How do I deal with a freeloader?

Question

my officemate is always taking cigarettes from my pack. i don't usually mind but the thing is, it happens every day. every morning, we have coffee with other colleagues and without fail, she always takes from my pack. and all throughtout the day, she comes to my desk and automatically takes a stick or two, sometimes without asking me. i've already asked her to get her own pack but she said her boyfriend 'allows' her to smoke only when she's with him so she can't keep a pack in her bag. i know its a small issue but its really starting to irritate me. oftentimes my pack is empty by midday and its so inconvenient that i can't take a cigarette break because she's already taken them for herself - even when she's sees there's only 1 or 2 sticks left. then the next day, the same thing happens.

how would you deal with a freeloader?

Answer 1

Buy her a pack of cigarettes and put them in her desk with a sticky note on them that says, "Your boyfriend will never find these.  Now you don't have to mooch."  

Answer 2

Be honest with her about her freeloading, and put an end to it. "It's costing me a lot of money to keep us both in cigarettes, so you need to start buying your own please." or when she comes in to take (without asking, how rude!) take the pack out of her hands and tell her you're done "sharing" especially without giving permission. Her excuse about her boyfriend sounds weak; she sounds like someone just looking for a free ride. Tell her point-blank to stop going in your bag, and that she should find her smokes elsewhere - say, in a store after she's paid for them.

Best Regards,

Holly

Answer 3

Find a better hiding place for them. When you go out for morning break only bring one cigarette. Tell her to buy a pack and hide them in her desk at work so her boyfriend does not know.

Answer 4

I would move my cigarettes to a drawer I could lock or just hide them from her all together. I would tell her unless she is willing to give you some money on it you no longer can share your cigarettes with her. Also her excuse is poor. Why can't she just buy her own and keep them at her desk?  OR I would just report her for theft, I know it sounds mean but she is pretty inconsiderate, what makes her think its okay to take the last one when its not hers and didn't pay for it or asked permission for it either?  

Answer 5

Simply put your cigarettes away and say nothing.  When the moocher comes around, say you do not have any, and would she mind going to the store and buying you some?  I'm pretty sure she will get the message.

Answer 6

Stop giving to her. Keep your pack in your pocket or something. If she comes by and asks if you have any, say you only have one.

When you go out to smoke on break, only bring one. Take it out of the pack before you leave your desk.

Answer 7

You don't need to be harsh or rude.  You don't need to embarrass her in front of other people.  But you need to tell her that she is freeloading off of you and that's not okay with you.

Answer 8

make a big obvious stink about it in front of other people.  "Yo freeloader! get your own!"

or start charging.

"since you're mooching my cigs, i want cold cash or get your own."

Answer 9

You can just say it in a nice way "No, you're not bumming any more cigarettes off of me." You don't have to yell or be mean, but do be firm and don't budge from your standpoint that you're not going to let her take cigarettes from you anymore.  If she insists, then at least insist that she pay for every other pack, if she's smoking half of them anyway.

If neither of these suggestions works for you, you can hide the cigarettes where she can't find them, and if she still demands them, then either firmly say no or demand money.