Cardiff gran charges family for Christmas dinner with family members paying different rates

Speaking to BBC 5 Live, Caroline Duddridge said it's an 'important lesson for the kids' to make sure everyone contributes Credit: Media Wales

A grandmother from Cardiff charges her family for Christmas dinner every year – with each family member paying a different rate.

Caroline Duddridge, 63, from Fairwater, hosts up to 12 people for Christmas dinner, as well as for a buffet on Christmas Eve, and another on Boxing Day.

She says charging a fee is the best solution for avoiding waste and covering the rising costs of preparing the meal.

"It sounds, on the face of it, like 'oh my god, how could she do that?' But it started when my husband died just before Christmas 2015", she said.

"My income was halved and I lost my job, so I said to my kids that they'd have to contribute to all the food."

Caroline thinks that once people hear how she organises the Christmas meals, they'll want to do the same. Credit: Media Wales

Caroline started by asking each of her children to put a couple of pounds a week into a jar in the weeks up until Christmas, but says it got too confusing when she couldn't work out who was paying and who wasn't.

To avoid having to chase her family up for the money, she asked them all to pay a set fee by December 1."I've got to be clear... I'm not out to make a profit. It's a contribution; I'm not getting one up on my children," she said.Caroline says her kids are all "fine about it," given that she sits down and carefully calculates out how much of each food she'll need and how much it'll all cost.She adds up £90 for the meat, a nut roast for a vegetarian option, and several desserts including vegan ones and alternatives to Christmas pudding for the kids.She also has a smart meter, so can see how much it costs to cook a full turkey dinner. Combined with the cost of decorations, Christmas crackers, and having the heating and the Christmas lights running all day, Caroline thinks it's fair to set fees for her family that cover the cost.

  • Her two sons and her son-in-law pay £15 each, because they work full-time

  • Her daughters pay £10 each as they work part-time

  • Her older grandkids pay £5

  • Her younger grandkids pay £2.50 - although, Caroline says, this is more likely to be paid by their parents than to be taken from their pocket money

Caroline said: "Some of my children are in their late 30s and earning money. Just because I’m a mother and a grandmother doesn’t mean I have to pay everything myself. If I was a millionaire or something, fair enough!""When people read it, and not just look at the headline, they’ll actually think ‘hmm, yes, that’s actually not a bad idea.’ I’ve got a couple of friends who think they’re going to start doing the same."

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