They always say they're coming, and then never show up?

I recently had a small get together. I invited a good amount of people. A few of the people who were supposed to come said that they were coming, and then never showed up. Never even called.

It was still a good time! Good conversation, good company! But how should I feel about these no shows?

They always invite my boyfriend and I out to dinner with them, or they invite us over when they have partys. But when ever I invite them over, or out, they say they'd love to..and then never show? Or cancle out at the last minute?

Obviously I'm not going to count on these people comming anymore. Its a bummer becuase its 3 girls + their husbans/boyfriends. So 6 people who dont show up. But I alwyas buy enough beer/drinks/food just incase they do show up.

I'd feel badly not inviting them b/c I invite other people that they know. I dont want to seem rude & I dont want them to feel excluded.
How do I handle this situation?

This time I called them the day of the party and said "If you're not going to come please let me know by this afternoon. I'm going to go out around 3 to get the food and everything and I need to know how much stuff I should get"...

I left it as a message for 2 of them (who didnt asnwer the phone) and then I spoke to one of the girls who said that she and her husband would still love to come.

Once again, they didnt show up.

BTW. I work with these people.

yeah, i agree, theres no use inviting them and every time you do they dont show

thats jsut rude, and if they never call to cancle thats worse, theres no need
and theres no reason for you to be put out and feeling somewhat insulted and embarassed by their lack of manners

just stop inviting htme, i know you dont want to cause any hassle,
but
YOU are not causing hassle,
THEY have caused it
you are just responding appropriately
and then you explain if they ever askwhy you dont invite them

plain and simple
'i couldnt keep affording to set extra places for you, extra food and drinks, when you never showed up every time',

they are just rude, and you can probably do with out them anyway.....

you already gave them a last chance by YOUR trying to phone them and giving them the opportunity to cancle or confirm
that
was infact YOU going out of your way for them,
when they are they ones causing the problems and inconvinience to you

id say you should give it up now

work with them,, thats all you have to do, you dont necesarily have to be friends with them
they dotn seem to be good friends anyway

all you can do is invite them to 'important' occasions, like xmas parties you have or whatever
(but dont expect them to show and buy any extra stuff for them and if they did show and you dont have enough, you simply say 'oh i didnt expect you to come sorry, im sure we can find you somewhere to sit, come on in')

id say thats you still being polite, and not being put out by their constant unreliability

That's rude.

I'm tempted to say stop inviting them; that way you don't plan for them and waste your money. If they ask, just apoligetically explain that you thought they wouldn't be interested, as they never show, and that you needed to be able to plan the event.

Or, continue to invite them, but don't expect them. (Maybe get enough, but of things that keep, or that you can have as leftovers.)

It is rude to accept an invitation and then not show. Even if an emergency cropped up (and these things genuinely do crop up from time to time), you should call. People who have twice accepted an invitation then not showed or called with a legitimate emergency should be dropped from your invitation list. Clearly they do not want to come.