I can’t afford the lesson

[Thoseflatbreadslookyummy]

Do I cancel or pay double next week

Bit embarrassing, Dd has a music lesson this week, the teacher asks for cash after each lesson. I’m self employed and waiting on a late payment through no fault of my own. It’s a bit of a risk for the weekend if I pay the lesson and my money doesn’t come in by then.
Would you cancel the lesson citing illness etc (we missed just one before due to genuine illness) or go and apologise and say I didn’t have time to get money out etc and pay double next week, that feels embarrassing and disrespectful though 😔

A couple of times over a few years is vastly different to a couple of times in a few weeks.

OP, I also think you are brilliant for prioritising providing opportunities for your child when things are tight.

I would also be honest and ask the tutor what they would prefer - to skip a lesson or pay double next week. They will understand what has happened, being used to self employed life.

For those saying ‘it’s just pushing the problem onto the tutor’- It’s for the tutor (and also you) to manage your contracts in terms of late cancellations and late payment. I run a home care company and our clients sign contracts in which cancellations within 7 days are fully payable and to cancel the whole contract is month’s paid notice. If I did not do this, my business would be unviable. We are very up front about the terms and conditions when we take on new clients.

My DC have private music lessons that charge a term in advance (they do not offer refunds for absence but will try to make the lesson up if possible) and maths tutors that require a 4x lesson blocks in advance (cancellations allowed, with the pre paid lessons transferred to when you are available. but a lesson never takes place unless advance paid). There are many many ways to do it.

I have just gone back and read OP comments and it does not say that this has ever happened before.

The OP says that she is herself waiting for a late payment from her client and it is that which has caused problems.

If you think i have missed it, let me know. Otherwise my view is that you are being very unfair (and rude) to the OP.

As an aside I think that late payments all over the place are going to start causing mayhem for more and more people, because of knock-on effects of what is happening elsewhere in the world.