Mum charges family $54 each to come over for Christmas dinner

As anyone who has ever hosted Christmas dinner will likely testify, the whole process can be draining, both physically and financially.

So it’s entirely understandable that you might want to be compensated for your effort in the kitchen and the money you’ve forked out doing the mammoth Christmas shop. Or is it?

Mum-of-four Gemma Andrews has sparked outrage by admitting that she charges family members $54 (£30) a head to eat at her house on Christmas Day.

The responsibility of cooking the festive meal has always fallen to the pregnant 33-year-old because her house is the only one big enough to accommodate the whole family.

But having spent years trying to come to some sort of compromise, including urging her relatives to each cook a dish in preparation of the big day, Andrews decided to take a different tact by charging her family $54 a head.

Speaking on This Morning, the mum explained that she’d grown tired of being left out of pocket.

“The very first year I opened my house to everybody on Christmas Eve I got let down by five people and I had so much excess food,” she said.

“The year after I tried ‘bring a dish’. Come Christmas Eve, people said ‘Oh I forgot to get it’ and I’m running around trying to find a bag of prawns. It’s more stressful.”

Andrews went on to explain to presenters Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield, her solution to put an end to last-minute drop outs and the expense of cooking on December 25 is to charge for all adults, with children going free.

But her plan divided viewers, with some claiming the idea was entirely justified and others declaring it totally unacceptable.

“We’re helping to pay financially for Christmas Dinner – what’s the problem?” one viewer tweeted.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind paying £60 for me, my husband and 2 kids and go somewhere for Christmas Dinner and not have to worry about any food, drink or washing up… Bargain I’d say!” agreed another.

But others said making your family pay for dinner wasn’t in keeping with the spirit of Christmas.

“Charging family for christmas dinner is pathetic, don’t care what people says it’s disgusting!! If I invited a stranger around I wouldn’t charge them!” one viewer commented. ‪

“Charging your own FAMILY for Christmas dinner is absolutely disgusting, using Christmas day as a chance to make money is greedy anyway never mind from your own family,” another viewer agreed.

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Gemma Andrews isn’t the only person to spark a debate about the rights and wrongs of charging people for their festive feast.

Last year, a woman caused a storm online after asking if it’s okay to ask guests to pay a small contribution for their Christmas dinner.

There’s little doubt Christmas is the most expensive time of the year. In fact, it is statistically proven with the average family in the UK spending around $1431 (£800) during the festive period.

And when you’re saddled with the cost of providing a feast for everyone, is it really so unreasonable to ask for some sort of financial contribution?

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