Woman charges her children for Xmas dinner

[KindergartenKop]

www.theguardian.com/business/2022/dec/23/grandmother-charges-her-family-180-for-their-christmas-dinner

Controversial! I feel like her whole family have expected her to produce and pay for the whole spread and she's had enough of that shit.

If you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ If people want to stay at home, they can.

We are going to PIL for Christmas lunch (me, DH and 3 small DC) we have said we will take 2 bottles of champagne, 2 bottles of white wine, and a bottle of port. I have made a Christmas pudding and a Christmas cake for them and we'll take MIL some flowers.

I think it’s weird to charge but her children should definitely put their hand in their pocket and pay for things without being asked. One could bring wine another the Turkey…

I think if her children think this is mean, then should be ashamed to have never offered to pay/cook/host/take turns! She could quite easily charge more, as well.

I can see she charges £15 for her sons and £10 for her daughters but what about daughters in law/sons in law?

Why is this even news? Her family should have been contributing in some form anyway.

This is the first year in about 15 up years of doing Christmas dinner that we have asked for contributions and family have happily chipped in about £20 PP. It’s so so expensive so I don’t blame her.

Good for her. Freeloaders springs to mind

Later in the article it says she doesn't even eat meat! So potentially forking out for turkey purely for the family's benefit. And what about the fuel costs of cooking it?

Good for her!

I can't understand why anyone would object to this, especially as she doesn't earn much- it's not as if what she is asking is an absolute fortune- unlike one thread I remember reading about someone who asked £80 PP which seems extortionate unless the sprouts were gold plated 🤣

We get together with family on Boxing Day with DHs family- around 18 people. Who ever is organising sends a list out and we all choose something from it and take it along along with a few bottles. The host tends to provide more but we all chip in. Most family parties are done this way and if the host doesn't ask for contributions we always ask what to bring

Works well and there is always plenty of food. I can't imagine not contributing- also means less prep for the host as we cook what we contribute and bring it with us.

We all chip in when we're together. In cost and effort and cooking - all of it. It's a joint thing, of course it is. I can't see how anyone would think it's reasonable to assume you can freeload at the most expensive time of the year.

I have two adult guests coming and then their children. One has paid for the Turkey and the other had paid for all of the desserts. I've paid for the rest and am cooking / hosting. They had discussed it between themselves and then made the offer to me - which I accepted. I was over the moon. Money is tight and hosting Christmas is expensive.

I saw that. As someone that doesn’t eat meat, I think they should be very appreciative, I wouldn’t buy or cook meat for anyone! They need to realise how bloody lucky they are.

Why does the headline say £180 when the amounts in the article add up to £80? Even with the possible addition of spouses paying the maximum amount it would only come to £155.

Some people just do not know how much it costs, they have grown up with (usually mum) cooking Christmas dinner. They go off to uni but still come home, they get married and then start doing one year with one set of parents and the other with the other parents.

I was about 16 when a friends mother hosted her first Xmas, she'd always gone to her own mother's and had no idea how expensive it was.