No more hair salons ?

Live And Learn

Live And Learn

Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
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Tampa Bay Area
I've been trimming my dogs fur for 5 years. When we were first married 30 years ago I regularly cut DH's hair. While it was "salt and pepper" I couldn't quite cut it right - the dark hair and the gray hair wanted to do opposite things. Now that he's all gray I'm back to cutting his hair.

Today I dyed my hair (at home). I noticed the ends were very split, so I decided to 'trim' it. I ended up cutting half the length after watching a youtube "how to" video (gotta love youtube !). My hair is spagetti straight so it was pretty easy to do.

I look and feel 10 years younger.

I've only gotten 3 haircuts that cost more than $15 in my life. I guess I won't even need to spend the $15 anymore !

Buh-bye hair salons !
 
Good for you, Live and Learn. This is one area I have been afraid to cut back, except to find a less expensive stylist.
 
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We are a curly-haired family. We do not want to look like Redfoo on a bad hair day. Only a trained hairdresser gets near our tresses. The manager of the local Hair Cuttery understands curly hair and does a good job.

However, I've been coloring my own hair for almost 15 years (we go gray very early in my family). The other day, I was walking behind 2 men who were bemoaning the cost of their wives' trips to the hairdresser for professional coloring, etc. Apparently, the ladies were spending upwards of $200 per trip. If you've got money to burn....

Amethyst
 
I'm a little envious - I would love to be able to cut my own hair. I find it to be a very annoying experience; the hair stylists are constantly trying to upsell various services. I do my own color at home, but since I have wavy somewhat unruly hair, I need to have the back cut in long layers. At least I have it down to only twice a year, since I keep my hair long.

Just think - you're not just saving money but time, too!
 
My hairline started receeding 25 years ago. Rather than do a bad comb-over I chose to embrace my baldness and have gone chrome dome ever since. No more trips to the hair salon - it's a DIY job with a Gillette Mach 3 in the shower!

Only 30 years ago a shaved head was considered an "extreme" hairstyle (contradiction in terms??) by my employer and was not permitted as part of our company's dress code.

I owe a big thanks to the likes of Michael Jordan for making a shiny melon an acceptable part of popular culture.:dance:
 
Live And Learn said:
I've been trimming my dogs fur for 5 years. When we were first married 30 years ago I regularly cut DH's hair. While it was "salt and pepper" I couldn't quite cut it right - the dark hair and the gray hair wanted to do opposite things. Now that he's all gray I'm back to cutting his hair.

Today I dyed my hair (at home). I noticed the ends were very split, so I decided to 'trim' it. I ended up cutting half the length after watching a youtube "how to" video (gotta love youtube !). My hair is spagetti straight so it was pretty easy to do.

I look and feel 10 years younger.

I've only gotten 3 haircuts that cost more than $15 in my life. I guess I won't even need to spend the $15 anymore !

Buh-bye hair salons !
Click to expand...

I cut my own as a man but for a women that is more work so my hat is off to you.
 
My hairline started receding 10 years ago and it is getting to the point where very short hair looks best. In a few years, I'll probably just learn how to give myself a buzz cut and be done with trips to the barber.
 
Timely thread. The woman who cut my hair for the past 15 years retired and moved out of state several weeks ago. I had been paying $30 a cut every six weeks. I keep it short and it is simple to cut. Before I started going to her, I used to go to Supercuts.

Tonight I popped into the same old Supercuts and paid $17 (including a $4 tip) for a cut. The cut was just as good as the cuts she gave me, and I only had to wait about 20 minutes. Back to Supercuts from now on.
 
The older I get the more hair I have, now it is coming out of my ears and nose and the the 1or 2 "wild hairs" on each of my eyebrows!
 
The older I get the more hair I have, now it is coming out of my ears and nose and the the 1or 2 "wild hairs" on each of my eyebrows! I should mention that I have been paying $4 for the last 12 years.
 
I've had a buzz cut since I was 17. I tried doing it myself but always have difficulty getting the back. I pay $13 every ~3 weeks to have it done. That's $11 plus $2 tip. I figure I can afford the $200/yr to make sure it's done right.
 
I spend an average of $12/month ($15 cut + tip) which is not that much but I'm going to get clippers and try to cut it myself. Hopefully it won't be a disaster but even if it is, I don't have to show up at work anymore :>
 
My haircuts have always been simple "short, back and sides" affairs* so after years of going to Supercuts, I bought a pair of clippers from Sears for $16 about 20 years ago and haven't paid for a haircut since. Now I buzz it in about 5 minutes and it doesn't cost me a dime.

(*With the exception of one disastrous time when I entrusted my haircut to my (now) ex-wife who instructed the hairdresser what to do. I ended up with a really weird 80's-inspired multi-layered cut that I thought made me look really effeminate but she seemed to like. Never again!)
 
For those that give themselves short buzz cuts do you have any tips? I know that my barber uses a #2 guard but other than that I'm clueless.
 
I have been cutting my own hair for 10 years. I have problems getting the back straight. I don't really do it out of frugality. It is just a PITA to go to a hair salon.
 
donheff said:
I have been cutting my own hair for 10 years. I have problems getting the back straight. I don't really do it out of frugality. It is just a PITA to go to a hair salon.
Click to expand...
+1
My last haircut (from a barber) was July 11, 1958... the day before I was married. For about 25 years, I handled the haircutting for my four boys as well. About 25 years ago, I began cutting DW's hair too.
Have gone through about 5 hair cutting sets over the years, and the best one is the $14 Remington that I bought 2 years ago.
BTW...I also use a bikini trimmer for the eyebrows, ears, and nose.
Haven't really calculated the $$$ savings over the years but must be substantial... not just the haircuts and tips, but the time and the gas savings.
The reason for the DIY was not originally to save money, but to avoid the time spent in going and waiting, which was about an hour. A big part out of life when working 60hrs/wk, with four kids and a wife.
After using the guard/guides a few times, it's pretty easy and quick. Takes about 5 minutes for me, and about 10 minutes for DW's cutting because of layering.
Saves time and aggravation, which is worth more than money.
 
My DW bought the boys their own sets of Wahl clippers and they've been cutting their own hair for a couple of years now. And I borrow them about once every 6 weeks to do my own hair as well.

A set cost about $30 and we've been saving $60/month (~$20/haircut - included tipping our favorite) for about 2 years.

Makes sense for us.
 
photoguy said:
For those that give themselves short buzz cuts do you have any tips? I know that my barber uses a #2 guard but other than that I'm clueless.
Click to expand...

I found out that it works pretty well if I don't go longer than 5/8. I use to go all the way to 1 or 1.5 inches but I had trouble with the top of the head. I like 5/8's because at that point the hair starts to lay down. I have a family member that cuts the neck hair I have trouble doing that. I just do a box cut in the back to make it easy.
 
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I have never cut my own hair, which is wavy, and don't intend to try. But I stopped having it coloured a few months ago. It will take a few more months to see the final colour but so far I do not feel compelled to colour it again.
 
photoguy said:
For those that give themselves short buzz cuts do you have any tips? I know that my barber uses a #2 guard but other than that I'm clueless.
Click to expand...
Are the guard #'s standard? I use a #1 guard (1/8") on my Wahl clippers and just run the clippers over my head until everything is even and there are no little spikes sticking out. Then I jump in the shower and clean up my neck, the back of my head, and the other edges with a razor (I shave in the shower).

Piece o' cake. Saves money, and I can't imagine ever going to a barber again.
 
I don't trim my own hair... I have DH do it. My hair is waistlength - but has a lot of curl. About every 6 months, DH trims off 4 or 5 inches - straight across the back when it's wet.

He does his own hair with a flowbee.

The boys rebel a bit against the clippers and flowbee - but will let us maintain the barber shop cut with clippers and/or flowbee between the 3-4 month barber shop visits. The local barber shop is an old school place with these old hispanic guys - they do a cut for $8 plus a $2 tip.

All in, as a family of 4, we spend $80/year on haircuts.
 
Major Tom said:
Are the guard #'s standard? I use a #1 guard (1/8") on my Wahl clippers and just run the clippers over my head until everything is even and there are no little spikes sticking out. Then I jump in the shower and clean up my neck, the back of my head, and the other edges with a razor (I shave in the shower).

Piece o' cake. Saves money, and I can't imagine ever going to a barber again.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the vote of how easy it is. DW is convinced I can't do what you're doing. Think I'll accidentally buy a set of clippers.

I thought the guards were standard length, not so according to this site: http://menshair.about.com/od/forhaircareprofessionals/tp/Clipper_Blade_and_Clipper_Guard_Sizes.htm

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app
 
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