Not Spending Money: How to Live Without a Hairstylist

Maybe you have heard of the money-saving tip "You can save on haircuts by stretching out the time between your haircuts. Go an extra week or two with your current haircut. You could save much over the course of the year."

Really? How often do people get their hair cut anyway? Well, according to Hairfinder.com, "A short haircut will stay in style for a maximum of 4 weeks. When your hair is medium length you should go to the hairdresser about every 5 weeks. If you have long hair you'll need a trim every 6 weeks to avoid split ends."

I think I get my hair cut once every six months. If I'm on top of things.

Even a cheap haircut can be 25$ or so, and if you get a haircut every month, it adds up to about $300 every year. If you have the money and enjoy freshly-cut hair, go for it. But if you don't have the money or just can't afford it, don't let that keep you from having a neat coiffure.

Alternative #1: Have long hair

In days gone by, women would let their hair grow unfettered.

This is why there are many long lucious locks at renaissance festivals and in movies about people riding around on horseback through the woods.

But long hair isn't limited to fairy tales. In more recent (and realistic) eras of history, women got along just fine without annual haircuts at stylists. For example, Victorian women could have long hair and wore them in beautiful up-dos, while pioneering women could work hard at all tasks without their tresses getting in the way.

One difficulty is that in today's workplaces, women need to maintain a "professional image" or a "modern look". Part of the hurdle here

is expectation. Just as we all fruitlessly tried to look like Barbi

e, we are now living in an age where we expect layered and difficult- to-trim hairstyles. Short hair says "active" "fun-loving", or "approachable."Supermodels and celebrities may have long hair, but it might be elaborately layered around the face or at the tips. These types of styles, while attractive, are not easy to maintain with one's own pair of scissors. But there are several easy styles that can keep long hair professional and out-of-the-way for daily activities.

A few tips for long hair:

Hair that is kept up most of the time is less likely to be damaged. If you wear an up-do every day, it will keep your hair looking nicer on those days when you decide to wear it down.
If you have a good friend with a steady hand, you can ask them to trim split ends for you. Again, if your hair is long enough to wear up, keeping your hair healthy by trimming split ends will not affect the overall look of your do.
If your hair is long enough, you can get it cut for free by going to a place that will donate to Locks of Love. Locks of Love is a charity that provides hair for children who are victims of hair loss. They require at least ten inches cut off in a solid chunk in order to donate. This is an option if you have long hair and want to go for something shorter at no charge. Call ahead to make sure your hair place donates and offers the resulting hair cut for free.

Alternative #2: Cut your own hair (or your friends' hair!)

When I was growing up, my mom cut everyone's hair in the family. We didn't go out and win awards for Best Haircut on the runway model circuit, but it was functional and I'm sure I looked terrific. And how often do you stop someone in the hall at the office and say, "Gee, Sally, did you get a haircut?" "Why, yes I did, Verne. Summertime and all, you know." "well, it looks like you cut it yourself. You must be on a budget" Nope, people just don't go there. If anything they compliment you on how cute it looks.

Since custom sometimes dictates that men cannot wear their hair long, home haircuts may be the best possible alternative to foregoing trips to the barber.

Any Google Search for cutting one's own hair yields a number of helpful results, including the following article: How to Cut Your Own Hair.

Alternative #3: Shave your head