A grandmother charges her family for Christmas dinner (Stock image for representational purposes only)
Since 2015, Caroline Duddridge, a grandmother from Cardiff, Wales has been charging her family for Christmas dinners every year. Last year, the BBC reported that Caroline obliged her two sons to shell out £15 (approx INR 1500) and her three daughters £10 (approx INR 1000). She charges the former more as they work full-time, as opposed to her girls, who work part-time. Moreover, she also generally charges her four grandchildren over five £5 (approx INR 500) and her two three-year-old grandchildren £2.50. (approx INR 250). However, she has raised her prices this year, to account for the "increased cost of living and rising food prices" as per the BBC.
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"I have put the girls' prices up [this year] by £2 because I did get a bit of stick from people saying I was being sexist - not that I listen to public opinion, particularly," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. She added, "I'm not sure it will [cover the cost], because when you buy a few bits and pieces it comes to like £30 or £40 and it's barely a bag full." She has also called the rise in prices "just horrifying".
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Caroline first got the idea after her husband died in 2015, which meant that she had to make ends meet with a lowered income. She had initially started a "kitty jar" to which the family members were supposed to contribute regularly. She later switched to direct bank account transfers for greater convenience.
"There's a few out there who think I'm a bit of a Scrooge but my friends think it's quite a good idea," Caroline told BBC Radio 5 Live. The cost covers meals from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day. This includes "a mini buffet of sandwiches, a turkey or nut roast dinner with all the trimmings on Christmas Day and a choice of four desserts, and a full buffet on December 26," as reported in Metro.
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