To ask how much you pay for your office Christmas party (if you have one)

[Meikyo]

My work Christmas party is tonight but I decided when it was announced in September not to go as I think it is too expensive. Party is a meal and disco at a museum venue (ie not a fancy restaurant) and is £75 per head - includes 2 drinks vouchers. I reckoned that with taxis to and from venue (even sharing) and a couple of additional drinks then cost would be over £100. Organisation is publicly funded so no contribution from company - whole cost to be paid by staff which is fair enough. However, out of a total staff of 25, 10 are not going...not sure if down to cost. I would rather spend the money on presents for my family instead. What does your office party cost you?

I don't go to the official party - I go out with collegues I like

Last night we went to a cabaret restaurant, 3 course meal, drinks, change from 50 quid.

The official party is 40 quid, plus drinks at an expensive venue - I certainly wouldnt have change from £120 - hence not going.

This year it was about £25. Last year was £35. I don't think anyone im my team would shell out £75, YANBU at all in not going.

Nothing for the ticket, work covers that, but as one of the more 'senior' people there I'm expected to host some of the other staff- I easily spent £100 at the bar, all in including drinks before the actual party & travel it probably cost me £200.

Hmmm...I can't decide if £75 is a lot or not!

I don't have an office party, but OH does.

He had one last night in a pub - cost him about £20 for a round. Tonight he's got a meal in a restaurant, he's already paid £25 for it. Then tomorrow is another meal everyone has paid £30 for, but it's in London, so it'll have about £25 train fees and drinks afterwards too.

Wednesday next week cost £50 for a ticket and is black tie, everyone gets half a glass of wine. A taxi is costing them £25 each for both ways. Then Friday they have drinks again, so another £20.

He does moan about the cost but he didn't have the choice not to go, really. One person isn't, and has been embarrassed quite a bit about it. He works for a big company, so they have a definite culture of everyone trying to fit in.

I think I'd prefer yours, having added all that up!

HollyBerry like the idea of going out with colleagues you like! If I am honest, I could just about afford to go to the official party but prefer not to pay that kind of money to be with (some) colleagues who are unpleasant to me on a daily basis...

Nothing unless i decide to get a taxi then it will cost about £8 each way. All food and drink is free.

£75 is a lot. Having said that, as a senior manager (their title, not mine!) I used to fund a fair amount of drink so mine used to set me back at least £100.

Nowadays I think I'd be distinctly Bah Humbug about shelling that sort of money out to spend my evening in forced jollity with people I disliked.

The best arrangement we had when I was in a team which made an agreed profit out of the Tea & Coffee Club. By Christmas we'd got enough to fund a very decent and jolly meal in a local pub and since we hated conventional Christmas dos it worked extremely well. But you were talking about £30 here, not £100.

Lunch out with a good few drinks and no return to the office

Usually we contribute £2.50 per month at wages time, and this pays for the main meal - then the lottery syndicate winnings (same people) pays for the drinks

There are only 5 of us though and we do it all ourselves.

The main company have a Chrismas night out, but that's usually very drunken and at a nightclub until stupid o'clock - and costs about £40. I don't go as I'd rather be home in my PJ's

My work (resturant ) doesn't have a work do but we often have drinks after work for free
Dhs do is tomorrow, free including partners. Meal and entertainment and drinks. Last year there were free bottles of port on the table and maglite torch keyrigs and glass tankards etc

Our official one was subsidized. We paid a £10 for the ticket and got a drink on arrival, 2 drinks vouchers, 3 course meal and wine with the meal. And some bottled beer on the table.

However loads of people still didn't go. We also have an informal lets go for a drink as well.

About 5 years ago the place I worked at had a very formal one. It was £50 per head and didn't include drink and everyone was told they MUST bring a guest or partner.

£100 for me and dh, plus drinks, taxis and outfits was far too much.

I have never paid for a work party.
When I worked for a big international company they had big fancy christmas balls and it was all on them. I now work for a small company (less than 20) and the bosses still pay. Its just a meal in a local restaurant but v. much appreciated.

This year we took over a night club for the evening. There was food (buffet I think, usually pretty good) and a couple of drinks vouchers. It was all paid for by the company. We get good perks, we got our Christmas present this morning and it was rather cool

Work pay £25 towards our do.

The tickets for the party they organise are £15. That includes food and a band.

The extra £10 goes on 4 jager bombs for me

I have never paid for a Christmas party, not even when I worked for a NGO publicly funded and that was swish. Not even for the hotel room. I don't think I would go if I were you sounds a crap turnout.

Ours is free and very nice it is too! Meal at a nice restaurant and as much wine as you can manage.

Our department Christmas dinner was 10 quid and buy your own drinks. The big office Christmas party was a whopping 15 quid (!) first 2 drinks free then buy your own except for a bottle of schnapps for each table to share. Yours sounds super expensive - I wouldn't have done that either.

Nothing, work pay for it.

£29.95 plus drinks this year but we are a small team and sort our own so it depends what we want to do.

It does seem quite expensive.

I went to one last Friday night which was £60 but that included a 3-course meal plus all drinks and midnight supper of fish and chips which I thought was very reasonable.

I really think £75 is a lot!

I work for a fairly large company, we pay £10 each and the rest is subsidised by the company, including transport there and back via coach. No way would I pay £75.

ours is free and always lovely. yours sounds massively expensive

we had a slap up dinner in a 5 star hotel and a room for the night - paid by the company, very nice it was too.

yours sounds expensive and if i were you i wouldn't go either if i were you

had a good laugh at 'everyone gets half a glass of wine'....HALF??!?!

I have wither had them paid for (pretty swish meals too) or paid for my own, but in those situations the organiser has bourne in mind that everyone is in the run up to Xmas and paid no more than £30 for food and wine in London.

Mind you we are a charridee so get good deals when we beg.

Free bar and food unless you want shots or champagne then you have to pay for that.