Massive increase in cost for lessons, is this normal?

[WouldRatherBeOnaBeach]

As per title, one of my children has flute lessons. Heard last night from the teacher guy that the lesson will be going up from £32 to £40 in the new year, for the same amount of time.

Daughter loves the lessons, but our money is very tight. Husband gives me £85 for the week and I have to find this lesson money out of it as well as feed a household of 5.

I dont understand if things are going up by 3% (or whatever it is ), how are some things going up by SO much. Hubby says I should just pay it as the teacher might not have increased his rates for years, but we’ve only been doing the lessons since the summer and the percentage increase feels huge.

(The teacher is a guy my husband used to work with, not sure if this could be why he just wants me to shut up and pay, to save his embarrassment?!)

I already find it such a juggle to make sure everything is covered on such a low income, I am feeling sad that I now have this additional stress.

Is it me? Am I being unreasonable??

Did you read her breakdown?

Sadly not atypical for vicars, I'm afraid. I worked with the wife of a local vicar and they bounced along the bottom financially (and had a lodger).

No I can't see it?

So I do totally agree that it's scary. But the flat isn't washing its face, it's costing them money. They've said that they have to pay the taxes for the house out of her husband's income.

If this is a short term problem where the OP can get a job within a year or so then maybe this is different, but at the moment they might be better off putting the money into a pension that they then use to buy a house later. Because you could essentially put the money they currently pay in tax into pensions on an ongoing basis and then presumably be eligible for universal credit. I would want to do some careful checks with a benefits advisor especially given your husband's income isn't a standard form of income but it sounds like it might be less bad than other options.

The flat is costing them money so they need to raise the rent or sell it. It’s ludicrous to spend money they don’t have for a theoretical plan to live in a 1 bedroom flat with 3 kids.

I’d assume that by the time he retires the kids will have moved out? Most do.
I agree that actually spending money to keep it is madness though. It needs to cover its costs or be sold.

Earlier in the thread OP explains they are paying everything apart from rent. Inc council tax etc and various insurances.

I'm still baffled as to how that could add up to so much, but it must be! Obviously OP knows her finances better than a random internet stranger.

Terrifying how much things cost these days...

Council tax should be paid by the Church, as should water/sewerage rates.

In the CoE, internet and phone charges will be reimbursed at least partially if they are used in an official capacity. They also provide 25% towards home insurance, too.

It must be the mumsnet whole chicken that can feed a family of 65 for 7 days (with some left over) and only cost £5

Well how much is the going rate for a flute lesson if you were to go elsewhere?

I pay £40 for an hour's piano lessons and it goes up about £5 every 2 years.
But there's no way you can manage on that money, it's ridiculous. Perhaps you could cut the lesson to half an hour or fortnightly. You still need more for the household though.

I haven’t read all the replies but most of the OP’s posts. In answer to the question can you negotiate a shorter lesson and keep to the same price as you have been paying?
But I’d like to say it was a breath of fresh air reading your posts. You are managing without complaining on a very small amount of money and eating well. There’s a lot of posters who could learn lessons from you.

Info: what do you mean by husband gives you £85 per week for the families food and this lesson?

Is that all you can afford? Or is DH controlling the money?

Why is 1 of your 3 children getting half the food money for flute lessons?

If £85 is all you have spare you should never have wasted £32 on flute lessons never mind £49. If £85 is just what DH deems reasonable you dont have an inflation one you have a DH one

So 85-32=53 …for a family of 5 is tough

but with the increase, you are looking at using almost half your food budget for a hobby. That is just not going to do it op…in the long run, what will you do when your 2nd wants to join?
I understand she needs something but that is just too much…find someone else and tell that to your hubby.

Is your child having an hour long lesson or half an hour? If you are paying £40 ear week for a lesson lasting an hour, is there a possibility of cutting down the time to thirty minutes each week? Having taught music lessons, thirty minutes is a standard length for an instrumental lesson and it is only at a more advanced level that people go on to longer lessons. Piano is my first instrument and my lessons were thirty minutes’ long until the term l was taking grade eight. I also play and teach violin and viola,; hence my user name.

Never mind the cost of the lessons; why is your husband giving you housekeeping like a 1950s housewife?

Whatever your thoughts - and we all think it is too much money - the flute lessons are not, and never have been, a waste of money. This child will be gaining a lot from them besides the love of music. They may even go on to be a professional flautist. Who knows? In any case, even, as is most likely to be the case, the child does not have a musical career, they will still have an enjoyable and rewarding hobby and a love of music that they can use for their own pleasure and that of others.

Just read all of OP’s posts. This isn’t sustainable. Why are you putting up with this?

OP I’ve read your updates and unless I’ve missed it you’re not really talking about the flute lessons anymore. In particular, it’s really important to know the length of the lesson. If it’s an hour then the new price is good value, and you presumably have scope to ask to have a shorter lesson to cut costs, although you may have to give notice to do that. If it’s half an hour then that’s another story, because that is expensive as well as a big increase.

You feed a family of 5 on 85 quid most of which goes on flute lessons? What do you eat? Gruel? A rotten turnip to share?

For comparison, i pay £15 for my DDs 45min singing lesson, which is admittedly very reasonable. She has a lesson every other week; maybe you could drop to once a fortnight?

OK so the vicar thing isn’t working. You’ve had kids you can’t really afford 😬 time he gets a different job that will pay more and probably free you up to work too.
But yes, the flute lessons have gone up a lot.

Sounds like response to husband should be that he can pay it himself if he thinks it's so reasonable. Or split costs between you both 50/50 then for you it would actually decrease in cost. Can she not learn through the school? Lessons would be much cheaper that way.

Jeez I had no idea that one of the richest "companies" in the world pays their staff so little. Managing an £11 billion investment fund must be hard work for the Church Bigwigs, assuming he is COE.

I voted YABU for spending so much of your weekly budget on one lesson for one child. Either go to a lesson a month or find a cheaper way for them to learn the flute - online plus monthly lesson?
Also really shocked that the Church doesn't pay your insurance and utilities!