‘I cost my household £25 a head for Christmas dinner – I do not see it as an enormous deal’
Abi Richards puts on breakfast, lunch and dinner over the festive period but has sparked a mixed reaction after admitting her relatives contribute £25 each towards her shopping bill
A 35-year-old mum has revealed she’s charging her family to attend Christmas dinner at her home.
Abi Richards from Hampshire has forked out £233 on food and drink for the festive period. She’s cooking for 10 family members across three days – Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day.
Each guest is being charged £25, which covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This isn’t the first time Abi has hosted Christmas, with this being her fourth year in a row.
Every year, her family have “chipped in” on the shopping bill. This year, however, she saved the receipts and “worked it out fairly,” billing eight of the adults attending £25 each.
Abi believes this method is “easier” as guests “don’t have worry” about bringing anything with them. She insists her family are more than happy to contribute and were the ones who “insisted” on doing it from the first year she hosted.
The idea has had mixed reviews on social media, with some “praising” it and others calling it “disgusting.”
Abi, a content creator and mum-of-two, said: “We’ve always split the cost. I didn’t initiate doing – my family suggested it to me. Every year I gave a rough estimate for them to chip-in. I never like to ask for too much or too little. This is the first year I kept the receipts and worked it out fairly. It’s funny – I’ve never thought it was a big deal.”
Abi has shared her clever Christmas hack to handle the cost-of-living crisis, saying: “We’re in a cost-of-living crisis, so some people really struggle with it.”
Explaining her family’s approach, she said: “It’s whatever works for you and your family – this works for us.”
Living at home with her husband Ross, 37, who is employed at a bank, and their two kids Teddy, five, and Emmie, aged two, Abi hosts her extended family for a festive three-day gathering. This includes her mum, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister and her partner, and her niece.
Abi has been bargain hunting, spending £172 at Aldi on food and drinks before topping up with items from Tesco for an additional £61, totalling £223. With eight adults out of 10 guests willing to chip in, she asked each to contribute £25.
She explained: “Some years, my family have brought things with them.
“But this way, it’s all here when they arrive, and they don’t have to worry about getting anything.”
For the festive meals, Abi plans a roast turkey with all the trimmings on Christmas Eve, followed by a leftovers buffet on Christmas Day, and another meal on Boxing Day. She shared: “This is the first year we’re doing the roast on Christmas Eve.”
The reason behind the change is family time: “I’m the only one with young kids, and I feel bad I don’t get to spend as much time with them on Christmas Day because I’m cooking.”
Abi, a social media user, shared her surprise at the viral reaction to her video which showcased her hosting style.
She was astounded by the feedback as the video racked up 19.6k views, resulting in divided opinions. Abi said: “The clip was quite controversial –but it was mostly positive feedback.
“Others have said it’s ‘disgusting’ and they would never let their family contribute.
“It’s not for everyone, but this is what’s always worked for us.”
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