7 Costs Everybody Forgets to Budget For

In the 18th century, people generally had one pair of shoes that they repaired and wore and repaired ad infinitum. They felt so attached to their one-and-only footwear that, naturally, they believed the shoes held a bit of their souls within the soles, and thus they bricked spent shoes into walls to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits. Still, we fail to plan for these repairs: The Minneapolis-based George's Shoes, who used to bring my favorite boots back to life every winter, charges up to $25.75 to reglue a heel, for example. Less than a new pair of boots, but that kind of thing adds up. Alterations and cleaning are often overlooked, too. Having a pair of pants hemmed will probably cost at least $10. The cashmere sweater that speaks to your heart is also going to speak to your dry cleaning bill. (Chicago-area chain Laurens Cleaners has a helpful list of estimated alteration costs here.)