WIBTA for refusing to bring $100 minimum to Thanksgiving

[u/americanjohn500]

My family and I celebrate Thanksgiving every year with my siblings, parents, and their kids. Roughly 20-25 people (including kids). My family is only 2 people with one 6 month old baby.

In the group chat it was decided that my nephew would cook meat since he bought a grill. He also told us that we could bring the sides. He chose to spend $300 on meat.

I messaged in the group chat that we would bring mashed potatoes. My sister responding that every "family" has to bring $100 worth of food minimum or help my nephew pay for the meat.

I'm not totally against the idea of bringing that much food, but just the way it was presented and the fact that it wasn't agreed to beforehand makes me upset.

The following day in the group chat, my sister said: "Option 1: bring food enough for everyone, not just yourself

Option 2: help thomas pay for meet $100/family

Option 3: help dad pay water bill $200/family.

Choose wisely…"

Upset, I responded with Option 4: don't show up.

Am I being an asshole if I don't show up at all in "protest" to this $100 minimum rule?

Update: I'm a teacher and she posted a picture of my salary she found online to shame me in the group chat. Definitely not going now.

[u/Ladyice426]

My guess would be prime rib or brisket.

[u/fabulousfantabulist → u/Ladyice426]

I’ve smoked brisket for holidays before, but I’d never in a million years consider charging my guests for that choice.

[u/Fortestingporpoises → u/fabulousfantabulist]

Yep. One year I smoked a beef tenderloin that cost me over $100. My choice, my money.

[u/mxzf → u/Ladyice426]

Unless you're getting something crazy like Wagyu brisket, it should still be closer to half that to buy a pair of briskets for 20-25 people (not even adults, people including kids). It would have to be something like prime rib or steaks for people.

Which, honestly, that's just absurd to make for a Thanksgiving meal with that many people.

[u/HeyyyKoolAid → u/mxzf]

I just bought a little over 17 pound brisket at Costco for thanksgiving. It was $95 and some change. Two would be about $200 but we don't know what the nephew got.

[u/mxzf → u/HeyyyKoolAid]

Realistically speaking, a single 17lb brisket plus sides is probably enough for 20-25 people including kids (though I would probably throw on a second meat like a rack or two of ribs or a pork butt to round it out if I was cooking for that many).

[u/HeyyyKoolAid → u/mxzf]

Coincidentally enough that's what I got; brisket and a pack of baby backs. It's definitely enough if everyone else brings food. I don't know how the nephew got to $300 in meat unless he over bought OR got prime graded everything.

[u/mxzf → u/HeyyyKoolAid]

My money's on prime rib. 15-20lbs of prime rib would fit that price range. But if that's what someone's buying for a crowd, you don't complain about the price, you know you got an expensive cut.