Frugal Money saving tip #6

The short answer is “Get your wife to do it”. Actually that reminded me of an old parable that my friend shared with me many years ago. It went something like this. “When there are 2 barbers in a shop, which one do you choose?”. ANSWER: “The one with the worse hair cut”. Ba-bump-bump.

Seriously though, I was a bit scissor shy at the thought of my wife going at my head with sharp implements and clippers. I got less shy when we became a one income family.

Even before that, I’d often wonder to myself: “How do you cut your own hair?”

I was never a high end haircut guy, so the $50 to $100 trips were never the norm. Over the years, I’d find the low cost provider that I liked. It was usually an older guy, and the cost was usually $10 to $15 plus a few dollar tip. I would go about once per month, or on average about 10 times per year. I like the idea of keeping that $150 to $200 in my own pocket.

Tools for a haircut at home

About 2 years ago, we picked up a set of Remington hair clippers that I reviewed for the Amazon vine program, we got the clippers for free, in exchange for my review, which was a bonus. When I review products I tend to compare many different models, but this was the only model I looked at. It looks like the model that we picked up is no longer available, and one of the things that I like about that model, was that the blade covers were color coded.
Regardless, any of these types of clippers should to an ample job.  When you buy one that comes in a kit, it usually also has a pair of scissors and a comb too, so you can’t just use those instead of your every day tools.

It’s actually fun and I look forward to when my wife cuts my hair, even though she still gets a bit anxious about it. I usually get it done, before jumping in the shower in the morning, so I can easily rinse off any extra hair pieces.

The keys to getting a good haircut at home

The keys to getting a good cut are:
1. Don’t rush
2. Give guidance
3. Make sure you clear ears and back of the neck.

All of these are important for a good cut, and I don’t get freaked out about anything. Providing calm guidance to a new barber in training is important. The areas that I mention in step 3, are usually wild areas, that are overgrown and indicate that a haircut is needed in the first place. If you can focus on light thinning and cleaning up the areas around the ears and sideburns, you should come out with a great cut. Each time my wife does it she gets better, and we put $20 in our pocket.  Have you ever tried giving your partner a haircut or would let them try on you?