What do you guys think about this? A set fee to contribute to the family Thanksgiving dinner doesn't seem bad to me, but this Redditor got slammed for complaining...Leave your comments below or go to our f Group to participate from the discussion www.Facebook.com/Groups/BingoBillyFriends
An anonymous Redditor has been called out by the Internet after complaining about her family's mandatory $25 Thanksgiving dinner contribution.
Thanksgiving and Christmas can bring out the best and worst in families, and with inflation still notably high, many Americans are dealing with unprecedented drama over the best way to divide up the expenses for the holidays.
One Redditor took to the Am I The A**hole community to pose a query on her objection to her family's new Thanksgiving rule: pay up or stay out.
The Reddit user shared that their oldest sister decided to host the family Thanksgiving but is now asking for a $25 donation for her to buy and cook all the food.
The user said her objections are related to several issues. Firstly, the user is vegetarian and has dietary restrictions, and therefore prefers to prepare their own food.
"She is also notably the worst cook out of all of us (5 total siblings)," the user added on the post. "Why should I have to send her money anyway for Thanksgiving? I've always thought the whole point of Thanksgiving is to bring food and share with everyone."
The feedback on the Internet was not necessarily on the user's side, however.
"YTA and it's Thanksgiving," one user responded. "If you aren't going to eat a single thing don't send money and don't come. If you don't like it feel free to host next year."
The original Thanksgiving money complainer came back and expressed their frustration with the $25 fee, which they saw as in opposition to what the spirit of Thanksgiving is supposed to be about.
"I've never heard of anyone having to send money for thanksgiving," they wrote. "It's about GIVING. Everyone usually pitches in and brings food. Isn't that the point? It's easier that way than one person demanding to cook. For context she never asked, just said send me money and I'll cook? Why would one person cook everything?"
But this did little to convince the strangers on the Internet.
"No, that's not the point," one wrote back. "The point is for family to spend time together. If it's less stressful for people to give money to the host, that's what you should do, and plenty of people do it that way. Either way if you don't like it you aren't required to go."
Yet another chimed in: "YTA maybe she has a special menu planned. Bring your own food or don't attend if you like. $25 isn't a lot of money. I can't tell if you don't like your sister or just do like to cause problems. Doing things differently might work out."
How To Avoid Money Conflict This Thanksgiving
It's undeniable that the holiday season can bring out additional financial stressors across all families, no matter their incomes. Currently, inflation is set at 3.7 percent and groceries, gas and housing costs are still at extreme highs. Due to this, many Americans are feeling the pinch ahead of Thanksgiving.
For the family fighting over the $25 Thanksgiving fee, it seems to be a mismatch of communication, a family therapist says.
"I don't think neither the one asking for $25 nor the sibling against paying is wrong per se," Kayla Crane, marriage family therapist at South Denver Therapy, told Newsweek. "They're just coming at it from their own corners. The trick is to chat about it beforehand, setting clear expectations on budgets and acknowledging everyone's needs, especially with something as personal as food and money."
"One of the keys to combating these types of arguments is transparency and proactive conversation,"
Give options and don't impose. Take into account other's feelings and dietary restrictions as well.