Tossing four bags of groceries onto her kitchen bench, OAP nan Caroline Duddridge carefully scans her receipt and circles two items she bought for 50p.

She then adds it to a pile of other sales receipts in a special box.

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It’s only October, but already the 65-year-old widow, who controversially revealed earlier this year that she had £25,000 to look after your own grandchildrenbegan to meticulously prepare his menu for Christmas Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

This includes sending emails to her adult children, telling them that she is charging everyone, including her grandchildren, for her Christmas broadcast.

If they want to celebrate Christmas at her house in Ely, Cardiff adults will all pay £15 each and her eldest grandchild, a 14-year-old girl, will have to pay £10.

The three youngest grandchildren, including a five-year-old daughter, will each be charged £5.

I don’t care if I’m called a money-hungry granny who takes advantage of her family – people have said worse, so that’s water off a duck’s back.

Caroline Duddridge

“I insist on having dosh for dinner,” says Caroline, who is dating retired police officer Dean Jones, 66, unabashedly. “I’ve been changing for Christmas since 2016.

“I don’t care if I’m called a money-hungry granny who takes advantage of her family – people have said worse, so it’s water off a duck’s back.”

Caroline is adamant it’s the right thing to do.

“I shouldn’t have to pay for gifts, all the food, shopping, cooking, electricity and cleaning,” she says. “Plus, you have to heat the house when they are there.

“I’m not a scrooge. I am reasonable. My festive finances depend on it.

This year, in addition to just paying their mother, Caroline’s five adult children, ages 39, 36, 33, 30 and 26, insist on getting receipts for everything from paper napkins to the last sprout.

“They turned it around,” she said. “It’s a Christmas stunt.

“They want a post-dinner audit of all the charges I incurred for the meal to make sure I’m not ripping them off.

“I won’t provide them with neat spreadsheets and a detailed list. I’ll throw the box of receipts on the table and let them sort it out. They will be in shock when they realize how much everything costs. And if they think I do careful accounting… think again.

Every Christmas Eve, Caroline offers a buffet including sandwiches, dips and mini quiches.

This year, contraction and inflation have hit supermarkets and food prices continue to rise.

Caroline Duddridge

On Christmas Day, she prepares a three-course dinner including turkey and beef with all the trimmings, roast vegetables and Christmas pudding.

“I also do a snack buffet that evening and the Boxing Day another mini buffet of leftover food,” she adds.

The economical festive menu includes soft drinks and squash for adults and children, ice cream and hot drinks.

“I constantly have the kettle on for tea and coffee,” she says. “Children must bring their own drink.

“My kids really get what they pay for. They come for Christmas dinner and I come there the day before and the next day and I always have a slice of toast.

Last year Caroline cooked a Christmas dinner for 15 people and five grandchildren, charging £10 for her daughters and £15 for her sons.

“There was a revolt because of that,” she admits. “I was told it was discrimination. The guys told me it was unfair.

“But I just think girls help more, so they should pay less.”

According to Caroline, it was only after a family tragedy that she began to think more carefully about her finances.

“My husband, Brian, died at the age of 67 in 2015 from pancreatic cancer,” she says. “I had to cut back on my spending. THE cost of living The crisis hit and the price of food skyrocketed. I had to make every penny count.

“I had to go back to work part-time as a teaching assistant just to pay the bills. Paying for gifts and meals at Christmas proved impossible,

“This year contraction-flation has hit supermarkets and food prices continue to rise.

I receive a widow’s pension of £1,000 a month. So I will start early. I spend more time than ever visiting supermarkets and checking out bargains.

Caroline Duddridge

“I’m not the only retiree and grandparent affected by financial fear during the holiday season. »

An online survey of Fabulous readers in December 2022 found that 58% of people agreed with the idea of ​​charging for the special meal, while 21% were against and the remaining 21% were sitting on the fence .

To cut costs for the festivities, the grandmother of seven revealed in Fabulous that she started said she looked after her own grandchildren in 2014, increasing her rates in line with inflation, and had earned £25,000 since then, starts purchasing items in October.

“I always find the best and most economical deals,” she says. “I have a widow’s pension of £1,000 a month. So I will start early. I spend more time than ever visiting supermarkets and checking out deals.

“I go to four supermarkets to buy the cheapest sprouts, carrots or peas at a reduced price.

“I spend dozens of hours finding the cheapest prices, the best deals and planning my supermarket trips to choose discounted, yellow label items,” she says. “Every week my meal budget gets less and less, so I have to be tactical in purchasing ingredients.”

Caroline admits she was “shocked” when she children required “receipts”.

“I have nothing to hide,” she said. “I think it will be a revelation for them. Next year one of them will be able to provide food from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and I will eat them out of the house.

Despite the request for an audit at the table, Caroline asks her children to “pay in advance.”

I’m not a wimp or a walkover and I don’t offer IOUs. I have told them the amounts now and they can send me the money by bank transfer.

Caroline Duddridge

“I’m not a wimp or forgetful and I don’t offer IOUs,” she says. “I have told them the amounts now and they can send me the money by bank transfer. I check my account every week to see who paid.

“Once my ‘naughty and nice’ count is complete, I do a quick round to shoo away the offenders and remind them to meet their December payment date.

“It’s a phone call my adult children are accustomed to. I know some will complain and I will have excuses like “my salary hasn’t been paid”, “my bank account has been frozen” and “can I leave it for another week”, but eventually I will receive money from them for the meal.

“I know people will call me greedy. I’m going to get trolled for being greedy. I don’t care. I have to cash in to continue cooking Christmas.

“If they don’t pay…stay away.”

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