Welsh nana tells family to fork out cash if they want Christmas dinner
Friday, 23 December 2022
A British grandmother has charged the adults of her family NZ$29, and her youngest grandchildren NZ$5, to enjoy Christmas dinner at her home in Wales.
Caroline Duddridge, from Fairwater, Cardiff, admits some may think of her as a “Scrooge”, but the decision to share her expenses comes as research from Kantar UK shows cooking a festive meal for four has risen by nearly NZ$10 since 2021.
The idea, which first came to Duddridge in 2015 following the death of her husband and subsequent halving of her income, is meant to combat the rising cost of living in the UK.
The 63-year-old told the BBC she had initially offered her family a “kitty jar” where NZ$8 could be put away from September, before asking to transfer the money directly to her bank account.
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“Of course it all got a bit shambolic, trying to keep track of them and there were a few stragglers,” Duddridge said.
Her two sons, who work full-time, were told to hand over NZ$29, while her three daughters with part-time jobs paid NZ$19, her four grandchildren over five NZ$10, and her two three-year-old grandchildren NZ$5 – in all, Duddridge collects $165 from her family members.
'If you don't pay by 1 December, you're not coming,” she joked in an interview with BBC Radio 5.
'Obviously there were a few moans and grumbles saying I've got a few children, but at the end of the day that's not my problem really, is it?'
The NZ$29 dinner at Duddridge's includes a platter of sandwiches on Christmas Eve, a turkey dinner and nut roast with drinks and desserts on Christmas Day, and a full buffet on Boxing Day.
Her three-day festive feast sets the teaching assistant back an estimated NZ$578.
Research from Kantar this month revealed a traditional UK Christmas dinner for four, including a frozen turkey, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes and Christmas pudding now costs NZ$60 – compared to NZ$47.50 in 2021.
'Why should the host hold the full financial burden?” Duddridge said.
She said she hopes her grandchildren will welcome the new tradition and begin to embrace it as a norm when they're older.
'I'm hoping that people won't think it's a terrible thing and think 'hmm, that is a good idea’,” Duddridge said.
'It's very fair. I'm not out to make a profit, I'm doing it just to have a bit of help with the cost of it.'