Monday, March 31, 2008

Home Hair Cuts, Yep, That's What I Said

I know that this tip doesn’t necessarily cut back on your grocery budget but it’s definitely a money saver.

I have never been to cosmetology school, I don’t have a friend who has taught me all her tricks, and I certainly don’t have a hidden talent. What I do have is a houseful of people that need regular haircuts that can break the bank.

Even if I go to the local chain “hair salon” it costs at least $10 per head to have my kids’ hair cut. That’s $40 a visit…almost my whole weekly grocery budget.

Over the years I’ve invested in a set of electric clippers, some combs and some sharp scissors, and I’ve watched a lot of hairdressers and took note at how they angled their cuts.

I read a few books, the directions in my clippers and then just cut loose one day. It started with my husbands’ hair and when he walked away with no bald patches or Mohawks, I started in on the kids. There have been times where the cuts haven’t turned out exactly the way I wanted but there have been no hair-tragedies in my 12 years of haircutting.

When I did a google search so that you guys would have some resources I came up with hundreds of great sites that either show you or tell you how to do a simple cut.

Here is a great link to get you started. It gives some great tips on how to cut a simple straight one length girls cut as well as bangs, men’s hair and little kids.

Here’s a video for a man’s cut. It has some great tips! You’ll watch this and think, “Yeah, I can do this!”

Some ideas for the cuts when your kids are really young…I let them suck a lollypop while I was cutting, (Ehh, what’s a little hair?) or my husband would stand in front of them and entertain while I snipped away.

We also use a towel wrapped around their shoulders and clipped at the neck with a clothes pin to keep hair from getting all over their neck and clothes. We’ve tried garbage bags too.

And as you can see from the picture we don’t have any Alfalfa do’s or nerd haircuts.

***I have to admit that lately my hubby's been getting his done at the salon because as he gets older and his forehead gets, um, larger he needs a little more creativity than I've got to give.

7 comments:

Wifey said...

I cut my husband and oldest son's hair, too. It saves a lot of money and time.

Duckygirl said...

I'm alright when it comes to the boy's hair and most of the time I do Ian's too but I can't trim straight for the girls....maybe someday *sigh*

Ian did have to shave his head once though because I goofed, luckily it was summer and it was a long time ago :)

~Laura

carrie said...

I do hair cuts too. with a bad attitude unfortunately. Well, not a huge bad attitude, but I'm thinking how much I'd love to just send their whiney butts to the salon. Because it's a whine fest every time. And I've been doing their hair for years!

But you're right. It's saving money in the end.

Amanda said...

...we don’t have any Alfalfa do’s or nerd haircuts.

That's so hilarious! We do home haircuts, too. It really is a cost savings.

Gloria P. said...

Gayle I had to giggle when I read your post on homemade haircuts. I always cut my sons hair and yes I scalped him one time..he was so mad at me the poor kid has one blad spot that was very noticable of course I said "well you shouldn't have moved". My daughter started cutting her own hair around the age of 3 and just never stopped so we had no need to take her to the hairdresser....and guess what she became a professional hair dresser but some how or another even though I get a free haircut it did cost me $15,000 for her hairdressing school...so lets see how many haircuts will $15,000 dollars get me.....???

Everyone haircuts look great and love the family photo.

Christine said...

I love this! I have been cutting my husband and sons hair for years. I have tried my daughters, but it always turns out bad, so know it is just me and my daughter that leave the house to get hair cuts.

I figure that I save between $700 - $800 a year buy cutting the boys hair! Got to love that!

{ MELBOURNE ROAD } said...

I do haircuts for my 4 daughters and one son here too (and me)plus now for my daughters almost fiance. :o)

Got pretty good at some cool cuts for the girls and the skateboarder hair for my son..phew.

did a small patch on the almost fiances's head in the back once with the clippers though...blush.
Lori