What adult purchase really shocked you once you saw the price tag?

[AmbsPhillps]

like when you became an adult , what things surprised you with by the cost

Think yourself lucky at £2,200 for council tax - ours is £3,500 and we're not even the top band It does include the water rates though - and we have recently got the Water company out to repair the sewer in the road as it was backing up to the stank on our drive and are currently bugging the council to clean the road gutters as they're blocked with mud/leaves (mud created by leaves that have been driven on for so long), resulting in massive puddles every time it rains

I don't actually begrudge the council tax though - as well as road cleaning, bin collection, schools, lighting, social care for young and old, parks (which have been well used during lockdown) and so on, it also pays for the fabulous museums we have in our city. And we are fortunate enough to live in a nice house in a good area It's just a helluva lot to budget for.

Other things that shocked me:

Cost of a new roof

Vet bills

Printer ink

Kitchen taps - and the fact that you can no longer replace a washer, you have to replace the whole think which is why our kitchen tap is still dripping

Council tax! I thought it was about £200 a year 😆
Mattresses for sure.

Printer companies generally make no profit on the machines, only the ink. That's why HP have that subscription model going now.

Batteries 😭

Vets bills! £1.3k last week and not even a cat at the end to show for it! We did our best.

Meat in our local butcher, I have to focus on my poker face when they tell me how much a couple of pieces of steak and some sausages cost!

Printer ink is outrageous.
Curtains
Dishwasher tablets
Train fares
Petrol
Car tyres

Front doors/locks/locksmiths
Curtains
School fees
Vets bills

Front doors

Picture framing - we’ve just paid £420 to get two medium-sized prints framed. DP spent ages browsing frames in the shop with the owner, so when the guy told him the cost he was too embarrassed to say no.

@Juliancantcope

I can’t get over the fact that a posh pushchair / travel system can cost more than a second hand car!

Amen to this one!

I'm pregnant with twins - £1700 minimum for a twin travel system

@LetItGoHome

Hosting Christmas dinner for the whole family. I felt it was a bit of a right of passage once I had kids and a house big enough to accommodate grandparents, siblings and other close family. But my god the price soon adds up 😳 I love having it at mine though so wouldn't have it any other way 😁

This
Although I always offer a contribution to the turkey, make a few dishes eg puddings, bring a cheese board, supply some wine, spirits and nibbles when we get invited to others homes. Haven't had the same courtesy back mind you

Any kind of plumbing job

They saw you coming!

Dishwasher tablets are only £2.49 for 50 iirc at Lidl - and are a Which? Best Buy . Need separate rinse aid (which is £1.99) but as I'm in a soft water area, I can set my dishwasher to use very little, so one bottle lasts me ages. I also half my dishwasher tablets, so effectively get 100 of them, for just as good a wash. In fact a better wash as it stops the glasses clouding.

House plants!

The picture framers

Curtains. It took a while for me to find some which I really liked and in the end I got some made to measure. DH said to order them if I liked them but I baulked at the cost. I still think they're beautiful but oh, the cost.

House

I'm channeling the Harry Enfield posh shop not being mean

Everything.

Ice packs, curtains, matresses and decent pillows. Shoes. Bills and now petrol.

In my innocence/ignorance as a new student I asked for 2lbs of mushrooms on a market stall. Are you sure you want that much? Oh yes. 2lbs please.
A carrier bag full of mushrooms and most of my week's shopping budget gone. I was too embarrassed to back track

[quote movingonup20]@Kote furniture costs as much as you are willing to pay though, I furnished my first flat from the charity shop [/quote]
You can even get things for free if you've got a way of going to pick things up or live in a city where unwanted furniture is left on pavements. That never worked for me because I don't drive, but I've used British Heart Foundation and the like.

Houses
Hoovers
Good mince

meat replacements.
(I know I know) we only eat meat once a week but dc like 'fake' ham in their lunchbox occasionally.

Cleaning stuff. I do well sticking to the weekly food budget until I start running out of cleaning products.

Furniture

Household repairs

Boiler

Insurance!

Meat!