A savvy mom is charging her family $23 per head for their Christmas dinner and insists her cooking is “worth every penny”.
Whitney Ainscough, 32, already charges her extended family of 12 people $11 each for their normal Sunday roasts, but is upping the ante for the big day.
Charging a further $11 per child Whitney is set to make a combined $220 this year to cover the price of buying the food – with a spare $11 if she is “lucky”.
She first began adding a charge for her cooking after she stopped working her job as a pharmacy advisor and was on Universal Credit – unable to afford to cook for her family as often.
For her Christmas Day feast, she plans to buy turkey, pork and beef as well as festive add-ons like crackers.
Her family are happy to pay the fee for their dinner, and see the price as “fair” according to Whitney.
Whitney, a social media influencer from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said: “I’ll be honest it started when I stopped working where I used to work and went on Universal Credit and everyone loved my dinners.
“But I couldn’t afford to cook dinners anymore.
“I kind of did it from there and it’s worked.
“I literally just thought they’re using my gas, electric and watching television and stuff as well as having their dinner.
“I thought $11 each was a nice simple number.
“I think they [Whitney’s family] thought, ‘what a bargain’.
“I think they saw it as fair.
“For Christmas I’m doubling it to $23 – at Christmas you make a lot more things.
“It will all be out in the middle of the table so they can get what they want.
“It’s double the amount of food, and normally I’d buy normal pigs in blankets but it’s going to be more luxurious expensive stuff”.
Whitney often cooks Sunday lunch for her family, with younger members doing the washing up afterwards to “earn their chip-ins”.
She said: “It is an amazing Sunday lunch.
“It’s worth every penny, that’s why they come back.
“Normally it’s roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, pigs in blankets, chicken or beef, pork crackling, Yorkshire puddings, air-fried sprouts, honey-glazed carrots and parsnips, peas and broccoli.”
Whitney is hosting Christmas this year for 12 people – and says it costs her $220 to feed everyone.
This is the second year she’s charging for Christmas, having hosted in 2023.
She has decided to charge $23 per adult and $11 per child to help cover the costs – which she says her family are happy to do as “it’s nicer than having to cook one at home on your own”.
Whitney said: “It’s just everyone chipping in – I’m cooking and everyone prefers my cooking.
“Everyone sees it as a win win.”
Having shared her plans to charge for Christmas dinner on social media, commentators online have had “mixed” reactions.
She said: “A lot of people are like, ‘I wouldn’t charge for my family’, or, ‘we take it in turns’, but everyone likes my cooking that’s why I do it.
“I am actually buying everything for Christmas dinner but I’m taking it all down to my mom’s house and cooking it because she’s got a bigger house.
“I don’t know whether I’ll get turkey instead and probably more meats as well as pork and beef, stuff like that.
“I’ll get luxury crackers and whatever else.”
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