I’m charging my family for Christmas dinner for the sixth year in a row

By William On Dec 22, 2022

A grandmother in Cardiff is charging her family for Christmas dinner for the sixth year in a row, calling everyone to make sure there’s cash in her bank account before the deadline.

Caroline Duddridge, 63, says it’s a “no-brainer” and an “important lesson for kids” to make sure the cost is spread fairly across everyone, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis.

speaking to BBC 5 livethis morning he joked: ‘If you don’t pay before December 1st, you won’t come.

“Obviously there were some groans and grunts going ‘I’ve got some kids,’ but at the end of the day that’s not really my problem, is it?”

Caroline Duddridge (pictured), 63, says it’s a “no-brainer” and an “important lesson for kids” to make sure the cost is spread evenly across everyone, especially in the midst of a cost crisis. lifetime.

She also told the radio show that while some may call her “a bit of a Scrooge,” her friends think it’s a good idea.

recent opening to fabulous magazinethe pensioner insisted that her plan “streamlines dinner and ensures that everyone has a say and helps and that no one has money problems after Christmas.”

“I go into my bank account and check who has paid for Christmas dinner in November,” he explained.

Caroline, who is a widow, calls her five children, who range in age from 24 to 37, and despite receiving complaints, says they all receive the money.

‘The amount I charge for dinner includes electricity. It’s a no-brainer for me…it’s the only way to do it,’ she said.

Speaking to Fabulous Magazine, the retiree (pictured) insists her plan ‘streamlines dinner

Grandma added that she makes sure to keep her spread as profitable as possible, spending “dozens of hours” looking for picks that won’t hurt her wallet.

Caroline is asking for £15 this year from her two sons and £10 from her three daughters, who are being charged less due to family duties and part-time work. She also charged grandchildren over the age of five £5 and the youngest £2.50.

Immediate family partners are asked for similar amounts, he said.

She also told Fabulous that while it might seem “tough” to get kids involved, it’s “an important life lesson.”

Caroline started charging for Christmas dinner in 2016, when her husband passed away the year before.

The widow explains that her ‘expendable income was cut in half’ as she worked part-time as a teaching assistant.

Caroline (pictured) started charging for Christmas dinner in 2016, when her husband passed away the year before.

Plus, the food is a collaborative effort: everyone gets a say in what food and drinks are going to be served.

In early December, a woman was left in disbelief after receiving her sister’s invitation for Christmas Day dinner, along with a request for £20 towards the meal.

Taking to the british parenting forum momsnet To explain the situation, a woman said that her colleague has been puzzled by the request and doesn’t know how to respond.

“I can’t imagine charging a guest, especially family,” the woman wrote. “I’d even go as far as telling them to bring themselves if they ask if I want them to bring something.”

The response was mixed, with some saying they considered asking family for money ‘rude’, while others felt it was ‘pretty fair’, given the cost of living crisis.

The author of the thread, who usually cooks on Christmas Day but goes to see his family every three years, admitted that he is not sure whether to attend if he is asked to bring cash.

She added: ‘Is it common to charge the family for dinner? I save all year for Christmas gifts and food, but am I the exception? Would you charge/charge and/or pay your family?’

“Twenty pounds really isn’t much for Christmas dinner,” wrote one commenter. And given the rising costs of everything, I personally don’t think that’s unreasonable.

“I go to my parents every year and we always plan our mailing list in advance and divide and conquer.”

Meanwhile, earlier this year it was revealed that a fifth of families in the UK say they will ask their guests to pay for their Christmas dinners.

New research from home finance firm Nous suggests that more than half of those surveyed were worried about how they would pay for things over the festive period.

And 36% said they would reduce spending on holiday food and 34% would reduce the amount of cash spent on holiday drinks.

Combined with sky-high costs for Turkey amid a feared poultry shortage this December, it could make for a stressful meal around the table.