Balding, but with more money in my wallet
I’ve taken my abuse over the last 10 years or more for slowly going bald (from the forehead back, not at the crown luckily) from friends, family, coworkers and even strangers. But the trick is on them because I’M THE ONE SAVING MONEY!
Over 5 years ago, I chronicled why balding gracefully can save you time AND money, and it has proven true years later. Sure, while I deal with “manscaping“, which is optional, and shaving, which sort of isn’t in my line of work, I get the full benefits of “free” haircuts and much more time while getting myself all sexied up.
Saving Money
I calculate that in the last 9 years of being married, which is when I committed to never paying a barber to cut my hair again (the last professional cut I had was for our wedding), I’ve saved between $1080-$2160 in haircuts alone. My estimate is based on an average $20 haircut after tax and tips, and going every 1-2 months. Also, I haven’t had to comb or style my hair in any way for that same time (and longer actually), so I don’t even know how to put a price on hair products (ask J Money. He’s got a mohawk!)
Sure, I would bet there are a number of you readers who would say “I’d rather have a full head of hair than all that money”, and I personally know at least a couple people who have gotten hair implants/transplants/plugs/whatever. Both have failed and were a waste of money and time, and one of them now has some nasty circular scars along his scalp rim. Nope. No plugs for me, no combover for me and simply no faking that I have hair, period. That’s my definition of balding gracefully. When there’s enough bare scalp showing, or the hair is just too thin, it’s time to buzz it all off.
And that’s what I do. For the last 3 years or so, I’ve been cutting my own hair, with my wife just trimming up the neck and edges. I even recently reviewed a do-it-yourself hair clipper, which I now use monthly or even more often because it’s powerful, cordless and quick. I don’t shave my head with a razor though; I just buzz it down with no guard on the clippers.
Saving Time
Since working from home, I tend to cut my hair every 30-45 days, and as I mentioned, even more often lately. For some, time is much more precious than money, and if you can save even an hour a month, it’s worth it. Cutting my own hair takes about 20 minutes (to make sure I get it all even as I don’t use mirrors), which means I don’t need to drive to a barber, find parking, wait, get the cut, pay, get to my car and drive home. That could be an hour or more in more cases. Now I just grab the clippers, hop in the shower (to contain all the cut hair) and buzz it all down.
I did shave my head once, but I just didn’t like the feeling of a bare scalp, and I didn’t like the time it took to shave, so I just clip it down. So keeping it low maintenance has saved me literally days worth of my life if you add up all the hours over the last 9 years, and it’s also given me the control on when and where I get my hair cut.
How about you all? How much do you think you’re spending each year on your hair, or are you going the “bald and beautiful” route like me? I’d love to know if you’re rocking a combover AND KNOW IT, but just can’t commit to cutting it all off. Believe me, just do it and you’ll get used to it!
I have been doing the same for about the same amount of time. My head is too irregular (weird shaped) to take a razor to it, but the clippers with no guard get the job done and the fuzz hides my weird head bumps.
Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone.
I have been cutting my BF’s hair for the past two years with a machine. He goes to the salon once or twice a year it there is a special occasion, otherwise he is very happy about not having to think about his hair anymore, I cut it quite short and he even washes it with soap.
I use a #3 on my clippers, bend my head over the toillet and let er rip. 3 minutes later, flush the toilet. All done.
Sometimes I do save water too by having a BM before I cut my hair. Gets a little stinky though.
@Pauline, I failed to mention that I use my wife’s leftover shampoo, or leftover hotel shampoo if that runs out. Never got into using soap because it dries out my scalp too much.
@mike crosby. Hmm, I understand the idea of cutting over the toilet, but I don’t think I want to be looking at (or smelling) my BM while cutting my hair. I’ll just do it in the shower and scoop up the hair, drop it in the toilet then wash down the rest.
Haha, it’s true. I spend hundreds on hairspray alone 😉
I’ve been doing the same for 6.5 years. Can’t even imagine how much I’ve saved. I cut my hair every two weeks.
yeah, you can save money, people knows i like to save money, but we do live in a superficially society and not everyone works at home, some of us has to hustle and maintain looks to get sales or orders. thats why i like to use the hair loss shampoos because the ketoconazle helps to prevent hair loss and promote hair, so i feel better off departing with 25 dolllars for some regenepure shampoo i can buy at regenepure.com because i feel theres ROI for me on it plus its cheaper than the hair transplant or getting one in costa rica.