I got my hair cut yesterday!
For all my frugality and for all the belief I hold in my mantra ‘Nothing saves you money like not spending money,‘ I spend money on haircuts. Recently my hair has been looking pretty rough. I had really bad split ends and the bottom four inches of my hair are clinging to the remnants of a highlight job from two years ago. Getting a good cut isn’t something I do often, but it is an expense that I happily pay for.
Why? I have very curly hair. For those curly headed people in the know, it’s 3b curls. For those not in the know, it’s the type of curls that make older women say “Oh my god, your hair is SO CURLY. It’s beautiful, I wish I had those curls!” People do this a lot. Often while touching my head. (Note: I do not like being pet like a dog. Please don’t touch random people’s bodies!) It’s large, it’s in charge and I cannot cut it myself. Plus, I love my hair and I want it to look nice! No shame there!
(Me on NYE, with some dry hair/split ends. Also, I’m protecting the boyfriends anonymity here)
Curly hair is really difficult to cut, even by someone who has training. I have gotten plenty of uneven haircuts from hairdressers who weren’t prepared to deal with my curls. I don’t care for that. My hair is often the first thing people notice about me and something about myself that I love. It’s totally worth it to me to spend a little money on getting a proper haircut than to live with split ends or a terrible haircut by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Of course though, I want to get a cheap haircut! I am willing to pay, but only so much. I did extensive Yelp research and found a hairstylist whose haircuts average $15. That sounded good but I was curious about her experience with curly hair. There were two reviews from satisfied curly headed ladies and when I called I asked several questions about her experience with curly hair.
For my fellow curly haired ladies out there, I always ask a few questions along the lines of “Do you have experience cutting curly hair?” and “What cut do you usually recommend for thick, textured hair?”If they mention layers (other than VERY long ones, which are difficult to do) run away! If they want to cut your hair wet, make sure you are very specific in how much you want taken off, as curly hair shrinks when it dries. If she doesn’t know about the curly hair definitions (3a, 3b, 3c, etc) ask if you can send pictures beforehand and bring in pictures of what you’d like.
Anyway- this woman had enough of the curly lingo down that I felt comfortable going to her. She cut my hair dry, taking about two inches of dead hair off. You can compare the photos and see that some of the blonde highlights are gone and that it’s much more shoulder length. I’m pleased with it and the best part? She charged me $12! Couldn’t have asked for a better price! I left a tip and walked out a satisfied customer. I won’t cut it again for another six months probably, but when I do need another cut, I know where I can get it down cheaply and well.
Me, two inches shorter! Also me in a corner!
Kara Perez is the original founder of From Frugal To Free. She is a money expert, speaker and founder of Bravely Go, a feminist financial education company. Her work has been featured on NPR, Business Insider, Forbes, and Elite Daily.