a few options here:
Eat together with them: Now you can eat some of the food that they offer. However, given the vast diversity in the food that people bring, this might not suit your ...
- 899
4
votes
How to politely let someone know that their feedback is unhelpful?
How do I let this person know that I find these kinds of replies unhelpful?
Telling someone their feedback isn't helpful is by itself not helpful either. Unless this person is intentionally giving ...
- 6,366
4
votes
How to deal with someone who always takes, but never gives back?
Learn to use the magic word, NO. It's really the kindest thing you can do for him. Apparently he's used up everyone else, that's why he has only you to turn to. When you finally give him a NO, without ...
- 41
4
votes
How to better share personal details with my mum?
Transparency about your personal space is paramount
When you share details to your mom, she asks questions at a rate that is uncomfortable and causes the reactions stated in your question. It doesn'...
- 564
4
votes
Accepted
How to better share personal details with my mum?
She asked me a barrage of personal questions, most I did not know the answers to and all of them I felt too awkward to answer.
Tell her how you feel.
The easiest way to make your interactions with ...
- 9,052
3
votes
Merging a chore schedule
Your challenge, which you have stated (although in not so many words) is a fundamental difference of opinion in how the dishes should be done. You have a more relaxed way of doing dishes; she is more ...
- 32.4k
3
votes
How to better share personal details with my mum?
As kids, parents are active participants in their kids' lives. Once you become adults, they are more spectators. It's harder for some people to switch roles than for others and a lot of it depends ...
- 32.4k
3
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
I wouldn't ask this of a coworker or peer. The reasons are fairly obvious. There may be fears of hygiene, allergies, etc. Plus the problem of insulting someone by suggesting that they don't have ...
- 5,543
2
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
It may be due to a different culture, but as a high-school student in Hungary, while eating with people I know, if I have leftovers I just say something like "Hey, does anyone need a sandwich/piece of ...
- 663
2
votes
How to politely ask someone if they want to eat my (leftover) food?
Don't present it as something lesser
If someone told me
Do you want this food, because I don't want it
I could imagine that I would consider that impolite.
Instead present the food as something ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
How to approach boundary setting when family composition changes?
As the original poster, I can't say this is the best solution, it's just how the situation played out.
I don't believe there's necessarily a most correct course of action here, since much of this is ...
- 81
2
votes
How to approach the topic of splitting a vacation rental bill by ability to pay?
When it comes to money and friends/family, I have had great success with one attitude. If someone needs financial help, and asks to borrow money or I offer it - I go into it expecting nothing in ...
- 2,472
2
votes
My roommate cooks so much I don't get a turn with the kitchen
Just be a normal person and share the space. The kitchen is as much yours as it is the roommate's. Simply say:
Hey I'll get in here and cook some of my stuff, may you please make a little room for me ...
1
vote
How to approach the topic of splitting a vacation rental bill by ability to pay?
One approach I've had good luck with in the past in similar situations is paying the entire cost and saying something along the lines of:
Hey everyone, I'm going to buy this. It cost $800. If you ...
- 113
1
vote
How to approach the topic of splitting a vacation rental bill by ability to pay?
I have experience of costs of an entertainment (office parties) being spread unequally so that very junior staff can come without incurring a cost that for them would be prohibitive. It is considered ...
- 190
1
vote
How to deal with someone who always takes, but never gives back?
You can point it out. "Have you noticed I hear from you only when you need something from me?". "I'm not sure if it is just a coincidence or a rule but whenever we met you wanted something from me." ...
- 754
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible