‘My sister-in-law is charging me £40 for Christmas dinner – and there’s no pudding’

A woman was left horrified after she went to her sister-in-law’s house for a basic Christmas dinner, which didn’t have a dessert – and was then stamped with a bill

If you celebrate Christmas Day with family, the likelihood is that you’ll take something to contribute if you’re not cooking – whether it be a bottle of something fancy or a dessert you promised to make. It’s far more unusual for a family to charge you for the pleasure, however.

A woman was left dumbfounded after her sister-in-law asked her to pay £40 to enjoy the festivities with her – adding that she thought it was a complete ‘rip off’.

She took to Mumsnet to explain that her sister-in-law had offered to host Christmas as she has a ‘big new house’ with ‘plenty of room’.

She wrote: “My sister-in-law said she would host Christmas this year as she has a big new house and plenty of room for us all. I asked if I should bring something and she said she would just do a shop and split the cost.

“She did suggest we bring our own alcohol. I thought it was a little odd, as did my hubby but he reminded me that she was cheap and the food wouldn’t cost that much anyway! Best to just agree with it instead of making a fuss.

“Anyway, we had Christmas, I took up five bottles of wine (only drank one and my hubby didn’t drink any). Left them there when we left. We were given cereal for breakfast and tinned soup for lunch and a basic Christmas dinner. No puddings and just a little cheese for dessert.

“We just got the bill… it came to £40 each! Am I being unreasonable to feel angry and insulted by this all? It doesn’t seem right to hand over money. Especially to family.

“Also, I feel really ripped off! I don’t want to upset my husband, but his family is a new level of cheap. If I did that to my brother, he probably wouldn’t speak to me again!”

People were shocked that they were charged after the event, and others pointed out that they didn’t seem to get an awful lot for their money.

One wrote: “Seems odd to me, but you agreed to it beforehand, so you should pay. I think that asking for a breakdown of the bill is going to cause more trouble than it’s worth!”

Someone else disagreed, however, stating they would be asking for a bill. They commented: “That is so uncouth and embarrassing. I would be asking her for an itemised bill and really be petty about it down to the last penny. Make her see how mean and cheap she is being.”

“I’d demand back the wine, then!”, one Mumsnetter fumed.

What would you do in this situation? Let us know in the comments.