Voting
Filed 23 hours ago
My Roommate Threw Out My Protein Powder Because It 'Smells Bad'
Roommate threw away $80 worth of protein powder claiming it stank up the kitchen. The other says it was sealed and fine.
⏱️ Voting closes:
👤 Marcus
I'm literally shaking writing this because I cannot believe someone would throw away MY food that I paid for with MY money.
I buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard whey protein. It's not cheap — the 5lb tub I had was $78 from Amazon. I keep it in the kitchen cabinet because that's where normal people keep food items. It was sealed. It was in its original container. It was not expired.
Last Tuesday I go to make my post-gym shake and the tub is just gone. I ask Jenna and she goes 'oh yeah I threw that out, it was making the whole kitchen smell like chemicals.' CHEMICALS? It's chocolate flavored whey protein. It smells like cocoa powder.
I asked her to pay me back. She said no because she 'did me a favor' since protein powder is 'bad for your kidneys anyway' — she literally got that from a TikTok. I showed her the receipt. She said it's not her problem and that shared spaces mean shared decisions about what stays.
Shared decisions? She has a kombucha SCOBY sitting on the counter that looks like an alien organism and smells like vinegar and I've never said a word. She has three different fermented foods in the fridge at any given time. But my sealed protein powder is the problem?
I told our other roommates and they all think she's wrong but nobody wants to get involved. She posted a passive aggressive Instagram story about 'living with gym bros who think the kitchen is their supplement store' and got like 200 likes which she showed me as proof she's right.
I want my $78 back. That's it. I'm not being unreasonable.
I buy Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard whey protein. It's not cheap — the 5lb tub I had was $78 from Amazon. I keep it in the kitchen cabinet because that's where normal people keep food items. It was sealed. It was in its original container. It was not expired.
Last Tuesday I go to make my post-gym shake and the tub is just gone. I ask Jenna and she goes 'oh yeah I threw that out, it was making the whole kitchen smell like chemicals.' CHEMICALS? It's chocolate flavored whey protein. It smells like cocoa powder.
I asked her to pay me back. She said no because she 'did me a favor' since protein powder is 'bad for your kidneys anyway' — she literally got that from a TikTok. I showed her the receipt. She said it's not her problem and that shared spaces mean shared decisions about what stays.
Shared decisions? She has a kombucha SCOBY sitting on the counter that looks like an alien organism and smells like vinegar and I've never said a word. She has three different fermented foods in the fridge at any given time. But my sealed protein powder is the problem?
I told our other roommates and they all think she's wrong but nobody wants to get involved. She posted a passive aggressive Instagram story about 'living with gym bros who think the kitchen is their supplement store' and got like 200 likes which she showed me as proof she's right.
I want my $78 back. That's it. I'm not being unreasonable.
VS
👤 Jenna
Let me paint the real picture here because Marcus is leaving out some key details.
First of all, that protein powder was NOT sealed. He scoops out of it multiple times a day and leaves the lid loose. Every time you open the cabinet, this wave of artificial sweetener and chemical smell hits you. I've asked him THREE times over the past month to either seal it properly or keep it in his room. He said 'yeah sure' each time and changed nothing.
Second, I have a pretty severe sensitivity to artificial sweeteners — the smell of sucralose genuinely makes me nauseous. I told him this. He said I was being dramatic.
So yes, after asking three times and being ignored, I threw it out. Was it the most mature move? Maybe not. But when someone repeatedly ignores your requests about a shared space, what are you supposed to do?
The kombucha comparison is ridiculous. My SCOBY is in a sealed glass jar with a cloth cover. It doesn't smell unless you stick your nose in it. His protein powder stinks up the entire cabinet and the area around it.
As for paying him back — I'm not paying $78 for something he could have avoided losing by simply listening to me any of the three times I brought it up. Actions have consequences. If he had kept it in his room or bought an airtight container like I suggested, we wouldn't be here.
And that Instagram story? I didn't name him. I was venting. He screenshots everything and turns it into a federal case. This whole situation could have been avoided with basic consideration for the people you live with.
First of all, that protein powder was NOT sealed. He scoops out of it multiple times a day and leaves the lid loose. Every time you open the cabinet, this wave of artificial sweetener and chemical smell hits you. I've asked him THREE times over the past month to either seal it properly or keep it in his room. He said 'yeah sure' each time and changed nothing.
Second, I have a pretty severe sensitivity to artificial sweeteners — the smell of sucralose genuinely makes me nauseous. I told him this. He said I was being dramatic.
So yes, after asking three times and being ignored, I threw it out. Was it the most mature move? Maybe not. But when someone repeatedly ignores your requests about a shared space, what are you supposed to do?
The kombucha comparison is ridiculous. My SCOBY is in a sealed glass jar with a cloth cover. It doesn't smell unless you stick your nose in it. His protein powder stinks up the entire cabinet and the area around it.
As for paying him back — I'm not paying $78 for something he could have avoided losing by simply listening to me any of the three times I brought it up. Actions have consequences. If he had kept it in his room or bought an airtight container like I suggested, we wouldn't be here.
And that Instagram story? I didn't name him. I was venting. He screenshots everything and turns it into a federal case. This whole situation could have been avoided with basic consideration for the people you live with.
⚖️ Cast Your Verdict
Both sides have spoken. Now it's your turn. Choose wisely — there are no appeals.
📊 Current Standings — 101 votes
🔵 Side A is right
23% (23)
🔴 Side B is right
15% (15)
💀 You're both wrong
8% (8)
🤷 You're both right
3% (3)
😤 A right, bad handling
14% (14)
😤 B right, bad handling
38% (38)
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