A grandmother charges her family for Christmas dinner because it is an “important life lesson”. Caroline Duddridge from Cardiff has been asking her children and grandchildren to contribute for seven years and insists it is a good idea even though some have accused her of being a bit of a Scrooge.
For Christmas dinner Ms Duddridge charges her sons £15 each and her daughters had been paying £10 as they work part time and look after children. This year though she has upped her daughters’ rate by £2. Her children’s partners pay similar amounts.
Her grandchildren over the age of five are charged £5 while those who are younger are charged £2.50.
Despite price increases this year, Ms Duddridge told the BBC the amount raised may still not be enough to cover the cost of Christmas.
Ms Duddridge said she felt unsure it would cover it all as “when you buy a few bits and pieces” it can add up to £30 or £40 and there is “barely a bagful”.
She said: “This is not Christmas stuff either but just general shopping. It’s just horrifying and you wonder where it’s all going to end.”
Ms Duddridge told Fabulous magazine that by “streamlining” Christmas dinner everyone helps out and no one faces money problems afterwards.
The pensioner said her children, who are aged between 24 to 37, also pay well before December 25. Ms Duddridge added she checks her bank account in November to see who has paid.
She said she also charges for the cost of electricity, adding: “It’s the only way to go.”
Energy bills rocketed after Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine hit supply, with the Government stepping in this Christmas to help pensioners with cost-of-living payments worth billions of pounds.
The widow explained how she started to charge for Christmas dinner after the death of her husband in 2016. The loss meant she had to get by on a teaching assistant’s salary.
Ms Duddridge said she does her best to ensure she spends the money wisely, searching for the best value deals.
She said while it might seem harsh to charge her family, it is nevertheless “an important life lesson”.
According to a poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats, more than half of UK adults (57 percent) will be shopping at a cheaper supermarket this Christmas. This rises to more than six in 10 (64 percent) of parents with children under the age of 18.
Parents are also planning to cut back, as more than half (55 percent) with children under the age of 18 plan to buy fewer presents for family and friends this Christmas, the poll shows.
A separate survey published earlier this month shows more than a quarter of people in the UK are worried about affording their Christmas plans.
Some 28 percent reported feeling worried about being able to pay for the things they planned to do this Christmas, the Office for National Statistics found.
Householders said they have been taking action to manage spending during the typically busier shopping season.
Nearly half said they were planning to spend less on Christmas food and presents, while 39 percent said they planned to shop earlier this year to spread the costs.
More than a quarter of people said they were using, or planned to use, personal savings to cover the cost of Christmas food and gifts.
