I'd been carrying this coupon around in my wallet for awhile and putting off getting a haircut -- pretty much the story of all my natural adult life.
Always having to look for a new hairdresser is, by far, one of the hugest drawbacks to moving around so much.
I've gone back and forth over the years to paying a
lot for haircuts... to paying next to nothing. In my experience, paying more for a haircut doesn't guarantee you're getting a
better haircut.
Like the one I got yesterday. $6.99 at your run-of-the-mill strip mall chain salon. It was a no-frills affair: spray on a little water and snip away. No styling, no fuss. And I'm totally fine with that for now. In the two years we've lived in Ohio I haven't had my hair cut by the same person twice. And for the most part, I'm okay with that.
Salon LoyaltyOnly in two places we've lived have I been loyal to a specific hairdresser. One was in Maryland, just outside of DC. I happened across Angelo in one of those salon chains in a giant mall. He was of Iranian and Italian descent, and his family wanted him to become a doctor. His haircuts weren't terribly expensive (by DC standards), but I also splurged for professional haircolor and highlights. As a former medical student, Angelo loved the process of mixing the chemicals for the perfect hair dye. I probably spent almost $100 each visit -- I know I tipped him well -- and that was almost ten years ago. Since I was working full-time, I felt I was totally justified to spend that kind of money on myself.
The other place was in Italy. So far as I knew there were only two places for an American to get their hair cut where we lived and know what they were getting: on base with all the G.I.'s; and off-base at at Antonio's little one-man shop. Antonio's mother was Irish and he spoke English with the most endearing mix of the American accent he picked up from all of his military customers mixed with a touch of Irish brogue. He owned that little shop, yet still lived at home with his parents -- not at all uncommon for a 30-something Italian.
I don't recall exactly how much I spent on a typical visit to Antonio, but I also paid for highlights so I know it wasn't cheap, the dollar being what it was even then. I think I tipped him more than what I paid yesterday for my entire haircut.
Is One as Good as Another?
In my experience, you can find very good hairstylists at a cheap chain salon about as well as you can at a higher-end highfalutin one. The key, really, is the hairstylist -- not the place. That being said, finding these stylists can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Usually, about the time I finally come across a good fit, it's time to move again.
And I'm not above asking people where they get their hair cut. In fact, one of the best haircuts I ever got was by a woman who cut hair in her own home -- or she'd come to you, it didn't matter. Of course, right after I found her, it was time to move.
I seem to have come full circle in what I'm willing to pay to get my hair done. For me, saving in this area is a no-brainer while we're on this debt-free journey of ours... Though my tune may sound a little different if it meant giving up my loyalty to a hairdresser I absolutely loved.
Do TellSo here we go -- How much do you pay for a haircut? Are you loyal to the same hairdresser? Do you splurge for professional hair coloring, or does yours come out of a box? (Or do you prefer to go
au naturel?)
Pigs (these are mainly their teenage son's venture)...
And goats, among other animals.
The goats roam free, along with the chickens.
Not that you can tell from the picture above of the chicken coop, but these guys have the run of the land. They roam all over the grass and field and even into the plentiful woods, eating worms and grubs and bugs and whatever it is you don't want to know about that they love to pick out of the cow patties.
He was friendly, and not in an obnoxious way. He and his buddies help keep the grass mowed.
How's that expression go - "Shake the hand that feeds you"? In this case, I guess you can say we just pet her feathers.
When I run out of eggs and can't connect with my egg pusher for too many weeks, I go through withdrawal. I try to make the kids eggs every morning for breakfast, and we have Brinner at least once a week. I almost can't stand to scramble up the store-bought eggs anymore: they are decidedly pale and tasteless in comparison. My kids don't gobble them in the morning as readily, either.
