Gran who charges for Christmas lunch

I don’t know the circumstances, I could not do it. If money was really tight I would suggest everyone bring either a bottle or something, such as the pudding, and I’m sure they would. If I was absolutely penniless I would say , sorry can’t afford to host Christmas this year. You could suggest taking turns hosting Christmas. There is a lot of people struggling at the moment and I’m sure don’t expect one person to carry all the cost

Not as bad as this person on GMB this morning who is charging her family £150 each for Christmas Dinner.....
www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/itv-gmb-guest-sparks-fiery-31723104
🙃

When I was on jobseekers but still wanted to entertain my mum and dad, my mum would give me some money towards the food, I didn't ask for any and certainly wouldn't have done, I would have managed somehow.But each to their own

I collected my meat order yesterday - all contributions gratefully received!!!

Seriously, all our family contribute to the say - dd1 is making red cabbage and parboiking carrots, dd2 is making breadsauce and a yulelog, dd3 stuffing and a cheesecake and ds1 the crackers. So each to their own.

My blessed phone *parboiling

LoobbyLoo

Not as bad as this person on GMB this morning who is charging her family £150 each for Christmas Dinner.....
www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/itv-gmb-guest-sparks-fiery-31723104
🙃

Has she got any?
Guests, I mean. Family too.

We have always made a contribution to the food costs to close family for Christmas lunch. I am hosting this year and the food delivery was over £260. My DiL is bringing a pudding, and my DD will look after starters. We will have enough to give everyone items to take home, but for this special day I try to provide everything that might be wanted. I can't understand why this item is newsworthy - to quote a cyncial being of our acquaintance 'Does it pass the 'So what' test?'.

What's the difference between asking people to bring something and asking for the money to buy and make it yourself?

£150 a head seems like profiteering, but a tenner is just a bottle of wine - you'd struggle to get a Christmas dinner for £10 even in Wetherspoons . I am hosting my lot as usual, and the food bill is very high. I'm lucky enough that it doesn't matter, but someone with a large family and a small income might find it impossible, particularly if they want all the trimmings.

I think what jars with me is the idea of charging.
There’s a world of difference between offering to contribute- whether it’s the red cabbage, the crackers or the wine, or indeed a financial contribution - and paying a price

Some people seem to have lost sight of the fact that Christmas is supposed to be about giving (and sharing) haven’t they?

There is indeed a huge difference between being charged and being asked if you can bring X item of food/drink, or volunteering a contribution in cash or kind.

Some people seem to have lost sight of the fact that Christmas is supposed to be about giving (and sharing) haven’t they?

'Some people'? It's a privilege to be able to give and share, and 'some people' may have lost sight of that. If you have no money and a large family, but want to lay on a good Christmas spread it may be the only way it can be done. People bringing food can work if everyone is local, but when family come from near and far it can be tricky. It's not going to work if the dinner is in Manchester and the turkey is coming from Penzance.

If it works for them, I don't see the harm, and I don't really understand the difference between asking for contributions of food and contributions of money.

I'm never asked for contributions to Christmas dinner. I always offer well in advance so DSiL knows what's what. I suspect that's how it works for many families. Is that the crux do you think?

People bringing food can work if everyone is local, but when family come from near and far it can be tricky. It's not going to work if the dinner is in Manchester and the turkey is coming from Penzance

I had to laugh!
Either the turkey is going to have to set off well in advance or the diners will (hopefully) have set out at least the day before if the are going to get to Manchester from Penzance! There’s such a thing as cheques and bank transfers to cover the turkey/wine/Stilton anyway.
If the “hosts” are hard up or more accurately on a limited income you would hope the rest of the multitude expecting to be fed might offer a contribution. That’s part of what I mean about Christmas being about giving and sharing
Love is also not measurable in how far one “pushes the boat out” - especially if someone is coming round collecting fates too.
It’s the hosts charging that gets me.

No way would I charge my family. I want to absolutely drink in every second of such a special day ... BUT there will be people who make Christmas dinner that are struggling with money! There are 2 sides to everything but no I wouldn't charge.

Either the turkey is going to have to set off well in advance or the diners will (hopefully) have set out at least the day before if the are going to get to Manchester from Penzance! There’s such a thing as cheques and bank transfers to cover the turkey/wine/Stilton anyway.

Well yes. It just wouldn't work to have people bringing contributions. And how do cheques and transfers differ from however the woman in question got money from the family? Didn't she set up an app or an account? What's the difference?

As I said, I'm lucky enough to be able to lay on food and drink for a few days, but if I couldn't I'd still want to see my family. I've got the space to host them, and am used to cooking for a crowd. Their day will come to host, but I'd hope that if I fell on hard times they would still want to come to me for now, and would stump up a tenner or so each to make it happen.

The difference is @Doodledog she charged - a set amount per person - not each according to their means or each according to their needs.
There’s a heck of a difference between a contribution or a donation and a PRICE.
One is offered, the other demanded.

And she wanted bank transfers so that she could check on what she called ‘stragglers’. A very strange attitude to hosting family.

Am going to pin up a list in my hallway-

Merry Christmas Family
'borrowing' bobble hats, gloves etc 50p per item
hot bath 50p
hot bath with nearly half of my best bubble bath £5
leaving lids off and packets open 35p
exclusive use of tv remote control (per hour) £3

I suspect she likes publicity - not an appealing thing in this context

keepcalmandcavachon

Am going to pin up a list in my hallway-

Merry Christmas Family
'borrowing' bobble hats, gloves etc 50p per item
hot bath 50p
hot bath with nearly half of my best bubble bath £5
leaving lids off and packets open 35p
exclusive use of tv remote control (per hour) £3

Using the washing machine daily £5
Ditto tumble dryer

No charge for gas, electricity or food if you cook my dinner 😁
Ps I'm getting rather peckish.
In fact ravenous .......

My dd this year asked me to bring three bags of frozen food items and two bottles of Prosecco.

I balked at this as no room in freezer and I also thought it a bit mean.

In the end, we compromised and I gave her some money and bought Prosecco myself,

I remember all the years I hosted and never required anyone to bring food or money.
This is the new generation for you.

My sister would list all she had purchased..even down to loo rolls..and charge accordingly. Her own adult children and her parents.
I’m flabbergasted. We had groups of 11/14 and didn’t charge.
People bought contributions. We would delay paying bills until the New Year, plus save for it.

A workmate of OH used to charge relatives for wear and tear of carpets and furniture and also for heating and lighting. and cleaning.

I think it’s a brilliant idea. I detest cooking. If someone offered to host & cook for 3 days, I’d be thrilled to pay whatever necessary.
Maybe the critics are rich/love cooking/have the space/facilities etc.
I’m thinking this woman has the space/facilities/cooking skills/patience but no spare cash after her husband died. Nobody else in the family wants/is able to replicate so she hosts/plans/cooks for 3 days. Money very well spent by the rest of the family.
As others have said, whatever the real story, this is a media spin, hyped to elicit controversy.

My aunt charged us £10 each for Christmas and that was a lot of money in the late sixties. She and her husband were quite wealthy while my mum was on her own having been abandoned by her husband. All these years on it still rankles. After my aunt’s husband died she spent many Christmas’s with us and she never offered and of course I wouldn’t have dreamt of taking money from her.