Woman slams her in-laws for wanting to charge fee for Christmas dinner

A woman has argued her in-laws' plan to charge a fee for Christmas dinner is a step too far.

Anyone who has hosted Christmas dinner before can appreciate that it can be a lot of work, but the woman's post on a UK parenting forum Mumsnet has hit back at her in-laws' decision to "charge per family" for Christmas dinner.

"I've never charged them before but apparently because they've got a lot of people going this year they have decided to charge.

"Then in the next breath saying how many bottles of champagne they are planning to buy but will be splitting the cost evenly between us all.

"They know I won't be able to drink as it's just assumed by everyone I'll do all the driving.

"I don't want to seem tight but charging for Christmas dinner for me just feels (upset face emoji).

She says she would have been "perfectly happy" supplying a dish and helping out for the occasion and wanted to know if she was being unreasonable by not wanting to pay.

"Husband says he is on their side as they are doing all the hard work. Granted, but I've never charged them and would never dream of! Am I being unreasonable?

"To be honest, it's really put me off going but of course I will to keep the peace," the post continued.

"I would so happily stay at home but it will just cause upset with my husband and my little boy will enjoy going there and being with his cousins.

"But I'd just never dream of charging people. I find the whole thing just so awkward and embarrassing!

"What will they do, send an invoice through on Christmas Eve? How blooming festive!"

The woman added the family members earned "considerably way more," than their income, so it could not be justified by financial difficulties.

And several mothers in the comments of the post agreed.

"Who charges guests? That is unbelievable. I'd be electing not to go," one person commented.

Another wrote: "I don't mind chipping in a little if that's the way it's always done and it's a reciprocal arrangement over the years … But demands for money? So rude and obnoxious."

A third suggested the woman should let be let off paying on account of having hosted Christmas herself in the past.

The general consensus was that charging a fee for Christmas dinner was unreasonable.

This article was first published by the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.