pinching my pennies

I’ve never been good at managing money. Even when I was getting paid to manage other people’s money (I was a retirement specialist- helping people with their 401ks), I wasn’t very good at it. I was the definition of a poser. I was 22 years old, getting paid in smiles and pizza, chained to a phone, had scheduled bathroom breaks and often had to put people on hold to ask my cube mate questions. There I was helping people plan for their futures and I couldn’t even get a handle on my present and the thought of taking money out of my own paycheck to plan for my retirement was horrifying. “What do you mean contribute 4% to a 401k that I can’t touch for another 40+ years?!” AS IF. That’s at least 2 drinks at Claddaghs on Friday or Saturday, 4 drinks on a Thursday night. Priorities people! I have another 40+ years to figure out retirement and only about 10 minutes to figure out how to eat AND drink in the same night.

Needless to say, I’ve figured out a few things since then. I learned how to save, mostly by working a second job (it’s easier to save when you have extra money. Mind blowing.), learned how to prioritize my “needs” and save money where I can. I’ve cut back on some things, I only get a professional manicure once a month (IF THAT!) and I paint my nails myself in between, I don’t buy Starbucks every day and keep that as a weekend treat, I only go out once a weekend and stay in the other night when I can, stuff like that. Don’t get me wrong, if I want to go out on Fridays and Saturday, I go out. I just have a hangover for 5 days and cut back somewhere else.

There is something else that I’ve wanted to try, I’m nervous to even say it. AH! I wanted to go to a chop shop to get a haircut instead of going to a salon and getting a “hair design”. I don’t dye my hair (what can I say? I'm blessed with good DNA. Thanks Mom and Dad!) so I don’t need to go every few weeks like most other people. I only go every 6 months and even that feels like a lot. It adds up and it gets expensive! Check it out:

 $60    Hair Cut

 $15   Tip for Stylist

 $5     Tip for washer (why is it always another person!?!)                .  

$80 TOTAL

$80 for a haircut! I literally just get it trimmed and my bangs cut. My goal is to always leave looking like a better but same version of the Erin that went in. I don’t do anything crazy and when I get home RC always says “you didn’t do anything to it”. Which, is exactly the non-reaction I want but it still hurts a little. I spent $80, I want something to look different!

In reality, I’ve really never had a problem with paying $80 for a hair cut before being this grown up home owner that I am. I have no problem spending $80 on a shirt I like and only wear that once a month and I wear my hair every day so it practically pays for itself in a week.  BUT in an effort to be smarter with my money I went here today:

don't judge!

I was nervous, had a knot in my stomach and everything. Like I said, I wear my hair every day so if it was a bad cut I couldn’t just get changed and forget that it ever happened. So I went to Towson Town Center, walked into the Hair Cuttery and waited about 5 minutes for my “stylist”, Sarah, to greet me. She was really sweet but her hair cut was terrible. I felt better knowing that I at least didn’t have the person who cut her hair, unless she cut her own.. then I was SOL. I sat down in her chair, she put the cape around me, starting brushing and took out her scissors. WOAH WOAH WOAH. I felt light headed and must have been extremely pale because she asked if everything was okay. I said, yes (liar) and then I asked if she was going to shampoo my hair, wet it, spray it.. ANYTHING?! Her answer, “No”. Just “no”. crap. But I was already in the chair, the cape was on there was no turning back. When she finally asked what I wanted done I told her I only wanted an inch off, to not touch my bangs and that I didn’t want layers/textures/anything fancy. I think my heart was racing the entire time but Sarah was very nice and very quick. I was done within 10 minutes and it looked fine! They don’t blow dry your hair unless you ask and pay an extra $5 but since mine wasn’t even wet, it was a no brainer. I checked out and paid $15 for the cut and gave Sarah a $5 tip. $20 for a haircut and when I got home RC said “you didn’t do anything to it” which still isn’t true but this time I only paid $20!

I still have to blow dry and straighten my hair but I think it looks great and don’t think anything will be majorly wrong with it.. if anything is wrong with it at all. That money I saved will go to the house fund and I’ll spend it in a few months when we need curtains or something like that. A far cry from that 22 year old poser.