I’ve asked my Christmas guests to bring their own food or pay to attend – they say I’m selfish but I’m just being savvy
A MAN has sparked controversy after asking his Christmas party guests to bring food or pay to attend.
We all know Christmas is an expensive time of year, and the cost of living crisis has only made the matter worse.
And one man revealed on Reddit that he would like to continue his annual Christmas dinner party despite the rise in cost.
But he confessed he couldn't afford to pay for all 25 guests so had asked each guest to bring a dish or pay 316 (420) each to attend.
However, his money saving ways didn't rub off well on his guests who opposed the idea of paying.
In the post, he wrote: "Every year, we hold a little soiree-type gathering at our house - there's usually 20-25 people who come.
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"Nothing crazy. It's a mix of co-workers, family, and friends.
"Normally, we do ALL the cooking for 25 people, and it sets us back about $500-$600 dollars at the grocery store.
"This year, with money being a bit tighter, we've added some "stipulations" to attending the party."
The man added that he wrote these stipulations on each invite.
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He continued: "On the invites that we mailed out, we added that guests need to bring a dish with them to the party if they'd like to attend.
"We listed some potential dishes that they can bring, or they can bring their own creation.
"If not bringing a dish, the alternative would be paying $20 per guest, to help offset food costs."
Six of the 27 people who were invited failed to respond to the invite.
When the couple asked if they were coming the guests branded them as ' selfish to expect a dish from guests.'
He decided to ask for their opinion, and the response was mixed.
some agreed they were selfish while others claimed it was fair to ask guests to contribute.
One wrote: "I wouldn't have asked for the money. That turns a fun get-together into an event with an entrance fee.
"Just changing the name from 'Holiday Party' to 'Holiday Potluck' and asking guests to bring a dish would have been enough."
A second person agreed: "Why host a party if you can’t afford it? Tacky."
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Another person commented: "If you can't afford a party then don't have one."
A fourth added: "I would love being given the paying $20 alternative. Much less headache for me. Haha."