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For Brett and Maria MacDonald, the cost of living has been biting this year, from rising mortgage payments to childcare fees. Living in London with two young children and no extended family nearby, the pair are juggling work with parenting.
“We opened a hair salon, Cult Hairdressing, last December,” says Brett, who grew up in Australia and met his wife in Russia before they both moved to the UK. “We have a service charge [related to the salon] that was 50% higher than we expected,” Brett says, adding that business rates are costly, as well as VAT. “I am taking a minimum salary to keep the business numbers adding up and keep our promise to investors.”
