“Every year since I married my husband, his mother expects me to host Christmas. Not us — me. I cook everything, clean everything, buy everything, while my husband ‘helps her with errands’ and magically avoids all the work.Last year I spent over $600 on groceries, decorations, drinks, and ‘traditional dishes’ she insisted on. She invited extra relatives without warning, then criticized the food temperature, the portion sizes, even my table settings.

When I mentioned how expensive it was, she said, ‘That’s the price of being the woman of the house.’This year money is tight — rent went up, I’m juggling bills, and I told my husband early: ‘We cannot afford to host again. Not happening.’He told his mom immediately. She called me furious, saying, ‘You’ve hosted every year. You can’t stop now. Christmas depends on you.’Then she added, ‘Just budget better. Cheaper ingredients. Cook simpler things.’I said, ‘If you want a big Christmas, you or your son can pay for it.’
She was stunned.