Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Caroline Duddridge
Topics: Christmas, Money, Food and Drink
Rhianna Benson
Topics: Christmas, Money, Food and Drink
Christmas is undoubtedly the most expensive time for year.
Presents, Christmas dinner, winter clothes, Christmas tree, bucks fizz, travel costs to visit loved ones - the list of things to buy is seemingly endless.
But one 64-year-old woman has found a rather cunning way to cut costs this festive season, even if it means upsetting her loved ones.
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Caroline Duddridge plans to charge her family members for a Christmas dinner if they go to her house for their 25 December meal.
Yep, you read that right. She's demanding an upfront payment from all diners - even her grandchildren - and claims it teaches them an invaluable lesson.
"If you don't pay by 1 December, you're not coming," she told BBC 5 Live last year.
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"Obviously there were a few moans and grumbles saying 'I've got a few children', but at the end of the day that's not my problem really, is it?"
I suppose there is a cost-of-living crisis at the moment, so hosting Christmas will be an expensive affair, especially since Caroline usually hosts 12 guests.
But the current economic climate isn't really anything to do with Caroline's decision, because she's been charging her family for the past few years.
She told The Sun: "I don't allow late payments and the kids know it.
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"Some complain about their bills and other costs, but I simply tell them they'll get uninvited. Everyone pays up."
Ho ho ho.
So, you're probably wondering how much Caroline's roast will set you back.
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Well, the mum-of-five and nan-of-six charges her sons £15 and her daughters £10, while the cost for the grandchildren varies between £2.50 and £5 depending on age.
The women are charged less because they work part-time. Presumably the grandchildren are charged less still because they don't work at all which some would argue makes it unfair to charge them anything. Caroline wouldn't argue this though.
"I know many people will criticise charging for the Christmas meal, but I'm not bothered," she insisted.
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"It's not money-grabbing, it just makes budgeting sense and spreads the cost fairly between everyone at the table."
Caroline says she usually spends about £300 on the festive celebrations from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day, so reckons it's only fair her family chip in too.
She added: "Expecting one person to pay for the entire meal and prepare it, clean up, have their heating and electricity used is too much.
"The amount I charge for dinner includes electricity. It's a no brainer for me… it's the only way to go."
You say it's the only way to go Caroline, but you could actually go to the pub and get a decent roast cooked for you by a professional for £15.
Food for thought for the Duddridges.