Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Invoiced for Christmas stay

295 replies

Brightun · 27/12/2022 07:42

I’ve already had a thread about SILs bitching that the roast I served (for 11 people) wasn’t piping hot. Now we’re home I’m a bit less cross about that but absolutely fuming about the invoice I’ve received!

The set up is a bit complicated. DH has 3 sisters. The venue was SIL2’s house but I cooked because she’s recovering from an injury.

Me, DH, x3 DC
SIL1, BIL1, 1DC
SIL2, BIL2
SIL3

We all stayed 23-26 December. We brought 2 joints of meat, a Christmas pudding, a Christmas cake, plenty of wine, beer, some gin and rum, some nice cheeses, kids snacks and drinks. There was one cafe lunch and one takeaway and we all paid for our own families. I paid for one top up shop of about £40. Everyone else paid for/brought similar things.

This morning SIL emailed an invoice (made on an invoice template from some software!) to DH and copied me in for £200 for “hospitality”! I understand that hosting 9 people is a lot but I hadn’t expected to be invoiced.

DH wants to pay it to shut her up. I want to ask her to itemise it and to prepare an invoice in return for the hours I spent cooking Christmas dinner.

OP posts:
thelobsterquadrille · 27/12/2022 08:12

Sure she did Hmm

Talulah29 · 27/12/2022 08:15

I would normally think wow is this a joke but actually have first experience of my BIL invoicing my DH on numerous occasions 🤣

WineDarkNo308 · 27/12/2022 08:15

I would itemise the 2 joints of meat, a Christmas pudding, a Christmas cake, plenty of wine, beer, some gin and rum, some nice cheeses, kids snacks and drinks and top up shop of about £40 in way of payment for the invoice received then include your cooking time too.

ScreamingInfidelities · 27/12/2022 08:15

boogiejive · 27/12/2022 07:44

You write her an invoice with all the items you paid for listed.

And a line something like "you being a cheeky fucker : priceless"

And you email it back.

Oh please do this!

Oysterbabe · 27/12/2022 08:17

This didn't happen.

Namechangedforthisonetoday · 27/12/2022 08:17

Buckland123 · 27/12/2022 08:06

if you’re going to me something up, at least make it believable

Why do you assume this isn’t believable? I’ve already said my SIL did the same to us one year. Others have also said they’ve been in situations like this. These people exist I can assure you of that.

Skinnermarink · 27/12/2022 08:18

Did she aye.

twilightcafe · 27/12/2022 08:18

Yanbu. Cheeky mare.

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, though.

flapjackfairy · 27/12/2022 08:18

well surely what you provided and chefs services come to more than 200 so yes itemise everything and invoice her. Then say you look forward to her paying what she owes you asap. BACS payment will be fine. and then wish her a breezy Happy New Year as if all this is completely normal !

hattie43 · 27/12/2022 08:18

Jeez I can't believe some people . Invoicing your own family , CF's.
It's not like you turned up empty handed and she should have said she'd be invoicing and then you could have decided whether to go or not .

topcat2014 · 27/12/2022 08:18

Being reimbursed for real expenditure is fine, but including costs that you haven't spent in real cash is way off

Parky04 · 27/12/2022 08:20

Let's see a copy of this said invoice.

ConfusedmumUC · 27/12/2022 08:21

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

BlackFlyChardonnay · 27/12/2022 08:21

So did she invoice all three parties of guests £200, or just your family?

This seems so unlikely, given that you contributed lots in terms of effort and cost already. I wouldn't do it, but could imagine someone asking a contribution if they'd hosted and bought all the food. But I can't imagine anyone asking for £200 when you've probably already contributed that much in the food and wine you've bought?

Morestrangethings · 27/12/2022 08:22

I’d send her an itemised account of you labour and materials. And a review out of 5 stars rating the quality of your stay.

Actually I wouldn’t. I’d gleefully ignore it (but maybe work out for your husband how much the Christmas do has already cost you both and show him. He might rethink his willingness to pay, or not).

At any rate, I’d never go back a second time.

Mclovinmum · 27/12/2022 08:22

I think I’d just message back “what a great festive joke, pop it in the crackers next year”

hopefully she’ll realise how ridiculous she’s being. What have the others who’ve stayed said?

DrManhattan · 27/12/2022 08:24

I'm sure this happened 🙄

ApolloandDaphne · 27/12/2022 08:25

Send it back with the costs that you incurred, including the time you spent cooking the dinner subtracted from it. Hopefully it will end up with them owing you.

Pearl664 · 27/12/2022 08:25

Sharing the costs of Christmas between a large group of people seems ok. But just a random £200 with no justification for where that amount comes from? Out of the blue? Nah. No way. No-one would pay it.

AwNo · 27/12/2022 08:25

Photo of invoice or it didn't happen. You know the rules

WhatFreshHeII · 27/12/2022 08:25

If ye say so pet.

ChristmasCwtch · 27/12/2022 08:26

Just reply:

”Thanks for bringing this up. We had a lovely time. Thank you for having us to stay. Your email reminded me to do the same tally of expenses…

Beef £80
Rum £20
Wine x6 £48
Blah £30
Blah £30
Blah £45
Total £360

I was going to suggest we net one off against the other or just call it evens?

I’m not charging for my professional cooking skills yet lol 😂”

arethereanyleftatall · 27/12/2022 08:26

The op would need to show she spent more than £200

If the SIl is asking for her contribution to be £200, that means the SIL spent, eg £600 and is dividing that up among the families.

Deckthehallswithbenandhollly · 27/12/2022 08:27

We need to see the itemised bill

Simplepink · 27/12/2022 08:27

Ohhh please let this be real! And if it is we just see the itemised invoice. Surely no one’s this cheeky though 🤣