Mother-In-Law Called Out For Asking Her Family To Pay $21 For Their Christmas Meals

A mother-in-law is charging her family to eat Christmas lunch at her place, and it's not going over well with everyone.

A woman wrote on a discussion board called Mumsnet that her partner will be visiting his mom's house for the holiday while she will be with her own family. The woman, whose username is Staceyjas, said she was surprised to learn that her mother-in-law is asking everyone to pay £17 (about $21) for their meals.

"She said she doesn't want to do it all from scratch and wants to get it all pre-done so it's more money, which I understand," she wrote. "But he's gutted and feels like he wants to come to my family now. I can see it from both sides and it's hard work and can be expensive but not like she is financially destitute."

She later added: "There's 4 adults (including him) and 1 toddler attending. And if I was hosting I would not dream of asking for money, just bring a bottle."

The woman wanted to know how other users felt about the situation, and she got plenty of mixed reactions. 

Several people said they'd rather ask their guests to bring a side-dish than to fork over cash:

We host Christmas: Buy the turkey and pudding, everyone else brings a dish... That shares the cost and the work. Cannot think of anything less hospitable than setting the menu and demanding your ‘guests’ pay for it.

Others said they understand how expensive catering a Christmas meal can be, and don't see a problem with the mother-in-law's request:

I think it’s fair to be honest; why should she have to cover the cost every year when it’s likely to be £100 plus and why should she have to cover the cost of not wanting to do so much cooking. 

Still, some were in disbelief:

I wouldn't dream of asking for money. How could anyone invite people for dinner and then ask them to pay for it?