Charging Family For Christmas Dinner

[Barmaid]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5128567/Mother-charges-family-30-Christmas.html

Now, has she got a point? Or is she inhospitable/greedy?

[jno]

lol ummmm, there's just not enough poverty in the country. Happy to report the government's working on it.

[murraymints]

EEK Donny !!!

[jourdain2]

We (my sister and I and 4 children) always went to my parents' house for Xmas dinner. They would cook the turkey. I brought everything for starters and half the veg. (prepared), my sister brought pudding and between us we provided cheese and biscuits and nibbles. Very companionable getting the meal together in the kitchen and it shared the cost. We bought the wine between the 3 of us.

[ummmm]

TTT - you have a really crappy attitude.

[zebo]

They're there from 10am til 10pm? I'd do it for free to have them come for four hours, max!

[Baldric]

Profiteer, imho.

[Mamyalynne]

I do wonder why they've gone public with this, that's what's silly not a Family arranging their Christmas to suit themselves.

12 hour open house all food,drink and a present too and children go free - they're well organised.

[Cloverjo]

I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for a contribution towards the expense of food and drink, especially if she's not particularly well off. It costs a lot to host Christmas. I've been doing it for the last ten years or so. Thankfully, I can afford to do it, but if I were skint, I'd ask for help with the cost.

[gness]

Agree, Mamya....no need to broadcast it so it looks as if the family is being charged....they're not really.....just cash instead of...you bring this.....you bring that.....
It's a great idea...well I would say that.....but to all chip in £30 and have a relaxed day....well wined and dined in comfort.....bliss....xx

[ummmm]

I posed this question to my OH and he says he thinks it's a bargain.

[kvalidir]

I personally wouldn't be comfortable with charging guests but it's up to her, each to their own, everyone has differing incomes and expectations, she shouldn't be hung drawn and quartered.

[jno]

kvalidir, if you look at what she actually provides for everyone (not kids, they go free), she seems like quite a philanthropist. It must cost her hundreds - not the sort of sum most of us would spend on hosting Christmas for our family. She sounds extremely generous, and her family have no complaints, so I certainly can't.

[B00]

Is it a bargain at £30.00 a head on Christmas Day for a meal? Yes, I suppose it is. Should she be charging her family for it? No, I personally don't think so.

She's under no obligation to make such a lavish meal for her family- I get the impression she sees it as a bit of a chore and a job, and therefore should be paid for it.

I'd tell her to stick her turkey extravaganza and stay at home!

[zebo]

I started off thinking she was being mean and/or greedy but now I think she's being reasonable. If she is doing this every year for whatever reason then it's not unreasonable to expect the rest to chip in, they're not obliged to go. The problem I see is the modern need to 'share' one's life with all and sundry, a couple were in the papers because they allow their children to see them naked but they'll stop as they, the children, get older. Isn't that the case in the majority of families? Can we go back a bit to 'behind closed doors', I really don't need to know!

[murraymints]

think this was actually "out there" last year...TV picked it up on a no news day ?

[murraymints]

and Boo.. the guests invite themselves along...so they clearly have no problems with this arrangement

[ducksie]

My neighbour feeds her family (they work and don't live with her) every Saturday, she charges them €10 because at first it was family, then girlfriends start trickling in, now they're wives and children in tow, so she charges them, gives them a good meal with plateful going home, when they're working and she's on a pension, it's the right thing to do and it keeps family together, no one sees anything wrong with it, we used to 'do' Christmas with all the family in our house when my Mam was alive and I was rightly p'd off when I'd see my siblings spend a fortune on they're new bff and we'd get socks or gloves, don't say it's the thought that counts, we were right mugs, it was very expensive,stressful and thankless so £30 to be fed at the family home is better than all the family spending it in an hotel. Fair play to her I feel.