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Savvy or Scrooge ?
I charge my family for making Christmas dinner & electricity – even the 3-year-olds pay, they moan but it’s fair.
Charging your guests for their Christmas dinner can be a fast way to get yourself on the bad side of friends and family.
But widower and pensioner, Caroline Duddridge, 63, doesn't care if people moan because this year everyone’s festive meal will be more expensive than ever.
The mum-of-five and nan-of-six is charging everyone including her grandkids for her yuletide spread with adults forking out up to £15, the grandchildren including a 12-year-old and three nine-year-olds £5 and two three-year-olds £2.50.
“I log into my bank account and check who has made their Christmas dinner payment in November,” she said.
“Once my ‘naughty and nice’ tally is done I do a quick ring around chasing my ‘delinquent depositors’ and remind them to meet their payment date of December 1.
“It’s a phone call my five grown children aged 37, 34, 32, 29 and 24 are used to. I know some will moan and I will get excuses like ‘my pay hasn't gone in’ or ‘my bank account is frozen’ and ‘can I leave it another week?’ but I will eventually receive cash from them for the meal.”
“I don’t allow late payments and the kids know it. Some complain about their bills and other costs, but I simply tell them they’ll get uninvited. Everyone pays up.
“I know many people will criticise charging for the Christmas meal, but I’m not bothered.
“It’s not money grabbing, it just makes budgeting sense and spreads the cost fairly between everyone at the table.
“Expecting one person to pay for the entire meal and prepare it, clean up, have their heating and electricity used is too much.
“The amount I charge for dinner includes electricity. It's a no brainer for me… it’s the only way to go.”
“If I had my way, we’d only have Christmas twice a decade. I love Christmas but all the expense and drama surrounding it is exhausting.
“My plan at least streamlines dinner and ensures everyone has a say and helps out and no one faces post-Christmas money problems.”
This year Caroline is charging her two sons £15, her three daughters £10, her four grandchildren over five years old £5 and the grandkids under five £2.50.
The women are charged less because they have families and work part-time.
Partners are charged similar amounts.
“For the immediate family and the grandchildren paying for Christmas dinner is nothing new,” said Caroline.
“Some people might think it’s harsh to put a levy on meals for kids but it's an important life lesson. The older grandkids like to try and offer to help me to earn some of their money back and I admire that.”
Caroline started charging for Christmas dinner in 2016.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/20579582/
Charging your guests for their Christmas dinner can be a fast way to get yourself on the bad side of friends and family.
But widower and pensioner, Caroline Duddridge, 63, doesn't care if people moan because this year everyone’s festive meal will be more expensive than ever.
The mum-of-five and nan-of-six is charging everyone including her grandkids for her yuletide spread with adults forking out up to £15, the grandchildren including a 12-year-old and three nine-year-olds £5 and two three-year-olds £2.50.
“I log into my bank account and check who has made their Christmas dinner payment in November,” she said.
“Once my ‘naughty and nice’ tally is done I do a quick ring around chasing my ‘delinquent depositors’ and remind them to meet their payment date of December 1.
“It’s a phone call my five grown children aged 37, 34, 32, 29 and 24 are used to. I know some will moan and I will get excuses like ‘my pay hasn't gone in’ or ‘my bank account is frozen’ and ‘can I leave it another week?’ but I will eventually receive cash from them for the meal.”
“I don’t allow late payments and the kids know it. Some complain about their bills and other costs, but I simply tell them they’ll get uninvited. Everyone pays up.
“I know many people will criticise charging for the Christmas meal, but I’m not bothered.
“It’s not money grabbing, it just makes budgeting sense and spreads the cost fairly between everyone at the table.
“Expecting one person to pay for the entire meal and prepare it, clean up, have their heating and electricity used is too much.
“The amount I charge for dinner includes electricity. It's a no brainer for me… it’s the only way to go.”
“If I had my way, we’d only have Christmas twice a decade. I love Christmas but all the expense and drama surrounding it is exhausting.
“My plan at least streamlines dinner and ensures everyone has a say and helps out and no one faces post-Christmas money problems.”
This year Caroline is charging her two sons £15, her three daughters £10, her four grandchildren over five years old £5 and the grandkids under five £2.50.
The women are charged less because they have families and work part-time.
Partners are charged similar amounts.
“For the immediate family and the grandchildren paying for Christmas dinner is nothing new,” said Caroline.
“Some people might think it’s harsh to put a levy on meals for kids but it's an important life lesson. The older grandkids like to try and offer to help me to earn some of their money back and I admire that.”
Caroline started charging for Christmas dinner in 2016.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/20579582/
Comments
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A "family Christmas dinner" is my worst nightmare, so this would be the perfect excuse, I'd just decline to pay & not have to attend.
This year I will be charging the family £100 each for Christmas dinner in the hope that none of them pay and I can get out of doing that too.
Humbug.
p.s. @Tikay10 you are cordially invited to ours for Christmas dinner, on the grounds that I know you won't attend.
Would I dine with you & Mrs Enut, or would I be downstairs with the staff?
@Enut
Ha, very good, very good indeed.