Caroline Duddridge, a grandmother from Cardiff, UK came up with a practical solution to ease the financial burden of hosting her family for Christmas. Following her husband’s death in 2015, which halved the household income, she initiated a system where her family contributes funds toward the holiday meal. This year, the collected fees from her five adult children and their families reached upto roughly £180 (approximately Rs 18,000). With inflation and rising living costs in mind, Caroline has now decided to increase the charges. Her three daughters are now asked to pay approximately $15.21 (Rs 1600), up from $12.67 (Rs 1300) last year, while her two sons contribute about $19 (Rs 2000) each and her grandchildren pay around $3.15 (Rs 330) for the festive celebrations.
In a conversation with BBC, the grandmother said, “I have put the girls’ prices up by £2 (approximately Rs 200) because I did get a bit of stick from people saying I was being sexist not that I listen to public opinion, particularly.” However, despite the raise, the 63 year old is concerned that even the additional contributions might not be sufficient to cover the escalating supermarket expenses. “I’m not sure it will, because when you buy a few bits and pieces it comes to like £30 or £40 and it’s barely a bag full. This is not Christmas stuff either but just general shopping. It’s just horrifying and you wonder where it’s all going to end.”
Caroline Duddridge stands by her decision, highlighting that regardless of inflation, the fees she collects offer value for the extended duration of the festive celebration. In previous years, her meal was enough from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. The mini buffet included sandwiches leading up to a grand turkey dinner on December 25th, accompanied by a variety of side dishes, nut roast and four dessert items. This feast was followed by a complete dinner on December 26.
She added, “I also do food for my parents and take it round to them – they find it a bit too much coming to mine now.” The grandma further acknowledged that while some might label her as selfish for implementing fees, she claimed that there are numerous individuals, who appreciated and supported her concept. “There were the usual trolls, but some people thought it was a really good idea, they even said they were going to adopt it themselves,” she said.
Surprisingly, this is the first in six years that she decided to increase her fees for the Christmas celebration.
Comments
0 comment