With the cost of living crisis still biting hard and the price of a turkey soaring to record levels the extravagant cost of hosting Christmas dinner is set to top £500. But one suggested solution could be seen as the ultimate breach of etiquette - charging guests to sit down for a festive feast.

Experts say the most wonderful time of the year could end up leaving hosts nursing the January blues as the bills for turkey, tinsel and turning up the thermostat land. And the number crunchers at Homefire have done the sums on the financial burden of hosting Christmas dinner, and warn the total average bill racks up to a shocking £526. That means the host is effectively subsidising their guests enjoyment unless they choose to charge them an entry fee of around £50

The kiln-dried log supplier analysed the costs for hosting the average family gathering of four, eight, and 12 people this Christmas and worked out the average financial contribution needed from each guest (excluding the host) just to break even could be as high as £68.67 per person.

The good news for larger social circles however means the more people you invite, the cheaper it is on average for each guest.

While the total cost of hosting 12 people reaches a massive £526.00, the average cost per guest drops to £47.82.

For a party of Four the average is £68.67 per guest whilst eight works out at £52.29.

The main event is the biggest event budgeting for a generous, three-course experience: a starter, the turkey dinner with all the mandatory trimmings, and a proper Christmas dessert.

The average, good-quality home-cooked Christmas meal quickly racks up to around £25.14 per person. If catering for a large table of 12, this single element costs the host an average of £264.00. That's before a single bottle is uncorked or a single cracker pulled.

Festive drinks meanwhile work out an average of £20.57 per person with Homefire's estimate covering a generous average consumption over six to eight hours, including wine, beer, soft drinks, a few festive mixers, and the post-dinner coffee and of course - the Baileys.

For a party of eight, the drinks cabinet and fridge will have soaked up an average of £144.00 by the time the King's speech is over.

The sums also include a host's surcharge that is an often-forgotten expense regardless of how many guests show up. When split between eight people, this fixed cost adds an average of £6.57 per person to the final bill and includes having the oven on for several hours, using all available hobs and repeatedly running the dishwasher throughout the day.

Festive extras such as Christmas crackers, festive napkins, paper towels, and tin of biscuits amount to around £25 whilst keeping the house warmer than usual is a further £15.

Tommy Johnson, E-Commerce manager at Homefire, said: "Asking guests for a contribution to Christmas dinner is the ultimate breach of festive etiquette, it feels inherently awkward and goes against the spirit of generosity that defines the day. No host wants to slap a ticket price on a family gathering. But when the total cost of opening your home for a full day of festivities hits over £500, we have to ask ourselves, how much generosity can a single host realistically absorb?

"Our analysis reveals that the host is effectively subsidising every single guest by more than £50, covering everything from the turkey and wine down to the often-forgotten bill for heating and energy. Since these elements add a fixed cost to the bill just for opening the door, smart savings are essential.

"While we don't believe you should stand at the door with a card machine, we hope these figures force an honest conversation. Whether it's gifting high-performance firewood to offset heating bills, or bringing the cheeseboard, bringing a meaningful contribution is the perfect way to share the warmth - and cost - without anyone having to endure that awkward conversation."