'I charge family members for Christmas dinner - it's only fair'
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A mum has explained why exactly she'll be charging family members to attend her homecooked Christmas dinner. After spending £233 on food and drink for the festive period, Abi Richards, 35, now has to cook for and host 10 family members. She's decided to charge them £25 per head, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. This marks the fourth Christmas in a row that Hampshire-based Abi has hosted, and each year, her family has "chipped in" on the shopping bill. This time around, Abi, who has saved the receipts, has "worked it out fairly" – billing eight of the adult guests for their share of the food and beverages.
According to Abi, it's "easier" to do it this way, and it means that her family members "don't have to worry" about bringing anything along with them ahead of the festivities. Her family is said to be more than happy to make a contribution, and in fact, it was they who "insisted" on doing so from her very first year of hosting.
Mum-of-two Abi revealed: "We've always split the cost. I didn't initiate doing it – my family suggested it to me. Every year, I gave a rough estimate for them to chip in. I never like to ask for too much or too little. This is the first year I kept the receipts and worked it out fairly. It's funny - I've never thought it was a big deal.
"We're in a cost-of-living crisis, so some people really struggle with it. Everyone is very willing to contribute. It's whatever works for you and your family - this works for us." However, her "controversial" idea has attracted mixed reviews from social media followers—with some "praising" the setup, while others brand it "disgusting." After posting a video detailing the situation, which has clocked up 19.6k views, Abi was "shocked" by the response.
