Man Gets Univited From Family New Year's Dinner After Refusing To Pay For His Own Food
No payment, no plate. Now the whole family's at war.
New Year’s Eve dinners can get expensive fast, especially when they involve a full family and a special occasion. In this case, one dinner reservation became a flashpoint for years of quiet resentment around money.
The person at the center of the story (OP) lives far from home and only returns during the holidays. Because of that distance, time with family feels limited and meaningful.
Wanting to make the most of it, OP suggested a New Year’s Eve dinner at a well-known buffet restaurant back in their hometown. It wasn’t cheap, but it wasn’t outrageous either.
More importantly, they planned to cover the cost for their parents and younger sister as a way to give back.
Unfortunately, OP’s older brother immediately shut the idea down, calling the dinner a “waste of money” and refusing to pay for himself or his wife.
This reaction stung, especially given his history of spending freely on hobbies while frequently borrowing money from family for other expenses.
When asked to reconsider for the sake of having the whole family together, he doubled down, insisting he wouldn’t attend unless OP agreed to cover his bill and his wife's.
The situation escalated when their father offered to cover the brother’s cost just to keep the family together. This, however, upset their mother and further deepened the divide.
Feeling backed into a corner, OP went ahead and made a reservation for just them, their parents, and their younger sister.
What followed was an angry phone call from OP’s brother. He accused them of splitting the family on an important holiday, which should be spent together and not apart.
Scroll through the screenshots below to read the full story and see how it all unfolded.
Let’s dig to the details
Reddit.comA bit of backstory
Reddit.comOP suggested they all go out to a fancy restaurant for dinner on New Year’s Eve. They were also committed to handling their parents and younger sister’s bills
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OP’s brother rejected the idea due to the expense involved. However, he was open to attending only if OP sorts out his and his wife’s bills
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OP’s dad found out about the argument and hasn’t been happy ever since. He wants the whole family to be present
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OP and their brother still couldn’t find a middle ground. Consequently, they made reservations for dinner without their brother and his wife
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OP’s brother accused them of splitting the family during New Year’s Eve, when they should all be spending time together
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Important update
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We gathered some interesting comments about the Reddit community
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“You created this by handing out money. I know it's out of love but you created dependency.”
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“NTA, Lol your brother literally said if someone doesn’t pay for him he’s not going.”
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“If the object of getting together with the family is a nice meal with each other, why not do a cheaper restaurant?”
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“Was it really impossible to find a cheaper but still ok restaurant? The point was: eating together.”
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Wanting to give your parents a treat certainly comes from a good place, but so does wanting family traditions to feel inclusive.
Despite the fact that Netizens slammed OP’s brother for not wanting to foot his own bills, they have also questioned OP’s decision not to explore other cheaper restaurants.
Maybe if other cheaper options were put on the table, their brother could have reacted differently. But we will never know.
From the update, OP’s dad ended up paying half the bill for his son. So, we’re at least happy that the family is going to spend the holidays together this year.
After the dinner, it’ll be crucial that they all sit down and table this matter amicably so that it never comes up again.
What are your thoughts on this story? Tell us in the comments.
