Her Sister-in-Law Is Charging $40 a Person for Thanksgiving, Then Texted Her Privately Asking if She’s Still Making the $70 Turkey and Stuffing
A woman’s sister-in-law is hosting Thanksgiving for the first time after her mother-in-law finally handed off the holiday. On Sunday, she texted the family that it would cost $40 per person this year, with kids under 10 eating free.
A minute later, she sent the woman a separate message asking if she was still handling the turkey. Now the woman is debating whether to pay the fee and skip the turkey, or quietly cover both.
A New Host for Thanksgiving
Her mother-in-law hosted for years before deciding to pass the tradition on. This year, her husband’s sister stepped up.
Hosting a holiday meal for a big family can be expensive. Between groceries, decorations, and supplies, costs can easily run into the hundreds of dollars.
$40 a Person
Her sister-in-law’s plan was simple. Everyone would pay $40 each, kids under 10 would eat free, and guests should bring something to drink.
Her daughter is too old to count as a child under the rule. That means the woman’s family owes $120 to attend.
Still on Turkey Duty
Right after the group message, her sister-in-law texted her privately. The message asked if she was still on turkey duty, followed by a smiley face.
There was no mention of reducing her family’s share. It seemed she was expected to pay the fee and bring the main dish.
Her Father’s Old Smoker
She’s made the turkey every year since her father passed away. She cooks it on his old smoker, which he bought at a church auction when she was in high school.
The smoker takes up half the garage, and her husband has wanted to get rid of it for years. For her, Thanksgiving is the one time each year she uses it, and that makes the tradition meaningful.
A $70 Bird and an Early Morning
A turkey large enough to feed everyone costs about $70. She also wakes up before sunrise and checks on it roughly every hour while it smokes.
Between the cost of the bird, fuel for the smoker, and hours of work, the turkey is one of the biggest contributions to the meal. Nobody else seems to have been asked to cook anything major.
Her husband’s brother and his wife are bringing a case of beer. As far as she knows, that’s their only contribution.
$120 Plus the Turkey
If she pays the $120 fee and brings the turkey, her family would be contributing about $190 total, not counting the time and effort involved. That’s far more than anyone else appears to be giving.
She wrote a message saying she’d send her share like everyone else and that the turkey could come out of the money being collected. She planned to bring a drink instead, then deleted the text.
A New Mortgage and Tight Money
Her sister-in-law and her husband closed on their first home in August. She’s mentioned several times that money has been tight with the new mortgage.
The woman doesn’t want her sister-in-law’s first time hosting to start with tension. She understands the pressure that comes with a new home and new expenses.
A Request for Stuffing Too
This morning, her sister-in-law texted again. This time, she asked if the woman could also make her stuffing.
Now the woman is left wondering how much more she’s expected to provide on top of the $120 fee. She doesn’t want to make things awkward, but she’s starting to feel like she’s paying twice for the same Thanksgiving dinner.
Featured on Happy From Home:
- Woman Who Put Down $100,000 on Her House Before Her Boyfriend Moved In Says He Has Started Calling It a Waste of Money Because He Has No Legal Claim to It After Two Years of Contributions
- Couple Paid $4,000 to Confirm Their Neighbor’s Fence Was 20 Feet Over the Line and Chose to Be Kind About It and Now Two Years of Inaction May Have Put Their Ownership at Risk
