Widower, mom-of-five, and grandmother-of-six Caroline Duddridge has been charging her family for Christmas dinner, ensuring each member chips in for the holiday celebration. While some may not agree with her setup, she believes it is practical and fair.
Christmas is undoubtedly one of the most festive times of the year, filled with gatherings, food, and activities. However, it also comes at a sometimes hefty price.
One grandmother, Caroline Duddridge, thought it was only fair to start charging her family for Christmas Eve dinner, especially as prices for food and electricity are increasing.
The Division for Christmas Expenses
Depending on their age and family status, the doting grandmother charges her children and grandchildren differently. Women are charged less as they only work part-time compared to the other family members.
According to the Duddridge, her youngest grandkids, age three, pay around $3, while the older ones, ages 12 and 9, pay $6. Meanwhile, their adult parents pay about $20 for the men and $13 for the women. Given that her grandkids don’t have jobs, their parents cover their expenses.
Payments are supposed to be given before December 1, and Duddridge makes sure to follow up for those who have yet to settle. Unfortunately, those who refuse to pay are uninvited to the dinner. She said:
“Expecting one person to pay for the entire meal and prepare it, clean up, [and] have their heating and electricity used is too much. The amount I charge for dinner includes electricity.”
Grandma’s Reason Behind Charging Her Family
Before charging each of her family members, Duddridge set up a jar for Holiday expenses, where family members can drop money throughout the year. However, the set-up only caused her children to argue.
It was difficult to track who was placing the needed amounts weekly. “Some weeks everyone paid, and other weeks some of the kids forgot or didn’t have change,” she said. “It ended up with some of my adult kids paying more and others not paying as much.”
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Duddridge, whose husband died in 2015, lives off around $1,200 in monthly widow pension and has to budget to make resources fit. It becomes much more difficult during Christmas, with her entire family coming over to dine and celebrate.
Since her widow’s pension is insufficient to make ends meet, Duddridge has returned to join the workforce at over 60 years old, working as a teacher’s assistant monitoring the playground during breaks. She also attends staff meetings and has to go to work at least twice a week. Fortunately, working with children is nothing new to Duddridge, who was once a teacher.
Still, Duddridge cannot pay for her entire family’s Christmas dinner and gifts, so in 2016, she started finding ways to gather resources for the holidays, such as the money jar.
Even with the pitched-in expenses, she tries to budget well. She looks for the best deals, spending hours planning her supermarket trips for the best bargains. She is also strategic in purchasing her ingredients.
Duddridge is well aware of the critics who do not like her rules. However, it will not change her mind. She believes that her current practice teaches her kids and grandkids the importance of working hard and the value of money.
The Family’s Reactions
Duddridge knows her family’s reactions aren’t always positive, but they are responsible enough to pay in the end. “I know some will moan,” she said. “But I will eventually receive cash from them for the meal.” Given that everyone pitches in, the family also discusses the dinner menu, which includes wine, pudding, cheese, crackers, and more.
Her kids who want to add beverages are also free to do so. They sometimes bring beer to enjoy with the family, while the younger ones have soda. Caroline firmly believes that Christmas should only happen twice a decade for more people to appreciate it.
What do you think of Caroline’s set-up for family Christmas dinners? Do you think it’s fair to her and everyone else? Would you do the same in her place?