When A $45 Hair Cut Is A Bargain

by FrugalBabe on April 1, 2009

I got my hair cut yesterday.  This would not normally be a newsworthy event, but in my case it had been 14 months since I had a hair cut.  Last time, I went to what I consider to be a pricey salon (I think I paid about $50), and got a really great hair cut.  I’ve noticed that when I go to really cheap salons, my hair starts to look funky after just a few months.  But the hair cut I got last winter actually still looked pretty good, even yesterday.  I had noticed that my ends were getting a bit dead-looking, and decided that 14 months was long enough.  I waited so long for several reasons:  Obviously money is always a factor.  Then there’s time, which is usually scarce.  And the fact that my hair was still looking pretty good meant that I wasn’t all that motivated to get it cut.

I decided to go back to the same salon, in hopes that I could get another great cut that would last another year.   I got a less-expensive stylist this time (luck of the draw – she was available when I had time), and the cut was $35 (plus a $10 tip).  She did a fantastic job, and I think I’m good for the rest of the year.  I know that $45 for a year of hair care is pretty darn cheap, but when I went to pay for my cut, the lady in front of me was paying $295 for a cut, color, some hair products, and tip.  And they booked her another appointment for six weeks out (her cut was really short and edgy – probably wouldn’t look so good after 14 months).  When I heard her price, I promptly forgot all about thinking my own cut was expensive, and happily paid my $45.

The stylist mentioned that she was only taking off about 1/2 inch of hair to get rid of the dead ends when she cut my hair.  This reaffirmed my belief that less is more when it comes to hair styling.  I never use heat or styling products on my hair (my blow dryer is in our son’s room – we use it to dry his diaper area before we put a fresh diaper on him, and it’s great for preventing diaper rash).  I wash my hair every two or three days, either using baking soda or Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap.  I use vinegar as a conditioner.  And that’s it.  By skipping heat and chemicals, my hair doesn’t get damaged, and it can actually make it 14 months between cuts without turning into something that scares small children.  Baking soda and vinegar are very inexpensive, and the $13 bottle of Dr. Bronners that I bought last August is still half full, even though we use it for our son’s baths, to wash our faces, and as shampoo.  So all in all, my hair expenses are minimal, even though I went to a fancy salon.

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  • http://www.remodelingthislife.com Emily@remodelingthislife

    I have learned you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to hair care.

    And $45 every 14 months is quite a bargain.

    Can you share your concoction for vinegar as conditioner?or do you just use it straight? I’m intrigued :)

  • http://nojobsurvivor.com David

    Absolutely agree. I had an expensive haircut last week and it was more that $45. I am not saying :) Firstly being a guy, I got it cut really short so apart from looking cool I have at least 6 months before I need to do anything other than get it trimmed and secondly. I felt really good and it did wonders for my confidence which of course helps a lot in interviews. Now I didn’t get a job but I did get a few weeks of consulting so I guess it was worth it.

  • http://tightfistedmiser.com Andy Hough

    You can save a lot of money by being a guy. I’ll spend a total of $0 on my hair this year.

  • http://angelajiniel.blogspot.com Angie

    I completely agree. I’m getting mine cut in a couple weeks for the first time since July ’07 (donate mine, so I have to wait a bit :) I still hate having to pay, but with a cut that drastic, I definitely don’t want to scrimp. I’d still never pay more than about $50, but that amount it worth it. I don’t style my hair or use products either, so I’d only need a trim as well, but at the rate mine grows, I need to cut it shorter when I do get it cut! Enjoy your new ‘do without regret :)

  • http://madelineknits.blogspot.com/ Amanda

    You totally get what you pay for when it comes to hair. I’ve tried the cheap hair school haircuts before and then ended up spending double to go to another stylist to have all the mistakes corrected.

    The vinegar conditionar sounds interesting- will have to read up on it!

  • http://madelineknits.blogspot.com/ Amanda

    Conditioner, sorry. Compulsive need to correct my spelling errors. :p

  • http://frugalbabe.com Frugal Babe

    Andy – Good point. I cut my husband’s hair using our electric clippers. He keeps it pretty short, and we can cut it as often as he likes – for free. Which makes my annual $45 hair cut even more of a bargain in terms of family hair care :)

    Amanda – I just use it straight. We keep a spray bottle full of vinegar in our shower (I bought spray bottles at Costco in a packet of six, and I keep them all filled with vinegar all over the house. I buy vinegar at Costco too, in big bottles to refill my sprayers). After I wash my hair, I just spray vinegar all over it, and then rinse. It leaves my hair feeling soft and clean, no residue, and there’s no vinegar odor at all once it dries.

  • teaspoon

    I don’t get my hair cut very often–usually about once a year. But I have very fine hair so it usually requires a pretty good stylist to get it to look good. I was out visiting my mother in Albuquerque last week and went in with her to get my hair done. My mother and her stylist encouraged me to get my hair highlighted, which I’d never done before, in addition to what I think is a pretty stylish cut. It came out beautifully–I’ve never been this happy with my hair before–but I about hyperventilated when I found out how much it cost. Fortunately my mother picked up the tab as a birthday present, but–wow–she gets her hair cut and highlighted every 6 weeks! How can people afford that??

  • AD

    Wow…I have a thick head full of curly hair, and I live in a humid city, so I don’t think baking soda and vinegar could every cut it, nor going 14 months without a haircut without looking like Cousin It. Maybe if my hair was straight, or if I had less of it!

    But I do stretch out my haircuts by keeping my hair slightly longer (helps weigh it down), and my husband works for a product distributor, so I get hair products super cheap, often free, and I can get organic brands. I also don’t wash it every day, and I don’t color my hair. I’m sure I will when it goes grey one day, but for now, it’s just not worth the hassle, expense, or damage it causes.

  • http://www.grovesfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com/ Kelly

    I am really lucky because my mom is a hair dresser. That is, she was while we were growing up. She has a shop in her basement fully decked out like a salon. She doesn’t do much hair anymore, but I have paid to have my hair done exactly three times in my life. My mom does live an hour away, but for a free haircut (and usually an awesome meal to boot) my husband and I are more than willing to make the drive. I also get my hair highlighted…too many greys for my taste! and I’m not even 30! I would definitely not get it highlighted or dyed nearly as often if I actually had to pay for it! It is great because we usually coincide our grooming needs with a visit anyway, so really, we would be going to my parents house anyway.

  • NorCalRN

    I used to get my hair trimmed and a partial highlight (sometimes even low-lights) every couple months or so.. I was never great at keeping up with it, but once you start highlighting it’s like a vicious cycle and you can’t get away without it! So… October of 2007 I chopped my hair to chin length and got it dyed to match my natural color. Since then I have had exactly 3 trims, just to get the dead-ends off. The darker dye has since faded, so you can kind of (barely) tell that the ends of my hair were once colored. But I don’t have any desire to EVER dye my hair again! The sun gives me natural highlights to frame around my face in the summer (and I get compliments on my natural look!) and I am loving my long hair now that it is healthy! As for gray hair- even when that starts I have no intention of covering it up. I have watched my mom dye her gray hair every couple of weeks for over 22 years and I say- No Thanks!

    FB- can you tell more about your baking soda shampoo routine? I have wanted to try this but I hear you tend to be on the greasy-icky side for awhile after switching…??

  • http://www.joyoffrugalliving.blogspot.com Jennifer @ Joy of Frugal Living

    Totally agree! I’ve actually learned how to cut my curly hair better than any stylist I have encountered, so I do it myself now, but otherwise I would go to a better salon too.

    I also do the baking soda and, in my case, lemon juice, routine. In fact I’m planning to post about it today. I switched when I couldn’t deal with any scents due to morning sickness. (That’s also why I use lemon juice instead of vinegar, and I dilute it – smells!) I was shocked that it worked for my moderately long, curly hair, I never thought I could live without conditioner. However, it actually works really well and I can’t imagine going back to the old routine.

  • http://www.greenandcrunchy.blogspot.com sheri

    $45 for over a year of hair care is a GREAT deal. It pays to get a great cut that will last. With you cutting your hubby’s hair, your Family Hair Budget is pretty minimal!

    I’m a fellow “no poo’er” and I haven’t ‘washed’ my hair in 15 months! I no poo my 5 kids too; we also use the baking soda ‘wash’ and apple cider vinegar ‘rinse’. My hair has NEVER been healthier! Nu gunky buildup, no chemical scents, no expensive products (baking soda is pretty cheap ).

    Great post, FB!

  • http://frugalistanbul.blogspot.com T’Pol

    Interesting post. Can you tell us how you use the baking soda to wash your hair? Do you make it into a paste or something? My hair is fine and long. I have to wash it every other day because the roots get oily. I am wondering if using baking soda and vinegar would help with the oil. Thanks:)

  • FrugalBabe

    Jennifer – I haven’t tried the lemon juice idea, but I like it! Vinegar does have a strong smell, although I don’t mind it because I know it’s not a lab-created chemical odor. I’ve gotten used to it, and kind of enjoy it. But I imagine lemon juice would be nicer :) Btw, I also spray down the shower with vinegar after I finish, which helps keep mildew at bay and allows me to stretch out the time between cleanings.

    T’Pol – I just keep a plastic container of baking soda in the shower. I scoop out a handful, add a little water, and rub it around on my head. It is relatively drying, not something you’d want to do everyday. But no matter what I use on my hair, I only wash it every few days, otherwise it gets too dried out. I alternate between the baking soda and Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap, which I love.

  • FrugalBabe

    NorCalRN – I’m with you on the no dying routine. I’m actually sort of proud of the fact that I’ve never colored or permed my hair. Although I will admit to using copious quantities of Aqua Net in the late 80s/early 90s…

    I love how low maintenance my long layers are, and I love my natural color. I haven’t seen any greys yet, but I have no intention of coloring them when they do occur. I prefer to think of them as highlights :)

    I don’t have any issues with greasiness with the baking soda/vinegar routine. But my hair is relatively dry anyway – if I wash it more often than every few days, it gets very dried out. And I live in a dry climate. Might be a different story for someone with oily hair in a humid area.

  • sue

    Great post…..i have been using baking soda(very diluted in water) for over 6 months now and am so happy. Brushing several times a day is important to spread yr oils throughout. I rinse with a lovely home-made tissane of herbs, currently one made with rosemary, lavender and sage leaves. Just pour boiling water over them, leave to cool and then strain. Simply rinse it through hair after washing out the baking soda, leave it in or rinse it out. Diluted honey makes a nice rinse too. It does take a while for yr hair to settle down and get used to this routine but it is SOOOO worth it….shampoo strips hair and is toxic too.

    Keep up the good work,
    Sue

  • http://saverqueen.com/ Saver Queen

    I honestly can’t believe the amount of money some women spend on their hair. I’m like you – I recently paid about $30 for a great hair cut (took off about 3 or 4 inches) after a 10 month haircut hiatus. I don’t spend much on hair care products and I don’t colour or damage my hair in other ways. I think that being gentle with my hair allows me to go for so long without a cut.

    Sue, does the baking soda not dry out your hair? Very interesting.

  • sue

    Hi Saver Queen,

    When I first started this I used the method of making a paste, rubbing it into my scalp, leaving for 1 minute and then rinsing. ….similar to the way I wash stainless steel (lol) but it was too harsh for my hair and scalp so now I only use a teaspoonful in a cup of water…in a sml bottle so that I can shake it up. A third of a cup of this massaged in and then followed by my homemade rinse(or use diluted apple cider vinegar or water and honey) twice a week is good. The brushing however is vital, my fine, salt and pepper hair was only ever combed but now enjoys a thorough brush twice a day.
    I also brush my teeth with a powder made from 6 teaspoons of bicarb mixed with half a teaspoon of salt…..reading about flouride in toothpastes made me shiver!

    Give it a try anyway, what have you got to lose?
    :)
    Sue

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