Cost-cutting measures (excuse the following pun!)

federica

As a cost-cutting measure (!) I actually cut my own hair. I do my husband's as well, and when he lived with us, did my step-son's hair, too.

I hugely object to going to a hairdressing salon in the UK, where a lady can pay anything upwards of £30.00 for a cut. Given that I already have short hair to begin with, it's grossly unfair to see a guy come into the same unisex salon, and have (maybe?) even longer hair, on his head - cut for less.

Men, pay less, and that's a fact.

I would go to a good ol' fashioned men's barber emporium where admittedly, costs are lower - but even that is beyond my pocket at the moment...

What cost-cutting measures do you implement, personally?

I'm not talking about shopping around for those grocery super-bargains from slash-price supermarkets, but simple, every-day domestic things you do to save the pennies....

Care to share?

(No commission or royalties payable. Put it here, for the benefit of all!)

cvalue

I cut my husband's hair to save money and I use that saving to have my hair cut nicely at a hairdressing salon. lol.

Nele

This is funny...I have been thinking of cutting my own hair also. But mine's long so might be harder. I thought I would tie it up then cut 4-5 inches off the ponytail (much as the picture in the thread that started this one!). Doing it like that I'd naturally get a killer shag, right?? :-)

Cost cutting: besides shopping at thrift stores, the main thing I do is combine errands so that I drive down the mountain once a day at most. Since I work at home there are many days I don't drive at all. I guess this is more an environment-saving than a cost-saving measure, though. Gas is dreadfully cheap.

federica

We live quite close to our town centre. The easiest thing in the world would be to take the car and hop down to the stores to do our shopping.
But we choose to walk.
This has multiple benefits:
Good exercise;
A good chance to talk and engage in useful discussion;
we're much more careful about what we buy - it's on a 'need' basis, as opposed to 'Ooh, I fancy sum o' dat!' because - we have to carry it home.
It saves on petrol because, unlike in some places and/or countries - 'gas' is dreadfully expensive!

It's amazing how you refine your shopping when you have nothing but muscle-power to transport the load....

Vastmind

To save costs I gave up my faux hawk.
I've had it for about 10 years and it became something
I was known for. But....your right...even when I went to
the barber shops, they would charge me almost double for
the same trim up as the guy next to me. I'm growing my hair
out bec I just couldn't afford to go every 4 weeks and keep it
looking right. I trim my girls hair dead ends, but that's as
far as I know how to go.
It has been a huge lesson in my form identity, though.
Not ready to give up hair color yet...hahaha...I do that at home.

I joined a coupon clipping club.
Now that I think about it...everything else I do here.
Hair was the only thing I 'sourced out'.
Oh...hubby can sew...so he does our tailoring.
I crochet...so we get our hats/scarf/lap blankets that
way...and I donate those to the local charities as
well, when I cant afford cash to them.

how

Years ago I got myself a hair cutting kit which was just an electric razer with some guards to control the depth of the cut. One day my partner who was helping me cut my hair, she said it didn't look right in the back. I took of the guard and showed her how to free hand it. As she tried it I heard a gasp, then she tried again and I heard another gasp. Then she dropped the razer and ran out of the room.

When I got up and looked in the mirror, I realized she didn't understand about the guard and I now had two bare strips up the back of my head.
Nothing to do now but take it all off.
It turned out to be the most effective, easy to clean, no concern about style haircut you could imagine so I just kept it.

federica

I am so often tempted to do the same, to be honest. Truly, I am. But goodness knows what comments it would elicit, or what I'd look like.
people might mistake me for Tenzin Palmo, or Sinead O'Connor which would not be bad things...

However, I might also get mistaken for this, and much as I like him......

how

@federica
I live in a city where this style has become pretty common. (a lot of folically challenged men) but the only raised eyebrows I ever got was from other Buddhists who seem to have a lot of investments in what shaving ones head means for them.

federica

That would be a good line....

all those misconceptions....

"I thought Buddhists were meant to be vegetarian...." (I am)

"I thought Buddhists had to shave their heads..." (I might!)

"I thought Buddhists were fat....." (Ah well... I can't win 'em all!)

fivebells

We hang out with Quakers a lot, and frugality is a value of theirs. The other day a Weighty Friend was humble-bragging that he'd finally broken down and bought some new clippers, because his 30-year-old one could no longer be economically repaired.

My wife cuts my hair, too.

Zero

Anything for myself over around £5 flags itself as expensive, thus attracting serious and careful consideration. Usually the consideration period alone is sufficient to delay expenditure beyond this lifetime.
Rubbish dump or at a push charity shop, car boot or auctions are a sure bet.
Take care of tools, so the majority as yet have stood the test of time - oil the shears, sharpen the knives, everything clean and in its place. There is a downside though as I have found myself staring into the nostalgic abyss through the most ridiculous lenses.
Cook from scratch, buy up bulk almost old food from markets and mid-prepare and freeze. Last week I picked up a full box of onions (around 60) for £1. Each medium sized onion goes for around 27p in the supermarket. I tend to use onion in a lot of cooking so I chopped them up and froze them. Probably be a month's worth of onion, maybe more.
Using excel to keep a track of budgets and expenditure also helps as the numbers rarely lie. This can be used to cut the fat off.

Bunks

I started shaving my head in 1998 @how and have paid for only one haircut since then (£5 in London in 2003).

One of the smartest things I've ever done!

Haven't had to pay for shampoo or conditioner since then either.

I can highly recommend it.

federica

I go to markets and look for the 'pahnna baow'*..... you can get some quite good stuff that way. I'm careful to pick and choose though... getting avocados that way is more sensible than getting baking potatoes.....
Again, it's worth looking at stuff economically, when you have to carry it home....

I tend to buy stuff in bulk too, past its sell-by date and of that ilk.... But I tend to turn a lot of it into chutneys, pickles and pasta sauces.....


(*pahnna baow = Pound a bowl....)

BhikkhuJayasara

Follow the Bhikkhuni hair fashion, cheap and quick, no fuss no muss lol.

Also im not a fan of spending 12 bucks for a haircut.. Let alone 30+ at a salon. Diy is good stuff.

There are stories of Ajahn Chah as a young wandering monk and examples of how he had to sew patches on to his robe or make various cloth things that the villagers had a good laugh over. I applaud your actions. :-)

jae

Upcycling for us has saved so much money... almost everything in my home is second hand even down to the doors and windows, picking up other peoples 'chuck outs' from a local recycle yard and transforming them with some TLC and a lick of paint (even the paint you can pick up for free) I've even seen items in skips outside of homes and asked the owners if they would mind if I took things out.

Cooking from scratch as @Zero mentioned I can't imagine the shopping bills of families that buy ready made meals, its a shame that home economics isn't taught at school anymore, I've taught my kids to cook and they often prepare the evening meals.

Clothing... I've always shopped in charity shops and our family pass down clothes that not longer fit. We have a lost property department and after three months its thrown out or given to charity shops, I've been lucky there as I get first dibs and when I'm finished with them they go back to charity shops.

Regarding hair I've decided to go grey, its far too expensive to keep dying... any of you ladies out there gone through the transformation? This inbetween stage is a little messy but I'm determined to persevere with it.

federica

I have to say, I recently watched a programme about a guy in the USA who considered himself the 'thrift-king'....

He actually tries to barter in every shop he goes in to, he digs through dustbins for thrown-away products he could use, he asks shops such as fishmongers and butchers if he can have any off-cuts destined for the trash-heap, and goes through dumpsters behind food stores to retrieve any salvageable expired foods.
Commendable?
Maybe.
But I confess, there are measures even I won't go to....

Vastmind

For entertainment...find 2nd run movie theaters...Once I started a having
kids, there was no way I could afford $10each for 6 people..so the the kids
and I wait for about 3 weeks after the movie stops playing, and another place
charges $2.50. A local free Parent magazine lists all 30 days with free activiies
for families/kids/anyone. Concerts in the park....public plays..sponsered stuff. It exposes them to wonderful things! ....And plan picnics when you can!

Also, alot of new mommy clubs/church groups/mommy day outs...have
baby clothes/toys/anything exchange! I swapped until all my kids started
school. Saved a ton of money!

BhikkhuJayasara

Vastmind said:

For entertainment...find 2nd run movie theaters...Once I started a having
kids, there was no way I could afford $10each for 6 people..so the the kids
and I wait for about 3 weeks after the movie stops playing, and another place
charges $2.50. A local free Parent magazine lists all 30 days with free activiies
for families/kids/anyone. Concerts in the park....public plays..sponsered stuff. It exposes them to wonderful things! ....And plan picnics when you can!

Also, alot of new mommy clubs/church groups/mommy day outs...have
baby clothes/toys/anything exchange! I swapped until all my kids started
school. Saved a ton of money!

My mom use to have a big purse she brought to the movies with candy and drinks for us lol.

Later when i worked for a movie theater i found out that the reason all that stuff is so expensive is because the food and drink is the only way a theater makes money lol. These days i go to the movies once a month at a matinee and get me some good pretezl bites.. Oh yeah.

jae

Freeganism, dumpster diving... I've seen a doc about this and its bloody criminal the amount of food they throw away, this link is going around on facebook at the mo

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/donate-allsupermarket-past-sell-by-date-food-waste-to-our-food-banks?bucket&source=facebook-share-button&time=1391256481

I know its illegal to sell/give away out of date food but they could have an agreement with the local charities/homeless shelters to take the food away on the last day of sale, on Saturdays they have to bin all Sundays dated foods as the large supermarkets are shut here on Sundays.

I would be happy to salvage wrapped food from the bins outside of supermarkets ( I'm not talking about half eaten burgers in the litter bin luckily I'm not destitute or that hungry but I'd sure as hell eat whatever to survive if I had too)

federica

Actually, an awful lot of supermarkets support this policy, tesco's being one that springs to mind.
Even though this particular programme is over, my local superstore still has a large 'collection bin' and promises that the weekly value of all donations will be increased by 30%.
it's actually the smaller outlets who fall down on that job....

Let's not get sidetracked though.
This isn't about apportioning blame or criticism.
It's about what we do to save pennies.....

jae

Good old tesco's

Vastmind

To save more 'taxes'...make sure your not overpaying too much during the year.
A big refund usually means you just gave Uncle Sam an interest free loan...and he's paying it back.If you view it as a 'savings account', then you could put that money in your ownsavings
account during the year and MAKE interest....even at a couple percent.



- irs.gov how to reduce big refunds

jae

@federica switch to BBC 2 'the great British sewing bee' could get a few hints, I love making things thinking of doing a quilt but more to keep my 'idle hands' away from the wine than keeping me warm.... could get a few mending hints, that's a way of saving the pennies

Bunks

A very inspiring thread!

genkaku

Ammonia cut with some water in an old spritz bottle makes a good all-around cleaner.

Vinegar slightly diluted with water cleans windows well.

And I've heard that vinegar and baking soda is a good toilet scrub.

jae

@genkaku ....can't beat vinegar and water with old newspapers to clean windows. Also with a used lemon pop it in a bowl of water and into the microwave for a few mins, this makes it really easy to clean the microwave out and leaves it smelling fresh

matthewmartin

I took the tonsure(1) when I realized that a hair cutting device was $12 (one time) and hair cuts are $20 every few months.

Since I'm much balder than my forum photo suggests, I mow it all town to a #3 length and call it good.

I probably don't get much merit for not being attached to my hair because it looks better mown short

(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsure#Buddhism

jae

I have two guinea pigs and I use the shredded paper from the office for their bedding, empty loo rolls for them to chew on and weeds from the garden for green treats.

Vastmind

Kids shoes are cheaper than adults...so make sure your feet aren't in
an overlapping size.
For example, I wear a woman's US 7, and that's a girls size 5.
Usually stores carry up to a kid's size 6...thats around an US 8
A kids size Nike tennis shoe can be $30-$40 cheaper than an adults.

No, you don't have to be stuck with stars and rainbows, hahaha, I have
found perfectly mature looking shoes/flats/sandels...all styles. Just
takes looking.

karasti

We cut my husband and 2 of the kids' hair at home. I liked my hair best when I had it super short, but too many people told my teenage son he looks like me, so I put some distance there, LOL.

Most of our cost cutting comes in our food. We grow a garden and freeze/can almost everything. We trade with other people, or trade favors to be able to get farm fresh eggs and other things. We have 3 kids and 5 pets and one income, so we save wherever we can but without going to some extremes (I just don't have time to be a couponer, for example).

Both of our cars are older, 2001 and 2004, but both paid off entirely. I really hate having regular payments, so we keep our debt as low as possible. No credit card debt (though we have one for emergencies) no car debt. Just our mortgage and our revolving bills like utilities. Everything else goes into IRA (retirement) or savings. We mostly cut costs by not spending whenever possible.

jae

A splash of baby oil in the bath is a quick and cheap way to moisturize your skin, just be careful getting out though!!

DharmaMcBum

I cut my own and the boys hair and occasionally my wifes though she's got the last one paid for but by a visiting haridresser rather than at a salon. All the same as above really- walking rather than driving and charity shop stuff. Almost all waste food (if any) goes to the avian food converters to be turned into eggs or on the compost heap for veg growing.

grackle

I clip the cents off coupons from the newspaper inserts. I go to a grocery that has 10% off for seniors once a month. Bleach works out just fine to clean the toilet bowl. I use the library rather than buying books. Here's a tip. If there is a product you enjoy using drop a note to the company. I have received some generous coupons in the mail. Many times the value of a postage stamp.

Chaz

federica said:

As a cost-cutting measure (!) I actually cut my own hair. I do my husband's as well, and when he lived with us, did my step-son's hair, too.

My wife cuts mine. Gets out the clippers and goes to town.

A lot better than paying a barbler 20 bucks for something she can do in 10 minutes

zsc

It's always so amusing to read about women getting regular haircuts that only cost them about 30 bucks or so. I'm a black woman, and most of us generally don't cut our hair (unless it's a big chop or split ends), and nowadays we can expect a salon visit to cost $50 minimum.

As per the topic, I cut costs by shopping at dollar stores and thrift shops most of the time. There's not a lot you need a mainstream label for, and at least one dollar store chain where I live sells name brand items for less.

Jeffrey

Not as thrifty as cutting my own hair but I go to a beauty school. So the haircutters are still in training.

I think they should charge based on what they do. I don't need highlights and perms and all that crap so I should be charged less. But a woman just getting a basic hair style shouldn't be charged the same as all the fancy haircuts.

Jeffrey

My girlfriend works at goodwill and she finds some good deals. We also buy restaurant coupons for dates. Some cost 2 dollars to buy and you have to buy over 15 dollars (one example) and then get 10 off. Not that going to a restaurant in the first place is frugal, but if your going to go to one it is great to have a restaurant.com coupon.

Tosh

I have this big mop of thick Japanese black hair - but I wish I was bald! I'd happily have it shaved close to the wood, but since I've had my front teeth kicked out (and I don't get on with my false teeth), Mrs Tosh says that with no teeth AND no hair, I just look really stupid.

lobster

@genkaku ....can't beat vinegar and water with old newspapers to clean windows.

Someone recently told me a good way. In the water vinegar mix (not balsamic or cider vinegar) dip a wad of two or three newspaper pages, then scrunch the wad in a dry page. This gives you the right 'wetness'.

Hair cut once a year, 'uncle fester' when I am bald and 'cave man' are my familial nicknames at the extremes of follicle fashion.

I am thinking of investing in a gonzo I think it is called to practice 'yuppy buddhism', chant your way to successful acquisition . . .
http://www.sgi.org/sgi-president/writings-by-sgi-president-ikeda/gongyo-and-daimoku.html

Not sure how it works but I am prepared to become a muppet

DairyLama

No car, no mobile phone contract, no cable or satellite TV, no dishwasher, no central heating, no pets, etc etc.

Spiny the Stingy Buddhist.:p

zsc

A water/apple vinegar mix can wash your hair really well and a baking soda/water mix can rinse it well, as well as needed to neutralize the vinegar. When I did this, this got my hair ridiculously clean. Look up the exact mixture though so you won't burn your scalp! (and to see if you have the hair type for it)

David

karasti said:

We cut my husband and 2 of the kids' hair at home. I liked my hair best when I had it super short, but too many people told my teenage son he looks like me, so I put some distance there, LOL.

Most of our cost cutting comes in our food. We grow a garden and freeze/can almost everything. We trade with other people, or trade favors to be able to get farm fresh eggs and other things. We have 3 kids and 5 pets and one income, so we save wherever we can but without going to some extremes (I just don't have time to be a couponer, for example).

Both of our cars are older, 2001 and 2004, but both paid off entirely. I really hate having regular payments, so we keep our debt as low as possible. No credit card debt (though we have one for emergencies) no car debt. Just our mortgage and our revolving bills like utilities. Everything else goes into IRA (retirement) or savings. We mostly cut costs by not spending whenever possible.

Unless that one income is huge, that is very impressive.

cvalue

The best shampoo is the dish detergent. It cuts all the grease.

Vastmind

zsc said:

It's always so amusing to read about women getting regular haircuts that only cost them about 30 bucks or so. I'm a black woman, and most of us generally don't cut our hair (unless it's a big chop or split ends), and nowadays we can expect a salon visit to cost $50 minimum.
.

I learned to do relaxers at home. There was no way I was paying someone
$35, for two girls...hahaha.And like you said, that's starting price.....
Had to learn it...no choice. The beauty shop budget was never
going to get strated...lololol
No hot combs...but I do a mean hot press!
.... I buy "just for me" brand (gentle, and no
break-off's)....for clearance usually for $5 a box.
Shampoos, rollers, ....stuff like that, you can buy the
good salon stuff at the beauty supply store.

Can't do bald fades...so I do have a local hook up for my
son. $12. Family members or friends that go to cosmetology
school are good to have...hahaha

zsc

Vastmind said:

zsc said:

It's always so amusing to read about women getting regular haircuts that only cost them about 30 bucks or so. I'm a black woman, and most of us generally don't cut our hair (unless it's a big chop or split ends), and nowadays we can expect a salon visit to cost $50 minimum.
.

I learned to do relaxers at home. There was no way I was paying someone
$35, for two girls...hahaha.And like you said, that's starting price.....
Had to learn it...no choice. The beauty shop budget was never
going to get strated...lololol
No hot combs...but I do a mean hot press!
.... I buy "just for me" brand (gentle, and no
break-off's)....for clearance usually for $5 a box.
Shampoos, rollers, ....stuff like that, you can buy the
good salon stuff at the beauty supply store.

Can't do bald fades...so I do have a local hook up for my
son. $12. Family members or friends that go to cosmetology
school are good to have...hahaha

My mom used to use "Just for Me" relaxers on me too That was before I went to a beauty salon owned by a woman who would wash my (untreated) hair and when it dried, it would look and feel as if I did have a relaxer! I swear she must have been some kind of sorcerer lol. Now I mainly wear my hair untreated, without straightening it, but I do want to get some highlights done at the local beauty school.

Beej

i cut my own hair, ride a bike instead of a car, and i play my guitar instead of buying songs on itunes, i wea clothes and shos until they are dead, and theres probably fifty other ways that i employ to maintain my cheapness. also, i am a cheap, cheap date.

federica

cvalue said:

The best shampoo is the dish detergent. It cuts all the grease.

Actually once or twice, yes. But continuously, it WILL damage hair and scalp. What I do is to buy good quality products at a pound/99p store - then dilute them 50% with water. These work just as well and last twice as long, because you can still use the same amount in your hand you normally would. In fact, I have even used part of an already-diluted product and added yet more water, with no deterioration in efficacy.

PS: what's a relaxer??

DairyLama

Anyway the lady who does my hair is very nice...

Vastmind

What's a relaxer ? ...@federica

A relaxer is a chemical that goes in course hair texture.....
like African American/black hair....and it silk ens it out...
like European hair.....

Being 'natural'...not having straight hair ( relaxer)....you
would be rockin' an afro! I have seen cute ones, lately...hahaha

-- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxer

lobster

I've had my front teeth kicked out (and I don't get on with my false teeth),

Your efforts to save on toothpaste are commendable. Here is where to get and give away your clutter, including all manner of cosmetics and unused toiletries.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/green-living-blog/2009/oct/13/waste-recycling

I always thought a relaxer was a yoga mat . . .
ah well, we live and learn . . . (actually I knew what relaxer was but could not resist the joke)

'Voluntary simplicity' is worth searching for on Google.

Live long and prosper (Vulcan austerity plan)

federica

Vastmind said:

A relaxer is a chemical that goes in course hair texture.....
like African American/black hair....and it silk ens it out...
like European hair.....

Oh right.... I just wonder why anyone would want to do that..... Mind you, I guess European people get perms....