Slashing Expenses: Cutting Your Own Hair

In order to reach our goal of financial freedom, we are increasing income and slashing our expenses.  We will be sharing ways that we've successfully decreased our monthly expenses in order to help you cut your own costs.

About once every month (two if I'm lucky) my husband talks me into cutting his hair. I have to be entirely honest; this is one of my least favourite ways to save money.  The only reason I go along with this is because my husband absolutely insists.  He hates going to the hairdresser as much as I hate cutting his hair.

If you are going to attempt to employ this crazy money saving technique in your own life, do yourself a favour and learn from our mistakes.

1. Know that hair will end up everywhere.  If you have a thick and luscious head of coarse, Asian hair like my husband's, do not attempt to cut your hair in a bathtub. You will clog it. Have a shop vac handy.  Better yet, help your backyard bird buddies and cut your hair outside.
2. Buy a good set of clippers.  Do not buy the $10 pair from Walmart- or anywhere else for that matter- whether or not they are made by the same company that makes your favourite guns. 
3. Do not cut your own hair. Oh sorry- is my bias showing? 
4. Write down which number you like to use for the back/top etc.  We always think we will remember what number worked best and then forget by the next time and have to figure it out all over again.
5. Don't try to trim anything with scissors if you want your husband to speak to you during the next week. (On the other hand, if you could use some peace and quiet, forget the clippers and try to cut it all freehand with scissors. )
6. If you are at all sensitive to co-workers' jeers and snide comments, don't even attempt this. 
7. Keep a Bic handy in case something goes horribly wrong.
8. Make sure all attachments are secured properly.  If you mess up on this one, refer to #7.
9. Don't attempt to cut your hair at 10pm when you have to work the next morning at 8am.  Make sure there is a window of opportunity to get a real cut before you have to be seen in public next. 

All kidding aside, this is a very messy job.  We bought the cheapest clippers they sell and they do not work well.  I have to move very, very slowly or the razor hurts my husband and even when he says I'm doing it right he still occasionally gets hurt a bit. This is probably due to his extremely thick hair but we are not entirely sure.   We have to go over the same hair over and over and even then we don't get a very even cut. We currently do the hair cutting in our basement and use a shop vac to clean it up but in the summer we like to do it outside- as long as the neighbours aren't around. :)

That said, my husband doesn't ever want to pay to have his hair cut again.  He thinks it's a complete waste of money and we can usually get it to look decent enough.  I do think we will be investing in a better set of clippers soon though.  I sincerely hope they do a better job because I absolutely dread the next time I have to do this.  I will let you know if we find a good pair!