Living with a roommate can be fun—sharing rent, chores, and good company. However, it can also come with its challenges, especially when one person takes advantage of the other. I learned this lesson the hard way with my roommate, Taryn. She repeatedly asked me to pick up groceries for her, only to never pay me back.

At first, it seemed harmless. We had a casual understanding—if one of us went grocery shopping, we’d pick up a few things for the other. Since I did most of the shopping, it felt like an even trade. But it didn’t take long for me to realize Taryn wasn’t following through on her promise to reimburse me.

It started with small items like milk or eggs. “Can you grab a couple of things? I’ll send you the money later,” she’d say. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But soon, her requests grew more frequent—and more expensive. Imported chocolates, fancy cheeses, artisanal bread, and even wine started showing up on her lists. Each time, she promised she’d pay me back. And each time, she didn’t.

When I gently reminded her, she’d laugh it off. “Oh, I totally forgot! I’ll get it to you tomorrow,” she’d say. But ‘tomorrow’ never came. Meanwhile, I watched her spending money on things like designer clothes, takeout, and weekend trips—things that made it clear paying me back wasn’t a priority.

The turning point came one night when I came home to find Taryn hosting a party in our apartment. The living room was full of people, the music was blasting, and there was a spread of food—food that I had bought for her, yet she hadn’t reimbursed me for. That’s when I realized I had to take action. She was hosting a party with the very groceries I had paid for, all while I was struggling to stick to my budget.

A few days later, Taryn handed me another grocery list for a “girls’ night” she was hosting. This list included premium wines, gourmet meats, exotic fruits, and even caviar. I saw an opportunity to teach her a lesson.

I went to the dollar store and bought knock-off versions of everything on the list. Instead of premium wine, I bought a cheap bottle of grape juice. For the exotic fruits, I grabbed canned peaches and pineapple. I bought processed cheese slices instead of fancy cheeses, and black-dyed gelatin pearls as a substitute for caviar. I also got bargain-bin candy and questionable deli meats. Everything was arranged neatly in the fridge, looking as fancy as possible.

When Taryn and her guests arrived, she eagerly set up the spread, pouring the “wine” and serving the “cheese.” When she took a sip of the “wine,” she choked in disgust. “What is this?!” she demanded. I simply replied, “It’s what you asked for. Premium wine.” Next, she tried the cheese and realized it was processed, not aged cheddar. The “caviar” was even worse. Her guests started murmuring about how weird everything tasted, and Taryn was mortified.

Once the party ended, she was furious. “What the hell was that?!” she yelled. I replied, “Oh, you mean the groceries? I got everything you asked for—just on my budget this time.”

From that night on, Taryn never asked me for groceries again. She even began to slowly pay me back for the items she owed. Eventually, I moved out when our lease ended, but I’d learned a valuable lesson: people only learn when they experience things for themselves. I didn’t yell or argue—I just gave her a taste of her own medicine. And it worked.