How to Save Money on Haircuts, Hair Color and Hair Care
For many people (women especially) hair care can be a pretty big expense. Between the cuts, colors and special shampoo you can spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year caring for your hair. This is one category I’ve drastically reduced spending on without sacrificing any quality. Below is my super low cost hair care routine.
How to Save Money on Haircuts
The price here will be very dependent on where you live. In my area haircuts range from a low of $17 for a walk-in low cost chain to $80+ for a fancy salon. That’s not even including tip, and in some of those fancy salons you’re tipping more than 1 person too. How much do you tip your hairdresser?
Become a haircut model. I’ve reduced my hair cut costs to tips only by being a “haircut model”. Our local chain teaches classes 1 week a month and during that time you can get a free haircut just by making an appointment. I was a little nervous at first to have my hair cut by students but it has worked out fine. The students are monitored by their teachers who will step in and make corrections if necessary. It also helps to be able to explain exactly what you want (I’ve learned a bunch of terms just by listening). Call around in your area to see if you can find a class looking for “models”.
How to Save Money on Hair Color
As much as I would like to let my hair go natural I’m not crazy about how my gray is coming in (only in spots which against my black hair just looks like skunk stripes). So every 8 weeks or so I breakdown and color the grays.
Dye your hair at home. This can be a significant expense if done in a salon but is ridiculously cheap to do at home. Between sales and coupons I usually end up spending around $4 for a box of color (I could probably get it for even less if I was willing to shop different brands). I recommend getting a hair color brush from your local beauty supply store. This will help you get the color where you want it and minimize drips. If you’re nervous about doing it yourself enlist a friend to help. It’s really not that complicated and if you do a test strand first you’ll have a pretty good idea what the finished result will look like.
How to Save Money on Shampoo
I have gone through a couple of different things with shampoos. Any of these tips will save you money.
Use less shampoo. The first tip is to use less. Years ago a hairstylist told me that most people use way too much shampoo. She recommended not washing your hair everyday and when you do to cut the shampoo half with water. I did this for years with great results.
Use less expensive shampoos. I tested a bunch over the years. One of my favorite low cost brands was Suave Professionals Rosemary Mint (though their Almond and Shea butter was a close second). I loved the scents and felt it got my hair cleaner than a lot of more expensive options. Try a bunch and see if you can find a lower cost option you like.
Don’t use shampoo. The third tip is not for everyone but it has worked well for me. About 2 years ago I stopped using shampoo and am instead using baking soda and apple cider vinegar. It will take your hair and scalp a few days or weeks to adjust to the change but after that it works great. I made this change for a healthier scalp more than as a cost savings but that’s just an added bonus.
So there you have it – my super low cost hair routine.
How much do you spend on your hair care routine?
More Frugal Tips to Save Money
too have cut my hair care costs using some of these tips. I haven’t been able to locate a school for free haircuts but I have found a great local salon. It’s a bargain cut type of place but not a chain. I think their regular price for a cut is $17, which is pretty good for my area. But they have “$10 Tuesday” cuts! There are only 2 or 3 stylists so you can see the same person every time and you can’t beat ten bucks for a haircut.
I wear my hair in a bob type style and usually have it cut every 8 weeks or so. Since I am VERY gray I color my roots every 3-4 weeks. I buy hair color at Wal Mart or Target when they have 2 packs on sale. I use half a bottle to do the roots only. Then I pull the color all the way through the hair every 6 weeks or so. Buy a plastic hair color bottle, it has the ounces marked on the side to make measuring easy.
I do stick to shampoo for color treated hair and use coupons for my favorite brands but have also been happy with lower end products, as long as they are for color treated hair.
I spend about $200.00 per year for cuts and colors which is so much better than the $150.00 I used to spend for ONE cut and color.
I’m a professional salesperson so I need to look pulled together but don’t want to spend a fortune!
Through experience I have learned when it comes to great hair you get what you pay for. So if you go cheap you may get compliments but they are polite compliments. If you find a salon that goes the extra mile you get amazing hair and honest compliments. Hair is one of the first major things noticed when meeting someone even before the butt in your jeans or your amazing shoes. I cringe when I see an acquaintance that has used their own at home color which never looks quite like the box or their hair looks damaged. Hair stylists know how to fix hair and where to draw the line. It is one of those things that can help network for future job opportunities and opportunities in general. So to me the investment is worth it.