How much to you spend per year on haircuts?

[Packratona!]

Pretty shocking. I am amazed that persons saving little or nothing for retirement spend as much as they do on hair each month. Just think if they socked part or all of that same amount faithfully each month into a good savings vehicle starting from their late teens to early twenties. Just $200 a month saved, starting at age 18, you will be a millionaire by the time you are 55 and earlier if you invest it to get better than 8% average growth.

[SteveinMN]

$18 every 4-6 weeks for a haircut, so about $200 for the year. And a package of combs to make up for the ones I inevitably lose. The dog gets far more expensive cuts than I do. One only hopes she won't need them every 4-6 weeks....

[Tradd]

$40 (that includes a brow wax, too) every 6-8 weeks. 6 weeks is better, so about $350. I color it myself about every 2 months. I have a short cut and my hair grows incredibly fast.

[lessisbest]

Pretty shocking. I am amazed that persons saving little or nothing for retirement spend as much as they do on hair each month. Just think if they socked part or all of that same amount faithfully each month into a good savings vehicle starting from their late teens to early twenties. Just $200 a month saved, starting at age 18, you will be a millionaire by the time you are 55 and earlier if you invest it to get better than 8% average growth.

I can give you an even worse case scenario.... I have a friend who spends over $500/month on her many lavish and exotic pets, hundreds more each month on make-up, hair and nails, as well as clothing, collectables, and general "crap" she doesn't need, but can't keep up her car payment and got a visit from the repo man.

She's been a lifelong friend, and one day she asked me about making homemade laundry detergent with Borax, Washing Soda and soap bars so she could save a little money. After I quit laughing, I took her hands in mine, looked her strait in the eyes and told her the cost of laundry detergent wasn't her problem and helped her with a REAL budget. At the time, we were both 60-years old (now 62). She had been a career woman and had the total amount of $0 set aside for retirement. I, on the other hand, had been a stay-at-home mom. When they opened up IRA's for non-workers, I started an account and funded it to the maximum each year with my home-based business. She still can't stick to a budget, I'm sorry to say.

[kib]

She still can't stick to a budget, I'm sorry to say.

I'm veering off topic, but I think this really does sum it up. Education is a big part of saving, investing, retirement and generally living within one's means, but it's not rocket science; I think for most people of reasonable means who still can't seem to manage their money, underneath it's a matter of conscious or unconscious unwillingness. The feeling that living without limits is a punishment, or a sense of entitlement that tells them they shouldn't have to be bothered with these things or with making choices, or perhaps a fear of material scarcity that overwhelms common sense. I have tried to help people in the past and come to the same lesson: there are those who really want to change and learn, and there are those who want a magical no limits, no work wand to wave.

[ApatheticNoMore]

None, because I tend to neglect my appearance to some degree, especially hair cuts, of all the things to waste precious weekend time on, getting a haircut! I'm not actually unattractive though. But maybe I should resolve to get a haircut. I can do it! I could even resolve to do it at least once a year! Uh someday ...

[crunchycon]

$25, tip included about every 8-9 weeks. So that's about $150-ish. I don't color my hair and haven't had a perm since the late eighties, which helps keep the cost down.

[jp1]

$0. SO needed a new beard trimmer about 4 years ago but mistakenly bought a regular barber's hair trimmer. (not sure how he managed that one...) Since I've long had a basic buzz cut I asked him to start doing my haircuts and he has been ever since. Saves me $19 every 3 weeks. Savings of almost $1,300 so far, minus whatever SO paid for the trimmer.

And frankly it's much more convenient to do at home and spend 5 minutes vacuuming than it was to go to the place I used to go.

[Tussiemussies]

Now that we have septic here where we live, I cannot dye my hair at home. I will pay a good amount of money for a great haircut because I feel I have the type of fsce that doesn't adapt well to any style. I now go to a great place where the stylists and colorists are rated on a scale and they tell you what their rating is when you initially book with as omeone. They have excellent customer service and are open all week long. This is one place where I splurge....

[Seven]

I cut my own hair every few months, and only go to the hairdresser once a year if I really want a new style. Getting a haircut is about 25€ here, plus tip (which isn't required, but I know how low their salary is).