As the holiday season approaches, one mum has sparked a fierce debate on social media by revealing that she charges her family $50 per head to attend her Christmas dinner.
Abi Richards, a 35-year-old full-time working mum, took to TikTok to share her unconventional approach to funding the festive feast.
The Rationale Behind the Charge
Abi explained that she always struggles to know how much to ask her family to contribute to the cost of the food shopping. With 10 people staying at her home from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, she’s providing food for all three days. To avoid undercharging or overcharging, she decided to take matters into her own hands and do the shopping herself.
The Christmas Shopping Haul
Abi’s shopping spree took her to Aldi and Tesco, where she stocked up on all the essentials, including carrots, parsnips, potatoes, turkey gravy, red cabbage, smoked gammon joint, goose fat, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. She also grabbed quiche, dips, bacon, crackers, and croissants for good measure. In the frozen section, she picked up pigs in blankets, prawns, Brussels sprouts, and Yorkshire puddings. The total bill? A whopping $346!
The Final Tally
After adding up her expenses, Abi revealed that she spent a total of $469 on food and drinks. Dividing the cost by the eight adults attending (she didn’t count the kids, as they “barely eat anything”), she worked out that each person would need to contribute around $60. But Abi thought that was a bit steep, so she’s considering asking her family to cough up $50 each instead.
The Social Media Backlash
Abi’s clip has racked up over 103,600 views in just 14 hours, with many users taking to the comments to share their thoughts on her unorthodox approach. While some thought it was a fair deal, others were left speechless.
The Pros and Cons
Some users praised Abi’s approach, saying it made sense to split the cost and that $50 was a bargain for three days of food. Others thought it was a great way to avoid feeling resentful and to make the family feel more relaxed about contributing. However, not everyone was on board. Some slammed Abi as “tight” and “weird” for asking her family to pay up.
The Verdict
So, is Abi’s approach to Christmas dinner funding acceptable or outrageous? Should families chip in to help with the cost of food, or is it the host’s responsibility to foot the bill? Let us know what you think in the comments!