More Battering to the Budget

Finally, the week is almost over.  I'm looking forward to next week as this last week hasn't got me off to a great start on the No Spend/Low Spend challenge as I've already documented, and it got worse still.  The day before Little Bird was due to start secondary school, she reminded me that she needed a haircut.  For her previous haircut, I'd taken her to a local salon.  For a child's wash, cut and blow dry it was £20, which seemed quite reasonably priced for a child of her age, it costs a similar amount at Supercuts, and she really enjoyed the experience.

As a consequence, I returned to the same salon to get it cut again.  This time, however, she just needed a trim, an inch off all around.  We had to book this time as they were busy, so I couldn't get it done before she started school, but instead took her the evening of her first day.  My mistake was in assuming the price hadn't changed within the few months that had passed since her last haircut or that I'd been correctly charged the first time.

When it came to paying for the haircut,  I was completely mortified to find that the price had almost doubled on account of them actually asking her age.  I was shocked and unprepared, so had to pay with my card as I didn't have enough cash on me.  I'm afraid that will be the last time Little Bird will be getting her hair cut at this salon for the forseeable future.  They did a very good job, but I'm not sure that it was really justifiable at almost double the previous cost for a basic wash and trim.   It'll be back to Supercuts in future I'm afraid and a much more tightened belt for the rest of the month too.

The very same day, another battering to the budget occurred, again as a consequence of another assumption on my part.  Namely, that Little Bird's feet wouldn't grow as much as they did in the few months before school started.  I had bought her a pair of black leather and suede ballet pump type shoes online in the sales and when they first arrived and she tried them on they were too large.  I decided to put them aside and keep them until she started school.  The day before school started, she tried them on and they were too small.  I couldn't believe it and was very disappointed, mainly with myself for not checking the fit earlier, as at least if I had she could have worn them for a while and got some wear out of them.  Anyway, I sent her off to school in some canvas lace up granny boots I'd bought her from H&M over the summer holidays.  She was happy as they are her favourite footwear of the moment and I thought I'd got away with having to buy a new pair of shoes for school for a few weeks at least.

All was well until she came home and told me that she wasn't allowed to wear the boots for school.  No lace up boots, which I can only assume is to put the children off wearing trainer type ankle boots or Doc Martens.  So the same evening as the disaster over the haircut, it was off to TK Maxx to find some new school shoes.  Budget busted by another £25 and finally I hope, I've had the last financial surprise I'm due, for this month at least.  Needless to say, it was a very painful day financially and one that I don't care to repeat in the near or far future.  The new and too small pair of shoes (fortunately not expensive ones) is going on eBay as soon as I get around to listing them.  We live and learn.  Sometimes trying to be frugal can turn out to be quite expensive.  I'm hoping that next week won't throw up any more nasty surprises.