what would you think about a $30 breakfast

[harley]

I'm going camping next week. I'll be cooking for myself, but it will be three dinners, three lunches, and three breakfasts. I doubt I'll spend much more than $30 for all that, even eating well (tuna, steak, brats, eggs, sandwiches, etc). When I add in the alcohol costs it should still be under $100.

 

[UserRequested]

I'm going camping next week. I'll be cooking for myself, but it will be three dinners, three lunches, and three breakfasts. I doubt I'll spend much more than $30 for all that, even eating well (tuna, steak, brats, eggs, sandwiches, etc). When I add in the alcohol costs it should still be under $100.

$30 for food and $70 for alcohol is not best camping practice. I believe the recommended ratio is $20/$80

 

[MooreBonds]

I let him have $25 as the contribution.

Wait a minute - do you mean he wanted $30 from EACH person, or did he say the total receipt for the groceries was $30 total, with each person's share $7.50

If the former, then I would have simply paid $10 and told him to keep the change!

 

[dtbach]

Wait a minute - do you mean he wanted $30 from EACH person, or did he say the total receipt for the groceries was $30 total, with each person's share $7.50

If the former, then I would have simply paid $10 and told him to keep the change!

Everyone was asked how much they had paid for meals, snacks, etc that were shared among us. For example, I brought some Doritos, beef sticks, peanuts and crackers. Since I was taking half the box of crackers home, I said my share was $10 (even though I spent about $12).

So since he was taking back almost 2/3 of his stuff, we were rather shocked when he said to put him in for a $30. And really, since all the stuff was from Aldi's, I failed to see how he could have possibly paid $15 for all of it. And using 3 Tbs of oil from a liter bottle of oil, then taking it home and charging us full freight was past what I could take. And like I said when I pointed out that he was returning home with most of the stuff, perhaps it wasn't quite right to charge us for all of it.

That's when I got the "well, that's what the receipt was". Honestly, I can't remember a more unsocial thing in my life. It really ticked us all off and he will just never be invited along again. No loss.

 

[FUEGO]

Everyone was asked how much they had paid for meals, snacks, etc that were shared among us. For example, I brought some Doritos, beef sticks, peanuts and crackers. Since I was taking half the box of crackers home, I said my share was $10 (even though I spent about $12).

So since he was taking back almost 2/3 of his stuff, we were rather shocked when he said to put him in for a $30. And really, since all the stuff was from Aldi's, I failed to see how he could have possibly paid $15 for all of it. And using 3 Tbs of oil from a liter bottle of oil, then taking it home and charging us full freight was past what I could take. And like I said when I pointed out that he was returning home with most of the stuff, perhaps it wasn't quite right to charge us for all of it.

That's when I got the "well, that's what the receipt was". Honestly, I can't remember a more unsocial thing in my life. It really ticked us all off and he will just never be invited along again. No loss.

I call total BS if it was from Aldi's. That stuff would be right at $13 at our aldis (I shop there all the time and have bought all that stuff recently). Assuming we are talking Aldi's in the USA. And they don't have name brand versions of any of the items you listed, so no way he could have spent 2x the cost due to being a poor shopper.

That being said, the guy sounds like a bozo and I wouldn't trust him to go shopping if that is the way he wants to do things. Maybe if he's a cool guy I could see telling him straight up you got ripped off shopping at Aldi's, one of the other guys will go shopping and you can chip in your share of the cost next trip.

 

[Badger]

Since you mentioned drinks and such large amounts of food I suspect this wasn't backpacking. If it had been I would have left his raggedy self somewhere along the trail as soon as he took a personal break behind some trees. He certainly would have had enough food to keep from starving. Otherwise I would have deducted from the breakfast cost for the gas, oil change, wear and tear, and depreciation on the car to get him to the campground.

Cheers!

 

[Walt34]

I would never invite him again.

+1

There is a distinction between frugal and cheap. That's cheap.

 

[seraphim]

I'd have asked what else was on the receipt that wasn't produced at breakfast lol: the bottle of Jack Daniels he drank himself to sleep with, to ease his aching conscious?

 

[Sarah in SC]

At least it will make a good story the next time y'all are sitting around the campfire, sans the ripoff man!

 

[JoeWras]

Aldi's! Aldi's!?? And $30? Man, this plot thickens. We were having a hard time finding $30 at Whole Foods.

Surprised he didn't add in some interest for the 25 cents he had to give up temporarily for the shopping cart rental.

Sheesh. Take him off your camping list.

 

[timo2]

Now that I'm retired I like to go camping. Went with 3 other guys for a couple of days and we all pitched in for food but brought our own drinks.

The one camper was responsible for breakfast and made us some scrambled eggs, pancakes and sausage patties. The breakdown was that in total, there were 12 eggs used, 3 cups of pancake mix, a cup of milk, 3 Tbs of oil, 4 Tbs of butter. and about a pound of sausage.

The one camper of course took the rest of the materials back home with him. 3 sticks of butter, most of the syrup, oil, pancake mix, etc. He did not contribute anything else to the camp.

On the day we left he told us his contribution was $30!!! We were all credulous but grudging paid.

Am I right to think this is damn cheap??

Maybe you should ask him about it? my inner pollyanna thinks maybe he is just saving it for next time. or else you could invite him again and tell him to bring the leftover supplies from last time

 

[LoneAspen]

Oh, I'd invite him to another camping trip again.

Get him real drunk until he passes out in his tent, then pack up and move the entire campsite somewhere else and leave his cheap ass all alone in the woods.

 

[Mulligan]

Maybe you should ask him about it? my inner pollyanna thinks maybe he is just saving it for next time. or else you could invite him again and tell him to bring the leftover supplies from last time

Ya, that's a thought... He can bring the leftover supplies on the next trip and then tell everyone it cost $30 again.

 

[cantlogin]

+1.
Nor will I accept any invitation from him. Never mind him being cheap, but he is dishonest and took advantage of you guys. I would end any association with this person.

Exactly that.
The $30 or whatever amount of money that's involved has nothing to do with the core issue.

 

[mickeyd]

Am I right to think this is damn cheap??

One of you guys is not going to get invited to the next camping trip.

 

[kcowan]

I would cut the guy some slack. Maybe he is hard up or unabashedly cheap. Both conditions deserve some pity. I know I have paid more than my share on numerous occasions to keep the peace.

We get together every year since 1968 and I know I pay more than my share. But I am philosophical about it. Keeping in touch with the gang comes at a price. Not as ridiculous as your example, but somewhat inflated.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Maybe there was more than "about a pound of sausage"? That's all I can think of that would drive the cost up. I know Aldi's well and $30 would have covered the stuff for lunch too.

Geez, not even any bacon.

 

[Dawg52]

If you do forgive and decide to invite him back, I would next time request receipts from all to divvy up the expenses. I have been on golf trips where this has been done. But I doubt I would invite him back.

 

[freebird5825]

For $30, I want lobster for breakfast.

When I take friends out on my boat, I never ask for gas money. I do however ask them to bring beverages for themselves and food for me. More than fair! I've never had a refusal.

 

[kcowan]

I always insist in chipping in for gas on my friends' boats. And I never expect to get food or drink for nothing. Usually take my own and something for him.

 

[David1961]

Eggs $2
Milk $2
Butter $1
Sausage $4
Never going camping with this cheap bastard again..... priceless!

 

[Keim]

Eggs $2
Milk $2
Butter $1
Sausage $4
Never going camping with this cheap bastard again..... priceless!

I don't think this guy was a cheap bastard. I think he was a lying bastard. Big difference.

Us cheap bastards don't like to be associated with the lying bastards.

 

[harley]

I always insist in chipping in for gas on my friends' boats. And I never expect to get food or drink for nothing. Usually take my own and something for him.

I can't find it now, but I once read a quote from Andrew Carnegie or one of the other robber barons that said it's much cheaper to buy nice gifts for a friend who owns a boat than it is to own one yourself, or something to that effect. I've tried to live according to that idea.

 

[kmt1972]

Well, I was on a business trip to London in 2000 at the peak of the economic bubble. megacorp put me in a hotel which was in a very good location which I did not even think was that good shape (it was pretty run down) but the daily rate was $1200. And when I went to get breakfast which was just juice, break and an omelette and that came out to over $100. I was just shocked and awed. Thanks goodness that megacorp was paying. But I experienced a $100 breakfast. I since went to London three times every year and cost was never this high again.

 

[Pharmmgr]

Apparently you should have eaten more of the food to get your money's worth.

This was my exact thought!

I go fishing each year with same group friends, been doing for like 20 years. Use to assign days or meals to folks, now we meet at our location and go food shopping. Bill is split four ways. Same thing at the beer shop. Just easier. We never have anything left over