Coworker Charges Full Price for Expired Food Delivery Meals

A coworker tried to offload two soon-to-expire food delivery meals, and the price she picked turned a casual office favor into an awkward mini-drama. It’s one of those workplace moments where everyone thinks they’re being reasonable, until the numbers hit.

OP had already heard the usual chatter about meal kits and delivery services, and they even tried a trial order once, so they knew these meals can be wildly overpriced. Then, when the coworker messed up her delivery window and ended up with extra meals she planned to throw away, OP offered to buy them. The catch? She brought in two chicken meals and said they needed to be cooked that day, then quoted $80, full price.

OP just stood there thinking, “If these are expiring, why is the bill the same?”

Original Post

My coworkers are big into food delivery services and it's a common conversation in our office. I've tried a trial order before and it wasn't for me - the meals were really expensive compared to regular meal prepping.

Two days ago, one of my coworkers was complaining she messed up her delivery window and now has too many meals, so a few of them would have to be thrown away. I told her if she was going to throw them away I could buy them off her.

Today she brought two chicken meals in and told me they would need to be cooked today because they were expiring soon. I asked her how much she wanted for them and she said $80 - full price.

I was awkwardly quiet about it for a minute and said I will take one of them. She didnt really say anything back but I could tell she was annoyed.

She works in the connecting office so I havent had a chance to talk about it with her, but charging full price after having a conversion about them expiring soon was really unexpected. Should I pay the price though?

We never agreed on a price ahead of time and there seems to have been a lot of miscommunication, so if I'm in the wrong I would like to know before talking to her. Edit - thanks for responses guys.

I talked to her and told her that I appreciated her bringing the food but it was more expensive than I expected and I was going to pass. She didn’t really have much to say back, she wasn’t upset but changed the subject.

I did check the servings before she took them though and they were 2 servings each. Definitely not $80…

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This office food drama feels similar to someone resenting their dad’s unequal inheritance split with an estranged half-brother.

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The whole thing starts with the coworker admitting she messed up the delivery window and would otherwise toss the meals, right in the office conversation OP can’t ignore.

Then OP asks for the price, hears $80 for two chicken meals, and immediately realizes she’s treating “expiring soon” like it’s still “full price.”

After OP goes quiet and later checks the servings, the math gets even worse, because the meals are listed as two servings each, not some mystery deluxe bundle.

In the end, OP talks to her directly, passes on buying them, and the coworker shrugs it off and changes the subject like nothing happened.

What's your opinion on this situation? Join the conversation!

The only thing that got cooked that day was OP’s patience.

Want another awkward family fight, read whether this woman should share her inheritance with her aunts.