I’m just giddy with power
Seriously, I’ve not been this giddy about anything in a long, long time.
You see, on Saturday, I cut Duke’s hair. All by myself. Without any training whatsoever. Without any single clue what I was doing. Yup, I’m boldly going where I’ve never been before. Cross another item off my Wish List!
Here’s the deal. After reading Mir’s amazing Save Money by Spending Less site, Want Not, for awhile. I have to say she’s rubbing off on me. Now, I’m all about saving money — but never at the expense of say, oh, stuff. I’m a serious victim of instant gratification (Prince suffers too) and we feed each other’s need for stuff. However, since Mir launched this site, I’ve been reading, looking, deciding, and hey, spending less! What I love about the site, is that at no time does she suggest I buy single ply toliet paper (I mean, serious ICK) or re-use anything that I wouldn’t normally think to re-use. She has great advice on how to look for something that is worth spending your money on. She talks about how to buy the best for less. And she has a very similar logic to me about value — the lowest price isn’t always the best value. So, I read and read.
One day, a long time ago — because I’m slow and need things to sink in, she mentioned that she cuts her kids’ hair. She has a boy child and got a set of clippers for the price of a haircut and has been saving that money ever since. So, I read this and instantly thought, “I knew she was a freak.” But I got over it quickly, because, well, she’s a friend of mine, I can be a bit of a freak too, and well — there’s a chance she has a point.
Not long after that I took Duke to get his haircut. $20 later ($15 for the cut + $5 guilt tip because he didn’t sit still — he’s 3 come on) I was thinking Mir had a pretty decent point. So, I thought I’d give it a shot. I mean come on, how hard could this be. I’d buy clippers, with the length thingies; I plan to take the day lest Duke need multiple breaks during the process; and I’d get practice. After all a bad haircut at 3 isn’t nearly as horrible as a bad cut at 7 — so I figured I’d have a few years to master the clippers. And finally, I decided that if all else failed, I take him back to get a professional to clean it up and I could use the clippers on the dog — because he’d care less if he had a bad haircut.
Well, I stalled. I worried. I planned and plotted and moved not one inch towards the goal of cutting his hair. Until it HAD to be done. So then I planned some more.
Saturday, Duke and I finally bought the clipper set. I sat him down in front of Finding Nemo and with a few bribes and one break, I cut his hair.
No, it is not perfect. Yes, I can see mistakes — but I’m new. However, as I was getting him dressed this morning, I noticed that it wasn’t laying just right. And I actually thought….
“Tonight when he gets home, I could totally clean that up and fix the other mistake I see.”
Anyone want to bet how many times I cut this kid’s hair before I decide to take it to fuzz and start over?
October 2nd, 2006 at 11:58 am
You are so much braver than I. I did cut the girls’ hair for years, until they were big enough to care, but now they want “layers” and “tapering” and they care if it looks bad. Though I probably take them both for a whopping 2 haircuts per year, at Great Clips no less, thank God for long hair. Mark used to be of the $30 every 3 weeks frame of mind when it came to hair, back in ye olden days before we were married and broke. He settled in to about every 5-6 weeks, and just has it cut really short in between, and again goes to Great Clips. A few years ago, he convinced me that I could clipper his hair, since “that’s all the girl does. Set it to a 3 and go.” Let’s just say that it wasn’t good, the man was partly bald or darn close to it, and that it’s a good thing his hair grows fast. He has offered to let me try again, but I have declined. I, on the other hand, spent the first 13 years of our marriage with long hair, varying lengths, but never cut more than 3 times a year or so, with my own bang trimming in between. I know, sounds so pretty, right? And I wouldn’t pay more than $10. My OtherMom took me for a real haircut 4 years ago, and I went short. I loved it, and now have to go back at least every 6-7 weeks and pay an exorbitant fee to do it. And guess who complains? Yes, Mark. I figure I have many years to go before I catch up with him on haircut and hair product expense. At least I don’t go have manicures every week (or ever), and color my own hair. I’m sure it could be better, but I can live with it, even though SOMEONE convinced me to use a new hair color that costs twice as much as I was spending. Good thing it lasts twice as long!
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:09 pm
At least it wasn’t with a flowbee.
October 23rd, 2006 at 11:56 pm
My husband has cut his own hair since he was about 18. Wow – that adds up to a lot of money saved! If only we had it in a jar somewhere…I could buy a lot of yarn