Should You Charge Your Family Members For Thanksgiving Dinner?

A friend of mine was taken aback this week when he and his new wife were planning their first Thanksgiving with her parents. They asked him to bring $10 for the meal.

He had never heard of this before and neither had I. We always just bring a dish to our family Thanksgiving Dinners. My mother-n-law does the bird and trimming. This morning on Madison and Shepherd, I  went to the phones to ask your thoughts.

Most callers had never asked family members to bring money nor had they been asked. In their situation, they were like my family; They take a dish. Some callers however were very familiar with simply bringing money.

One caller explained that up to 26 people will be coming to her Thanksgiving dinner in Tuscaloosa from different towns across Alabama. Some have several hours to drive and bringing a dish would be impractical. (who wants a casserole that's been sitting out for hours?) Her family puts $5 to$10 in a jar when they arrive to help offset the cost of the huge meal. That makes perfect sense to me.

What are your thoughts on asking your family to bring money?