“My Partner Has No Self-Control: Should I Get a Fridge Lock?”

It all started innocently enough. My partner, Alex, has always had a healthy appetite. But lately, it seems like their hunger knows no bounds. Every time I open the fridge, it’s like a tornado has swept through. The leftovers I was counting on for lunch? Gone. The snacks I bought for the week? Vanished. Even the ingredients for tonight’s dinner? Disappeared without a trace.

I first noticed the problem a few months ago. I had just come back from the grocery store, arms laden with bags of fresh produce, meats, and dairy. I carefully organized everything in the fridge, feeling a sense of accomplishment. But by the next morning, half of it was gone. At first, I thought maybe I had miscalculated how much I bought. But as the days went by, it became clear: Alex was eating everything in sight.

I tried talking to them about it. “Alex, we need to be more mindful about our food consumption,” I said gently. “We can’t afford to keep buying groceries at this rate.”

Alex looked at me sheepishly. “I know, I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

But nothing changed. If anything, it got worse. I started hiding snacks in my office drawer and keeping a stash of non-perishables in the trunk of my car. But no matter what I did, Alex always seemed to find a way to devour everything.

One day, while browsing online, I stumbled upon an ad for a fridge lock. It was a simple device that could be attached to the fridge door, requiring a key to open. At first, I laughed at the absurdity of it. But as the days went by and my frustration grew, I started to seriously consider it.

I brought up the idea to my friend Sarah over coffee one afternoon. “Do you think it’s crazy to get a lock for my fridge?” I asked.

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “Who are you trying to protect your fridge from?”

“From Alex,” I admitted. “Sometimes I think if there’s ever a food shortage, I’ll be the one starving.”

Sarah chuckled but then saw the seriousness in my eyes. “Maybe it’s not such a bad idea,” she said thoughtfully. “It might help Alex realize how serious this is.”

So, I ordered the lock. When it arrived, I felt a mix of relief and guilt. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths? But after another week of empty fridges and broken promises, I decided to install it.

The first time Alex encountered the locked fridge, they were furious. “Are you serious?” they shouted. “You don’t trust me enough to leave the fridge unlocked?”

“It’s not about trust,” I said calmly. “It’s about making sure we have enough food for both of us.”

But Alex didn’t see it that way. They saw it as a betrayal, a sign that I didn’t believe in their ability to change. The tension between us grew, and our once-happy home became a battleground.

Weeks turned into months, and the lock remained on the fridge. Alex’s resentment festered, and our relationship deteriorated. We stopped talking about anything meaningful, our conversations reduced to curt exchanges about household chores and bills.

One evening, after another silent dinner, Alex packed a bag and left. They didn’t say where they were going or when they’d be back. As the door closed behind them, I felt a pang of regret. Had I pushed them too far? Was there another way to handle this?

Days turned into weeks, and Alex didn’t return. The fridge lock remained in place, but now it felt like a symbol of our broken relationship rather than a solution to our problems.

In the end, the lock didn’t save our food or our relationship. It only highlighted the deeper issues we had ignored for too long.