Will you pay to come to christmas dinner?

Get your wallets ready ‘cuz it looks like we might have to start shelling out at Christmas this year! Recent research shows that family and friends are asking their guests for contributions to help make up for the rise in general inflation and increasing costs of gas and electricity.

Even the grands are getting asked to chip in these days. People are also trying to save on their grocery bills, with many switching to cheaper food options, cutting down on different foods they buy, and deciding against more expensive meals like turkey. So yeah, looks like there will be a few coins flying around and wallets opened this holiday season!

Three quarters of us are also prepared to banish alcoholic beverages from their Christmas celebrations, in order to combat rising costs. In a bid to save even more, people are also willing to cut down on other traditional festive elements. Almost nine in ten will give up laying the Christmas dinner table with centrepieces and decorations.

Other actions people plan to take as result of the cost-of living crisis include cutting back on presents (41%) and going out: Despite this being the first Christmas in the last few years which hasn’t been heavily impacted by COVID-19 measures, over a quarter (26%) admit they’ll be staying at home more than usual throughout the festive season to save money.

The research also delved into people’s core etiquette beliefs at Christmas in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, with nearly two in five believing that etiquette is about politeness which should be always be adhered to, and almost a quarter thinking etiquette is an important part of making Christmas special.

Etiquette expert Lucy Challenger said: “This year, we know families everywhere are preparing for a very different type of Christmas. As the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, it’s clear that people will need to make difficult decisions. I’ve created a list of useful tips from how to approach difficult conversations with guests, to clever ways of making your budget go further when hosting.”

GET YOUR GUESTS INVOLVED

Rather than charging guests, create a sharing mentality ahead of festivities – so everyone can bring something (or their ‘speciality’) to have at the table. As a host, write down a list of foods or dishes for the day, and then allocate these to guests to make sure there aren’t any repeat dishes.

SWITCH TO ALTERNATIVE FOODS AND SPREADS

A brilliant way to make money go further this Christmas is by swapping in more cost-effective products. There are lots of different ways to approach this – for example, prosecco or cava instead of champagne, chicken instead of turkey, or even swapping some dishes for plant-based options. Choosing versatile products that can be used across multiple meals & dishes will also help make your money go further.

Where possible, don’t decant food into new serving bowls and platters, as this means more washing up which can add up on your hot water bill. Instead, take your cranberry sauce or FLORA tub and decorate it with beautiful leaves or foliage picked up from a walk – these DIY centrepieces also make for a fun family activity.