Haircuts have always been important to me and my brothers. I have three siblings; one sister and two brothers. I’m the youngest. Growing up, to my brothers and me, nothing felt better and made us feel more confident than stepping out of the barbershop with a fresh haircut. A perfect line up and a little hair spray make you feel complete. But Simone and I are on this debt-free journey and regular haircuts are a personal sacrifice I have made to trim our budget.
My first barber
For the first seven years of my life, my mom put me in a high chair on the back porch and cut my hair. I had a 4-inch afro back then. She’d trim a little off the top with her clippers and that was that. My brothers got the same specialized haircut.
As my brothers got older, they started asking my mom for professional haircuts. Eventually, she said yes and we all started going to the barbershop every other week. Thanks brothers!
My first barbershop experience
My first experience at the barbershop was memorable. Ms. Dot, shaved off my baby ‘fro and gave me a bald fade with my very first edge up. My brothers and I all walked out with our chests a little bit bigger, smiling ear to ear. What a memory.
I continued getting haircuts every two weeks ever since. And the price of a haircut increased a little over the years.
A few years later I asked my mom why she waited so long to start taking us to a barber. Her rationale was simple; she was saving money. And she was absolutely right! At that time our biweekly trips to the barbershop was a $60 monthly expense. And there were other priorities that needed that $60. Now I’m an adult with a family of my own and making similar decisions to achieve financial goals.
A Personal Sacrifice
I’ve had the same barber since college and we’ve developed a close relationship. I consider him a friend. Visiting a barbershop is about more than just getting a haircut. It’s a place of refuge to talk about everything from politics to pop culture and family life. I laugh so hard when I’m in the shop that if I’m not careful I can jeopardize the quality of my haircut. LOL. Never make sudden movements in a barber’s chair. I was regular. I know the inside jokes and always look forward to listening to various perspectives and sharing my thoughts.
But for 8 months now I’ve decided to forego regular visits to my barber. Not only for the financial savings but the pandemic also made that decision easier.
I’ve given Simone the liberty to shave my head a few times, and every few months I go see my barber. This has been one expense that we have not had to incur regularly each month.
Skipping my regular sessions at the shop is a temporary sacrifice to achieve a major goal. I know it may seem extreme to you and initially, it was to me too. But I know we’ll get back to a place where it makes sense for me to visit the barbershop regularly, and I’m sure I’ll be walking out smiling from ear to ear just like I did after my very first haircut. Not only because my edge up is sharp, but because I sacrificed to be able to get back there, and that sacrifice contributed to our financial success.
What personal sacrifice have you made this year in order to work toward a goal?
With Intention,
Sean and Simone
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I’ve been doing my own hair since March too! It’s been a challenge but I think I have the fade down now. Luckily I can wear a hat or hard hat at work if I have a bad session. I tried to have my wife do it, but I realize it’s better if I do the deed, so I only have myself to get upset at. I used to go twice a month too since I was in high school. The last few years its probably been once a month, as I let my hair grow longer, so it’s easier to go longer. It’s funny, just this morning I heard the barber I go see was asking about me. I was spending about $50 a month.
You are better than I am Noel! Haven’t even attempted the fade. LOL at keeping your wife out of the process so you can only get mad at yourself. That’s funny, I respect that. That barbershop routine is a real staple for a lot of us. So many good times are had there. Can’t lie, I miss the experience, but bigger things ahead. Sounds like you should reach out to your barber to see how he/she is doing. That $50 dollars doesn’t seem like much to some but it adds up! Thanks for reading and commenting. We appreciate you!
The practice of home haircuts, adds up to a lot of money saved. My husband is the family barber and stylist, my two teen boys get their haircuts every three weeks and I take a seat on the stool every couple months to have him trim my hair. At $25 each for my boys and $100 for me because of the long hair extra charge, I save over $1400 a year. He does a great job every time, my mom and my best friend have him cut their hair for them as they like his work as well as getting free haircuts. So I definitely believe that home haircuts are a great money saver, provided you have a friend or family member that has a knack for cutting hair, otherwise I would not be walking around with a wonky haircut, nor would my boys.
Hi, Carolyn! The fact that your husband cuts even your hair is great! $1400 a year in savings is a lot of money that could be used elsewhere. That’s a good point, having someone with a knack for haircutting is something to keep in mind. I guess if you have no one around then the barber may be the best bet. Then extending the haircuts would be the savings. Appreciate your thinking of the other side of things. Thanks so much for reading and commenting. We appreciate you!
This is a very admirable sacrifice, Sean! I’ve been in the same position you are while in the barbershop – I’ve laughed so hard that I thought my barber would accidentally mess up my haircut too. It’s always a great time!
HAHA! There is always that risk, but barbershops are one of the funniest scenes aren’t they?! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. We appreciate you!