Be Brave and Save—on Haircuts!

Going with your natural color will help you financially. Friends Stock/Shutterstock

If you or someone in your family could use a haircut but you’re a little short on cash this month, don’t let this challenging economy keep you from looking your best. Check out these tips and tricks for saving cash on family haircuts and other salon treatments.

Brave

Go online and search for beauty schools in your area. BeautySchoolsDirectory.com is one option that lists barber and cosmetology schools by state or “near me” for the entire country. If you are lucky enough to have one located nearby, you and your family can save as much as 50 percent to 75 percent off the cost of a haircut and other salon services. Just keep in mind that this is a learning institution, so don’t be in a hurry.

All cuts or other salon services, including color, are supervised by a licensed instructor. These schools need real live people on which to practice what they are learning. Request an appointment with a senior student.

Braver

Keep your hairstyle simple. Whether your hair is long or short, make it manageable and low maintenance. This goes for all family members.

Cut back on the number of trips you make to the barber or hair salon. Many hairdressers will have you believe that you need a cut every six weeks, but this may be more to keep them in a job than anything else.

A good haircut can last as long as three months. The more you get chopped off, the longer it'll take for you to feel like you need another trim. So be brave and get more off the length to make it last.

If you’re happy with the rest of your cut, it’s worth asking hairdressers about any discounts they offer for a simple bang trim. You never know; some salons even offer complimentary bang trims between haircuts.

Another option is to invest in a good pair of haircutting scissors. Trim your bangs yourself and give family trims, too. YouTube is loaded with step-by-step tutorials for how to trim your own bangs and others’, too.

Consider changing to a simpler hairstyle. You can try a new style “virtually” first before attempting it for real. TheHairStyler.com has thousands of haircuts. How it works: Upload your photo, choose a style, and then “try it on!” It’s a lot of fun, and who knows? You just might fall in love with a new style you'd never considered before.

Try skipping the highlights, lowlights, and any other unnecessary hair coloring. Dyeing your hair can be quite costly, often exceeding the price of a haircut. If you keep up this routine along with regular trims, the expenses can accumulate. While changing your hair color is fun, it’s not a budget-friendly choice in the long term. You might want to think about going back to your natural hair color and see how that works for you financially.

Bravest

Buy hair clippers. For approximately $25 or less at a store such as Walmart or Amazon, you can eliminate your family’s trips to the hair salon altogether. You will save hundreds of dollars a year, plus time and gas money.

Choose basic hairstyles that are easy to maintain. All clippers come with an instructional video, DVD and/or manual. And don’t forget YouTube. You'll find tons of videos for how to give a professional-looking haircut. Follow directions carefully, and remember that practice makes perfect.

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