A Year of Living Frugally-A Hairy Tale

Since I was a kid, I have always had a healthy head of hair. I've worn it just about every length, from waist length to close cropped. The last few years, I have been keeping it about shoulder length. This seems to be the most practical length for me. I can pull it back if I want to, or wear it down. Despite being inordinately proud of my hair, I have never been one to spend a lot of money on it's upkeep. I know I am suppose to trim it every six weeks, but I usually stretch this out to once every 3 months. When I do go in to get it trimmed, I usually have them take an inch more than I would consider ideal, this gives me a few weeks more between cuts. That is a savings right there.

I have lived in this area for less than a year, and still have not found a stylist that I want to make a commitment to, so I am taking advantage of any discounts I can find with the various salons in the area. I received a coupon in the mail for Great Clips for a $7.99 haircut. I tried them out, and was actually very pleased with the results. I notice that a salon near our home offers a Tuesday Evening Discount, which is a $12.00 haircut (normally it is about twice that). I am hoping to take advantage of that soon. I have also found that the local beauty schools in the area offer discounted services. The stylists work under the watchful eye of an instructor. The downside is that these haircuts may take a long time. Last time I went to the local beauty college, my 20 minute haircut took about 2 hours. Still, they did a good job and I was pleased with the results. Plus it only cost me $8.00. Not bad, in the long run.

One thing that women spend a lot of money on, is hair coloring. It can cost between $25.00 to well over $100.00 to have your hair professionally colored. I admit, in the past, I have spent this money, and to be honest, I really did not notice much difference from when I colored it myself. Right now there are some excellent products on the market for hair coloring. One that I love is John Freida Hair Foam Color. This is basically an idiot proof hair coloring. It gives even coverage, very professional results and does not fry your hair. I had gone on the John Freida website and signed up for their promotions and was sent a coupon for a free box of coloring. I saved myself $12.00 by doing this.

There are so many hair products on the market, right now, it is difficult to know what to choose. Expensive is not always better. I find that I get the same results with Samy Shampoo and Conditioner, that I use to get with Biolage, at a third of the price. Also, shampoo and conditioner are both rather concentrated. I usually water these products down, with 1/3 water to 2/3 product. This does stretch it out, as well as makes it easier to apply to my hair.

One thing I also do, once a month, usually a few days before I color my hair, is a vinegar rinse. It's very simple. 1 TBSP of vinegar (white or apple cider) to a pint of warm water. , just massage into your hair after washing, and rinse out with clear water. It seems to get out any residue left over from hair sprays and gels, and primes the hair for coloring.

So as you can see, you  can still maintain great hair living a frugal lifestyle. A little more self maintenance will save you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year. It's well worth it!