Do you agree with what she is doing?

[conny]

I agree with what this lady is doing, (though we haven't done it this year), because as she says, people expect her to bear the full cost of catering to them over 2 days.

Cardiff grandmother charges family for Christmas dinner

Some think Caroline is a "Scrooge" for charging her family-of-12 but she says it is "fair".

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Stivino]

Her house, her rules, fair enough but I wouldn’t do it.

 

[Old Salt]

Should suggest each party bring a designated item, turkey, veg, dessert etc

 

[^woody^]

And when the old cow is a pensioner the kids can charge her for care, welfare visits, taxing to Asda, showing her how to do online banking ..
..

 

[big-all]

There are far more helpful, more friendly ways to do it
discuss before do not at any expense include the kids in the idea
the starting point should be " i am struggling to find" conversation with the adults and take it from there you either live with what helps available or cut your cloth but avoid including the kids except the "we still love you 'any present is magic'really 'nice more healthy food this year bullshit speech " type conversation with a hug and smile
sorry about the itallics dont know what happened

 

[Bosswhite]

The relatives can sort out a Christmas Dinner without her .

 

[fillyboy]

Xmas dinner at my nieces, might be boxing day as well, about 10 people, we're bring the turkey (butchers free range-about 90 quid), at least half a dozen bottles of wine and some prosecco, some beer, chocolates. My sister will be doing desserts and stuffings, probably a joint of meat, everybody will chip in, it shouldn't cost my niece too much other than a lot of time and effort. Basically we all chip in.
If it were down to one person it would be a very expensive day.

 

[robinbanks]

If they, as a family, all decided to go down the pub this year for Xmas dinner would they expect grandma/the publican to foot the bill for their meal?

Be a lot more than an average of £7.73 a head too. If it's what works for that family to divvy it up and keep it fair, then let em crack on

The kids can charge her some similar hourly rate that Currys KnowHow would charge for showing her how to work her online banking

Some families really do need to convert everything back to money to keep a sense of fairness - I've no problem with that, though they might want to get someone better at maths to do the divvying, because it's a family of 12 that spend 180 quid (or is it 300? I can't tell), yet only a sixth of the members are charged £15; everyone else pays less so someone is getting screwed

 

[Mottie]

I make her right. I got fed up hearing our friends moaning about paying two quid for a cuppa, three quid for a coffee, four quid for a bacon sarnie, a quid to use the loo and a fiver to park so I told them not to visit us anymore.

 

[robinbanks]

(Mottie lives in a converted Ryanair 747)

 

[noseall]

When the cost of living hits a crisis point, folk do extraordinary things. Criminals become more audacious. Even once reasonable folk have second thoughts about sticking to the good side of the line. These are difficult times for many, so I'm not at all surprised by off-beat stories of folk doing questionable things.
Only difference between now and say the Eighties recession and the things that went on, is that we have a far more efficient way of letting everyone with a pulse know about it.

 

[conny]

I think, before it gets to this point, the family should at least offer to pay/contribute something to the family lunch/dinner.
All our kids ask what they can bring/pay for during October/November so we have plenty of time to think about it and they have plenty of time to work out how to pay for it between themselves.
Or at least we/they would have, if we ever agreed to them contributing. We are not rich but wealthy enough that we can afford to pay for it all ourselves and it gives us great pleasure to see them enjoying themselves. I suppose in return, they arrange all the quizzes and games we play over the 3 days and, because my wife and I are usually prepping everything or doing a quick tidy up every so often, they keep us supplied with coffee/beer/wine so we don't get, dehydrated? Or maybe they just want to get us pizzed.
Anyway, it works for us.

Merry Christmas everybody!

 

[Brigadier]

And when the old cow is a pensioner the kids can charge her for care, welfare visits, taxing to Asda, showing her how to do online banking ..
..

Liked for the "old cow"

 

[Wayners]

If family think (know) that she is not minted so why freeload?
I think freeloading is a life skill at times but not when it comes to family members you know will take a hit.

Some offer to buy and fetch food like the turkey and puddings, drinks. Share cost that way.

£15...yeah.. Where do I sit

 

[Brigadier]

She might be one of those who continually guilt-shames her family to coming around because, at the heart of it, she's a lonely busybody.
"I haven't seen the grandkids for ages" - type stuff.

If her family however are the sort to rock up all the time, lounging around for endless cuppas while their kids raid the treats jar, the boot is on the other foot.

As for her saying having so many kids "is not really my problem", what am I missing there?