# Haircuts



## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

Well I have curly hair, and lately I've wanted a good haircut so I could get a picture done. 

As you all know, I'm pretty frugal and you'd think that hairstylists everywhere would be able to get a hang of cutting hair. This is not my experience. A haircut at the mall is not the same as getting your hair done by a skilled stylist. 

Plus my husband keeps complaining that I keep getting the same hairstyle when I go to cheap places even though I ask for different things. 

So this time to get my picture done, I went to a salon and paid $48 for the cut, $18 for some hair stuff plus $20 tip so $86 altogether. 

This seems like a kingly sum to me, but my hair looks really nice. What about everyone else? How much do you pay?


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Well I'm a guy, and don't have much hair, so I don't really count. I used to try cutting my own hair but it never looked very good (and I don't want to just shave my head), so I pay $13 to have my local barber do it. I love the experience -- it's an Italian barbershop and most of the patrons are Italian, so they're all talking Italian to each other and on holidays they offer you a glass of grappa after your haircut.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

$20. But I don't have to look "purrdy"...lol. No fancy styles here, just the basics, full head of hair. Shop/ask around if you'll be spending any amount of money on a recurring basis.


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## DavidJD (Sep 27, 2009)

Go to a barber. $8 plus $2 tip. No apt necessary. Soak up some culture too. Not a place for women either. Conversations are more suitable for sailors...which adds to the charm. The other perk is that it is usually very quick and can be squeezed into my schedule anytime. A salon takes way too long and I don't need a shampoo a few hours after my shower. Of course i have short hair and only require minor attention.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

50 pesos every 5 weeks. I keep my hair short to avoid seating into it.

But if this is your crowning glory, then your expense can be justified.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

$12 and she actually comes to my house!


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## Dana (Nov 17, 2009)

Berubeland said:


> Well I have curly hair, I went to a salon and paid $48 for the cut, $18 for some hair stuff plus $20 tip so $86 altogether.
> 
> This seems like a kingly sum to me, but my hair looks really nice. What about everyone else? How much do you pay?


I have curly hair too! Curly hair = high maintenance hair. Cutting and styling curly hair is very different than cutting and styling straight hair. Many of my straight haired friends have no problem going to a cheap chain salon and getting a good cut. 

Add to that the fact that I am prematurely gray so my trips to the salon come to about $180 including tip. 

I only go about every 3 or 4 months. I colour it myself in between salon visits. If you find a great hairdreser, hang on tight and *DO NOT *let go. In my experience it is really hard to find a great stylist for thick, curly hair. Especially if you need a cut that looks good whether you leave it curly or straighten it. I like to do both. 

Two years ago I lost my stylist to the 'hood (as in motherhood) and I went through about a year of bad haircuts. I actually started asking _strangers_ who had nice hair for referrals. I finally found someone and am very happy. 

IMO a really good stylist is worth paying for.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Dana said:


> IMO a really good stylist is worth paying for.


Years ago I lived with a woman who used to drive five hours roundtrip from southern Connecticut to Princeton, New Jersey, to get her hair done. That was dedication, but I have to admit that her hair looked great.

Personally I love gray hair, premature or not, I think it's beautiful and it always bugs me when women dye their hair to hide it.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

You guys are lucky...

I can't tell you what I've been through with hairstylists...I had one around here but he went out of business because the mall he was in put up his rent too much. He did a great job with my hair but I didn't really like him because of his annoying habit of flirting and the odd rub up against me. His prices were very reasonable so I did put up with his pervy behaviour. It was a bit of a mixed blessing when he went out of business as I didn't have to weigh if I should go get my hair cut there or elsewhere. 

That was like 3 years ago, then I had a series of really bad haircuts, my hubby calls it the lesbian mullet, I mean even 10 bucks is too much, I could hack my hair up better myself for free. 

Then I declared a haircut strike which was very cheap  I just grew it out, at one point hubby told me to wear up because I looked like a "frizzy witch" and so I kept it up in a bun. 

Then I remembered that there was a great hair salon in a building I used to manage on Carlton Street 9 years ago I went back there and lo and behold the salon was still there. It's about an hour drive... but I got a nice compliment when I got home this time. 

If this hairstyling relationship doesn't workout, I'll probably shave my head lol


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## GeniusBoy27 (Jun 11, 2010)

Free! Okay, my father-in-law's a barber ... so I really don't count, do I?


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## Jungle (Feb 17, 2010)

Free is still free. 

Some months when I try to cut back on spending, (usually summer), I will shave my head with the clippers. My wife hates this cut and says I look like a little boy after. To get a real cut, I was going to a hair dressing school on Yonge Street. $7 a cut when students were in. I stopped going there because they raised the prices to about $9 a cut and didn't have any students. However the teacher charges $15 and their cuts are tend to be good. (instructor)

Recently I found an Indian lady on Yonge Street that cuts hair for $12. I did that and it turned out great. 

My wife goes downtown (bloor Street) and gets her hair cut by some fabio type guy. It's quite expensive ($90 or so) but she won't budge from this guy. 
I even told my wife I would take her out for dinner if she tried a cheaper alternative; no dice.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

any good cartoonists around ?

the ideal cmfer:

- homemade self-directed haircut (a bad one)
- droopy lulus after too many washings
- peculiar manitoba savings account
- red eyes from day-trading
- drives a logo truck with guinness on board
- bluetooth not speakerphone.


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## ChrisR (Jul 13, 2009)

Berubeland said:


> So this time to get my picture done, I went to a salon and paid $48 for the cut, $18 for some hair stuff plus $20 tip so $86 altogether.


I see one easy way you can lower the price... drop the fancy salon product. It doesn't work any better than the stuff you get at the grocery store, and why would it? The big companies selling $4 product at the grocery store spend way more on R&D than the little companies pushing $20 product at the salon.

If you're not so sure you can refuse the fancy conditioner, at least drop the shampoo. A quick trip down the hall just confirmed what I already know, my $3 no-name shampoo has almost exactly the same ingredients as my girlfriend's $50 shampoo (no, no, that is not a typo). The only noticeable difference is that mine contains this crappy stuff called 'water' as the first ingredient, whereas her's is made with 'aqua' 

By the way, the detergent in both of them (probably the only ingredient that actually does anything) is sodium laureth sulfate, the same detergent in my $2 bottle of dishwashing soap! (Not that I advocate washing your hair with dishwashing soap, mind you. It might be a little bit too strong!)

Now after that rant, you might think I'm the cheapest guy in the world (well, close), but I actually pay full price ($35 + $15 tip) to get my hair cut at a fancy place. I like the atmosphere. I like the attention. And I especially like that my hairdresser actually knows how to cut hair.


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## andrewf (Mar 1, 2010)

Yes. The dirty little secret is that shampoos are all the same. I'm not really sure about conditioners.


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## the-royal-mail (Dec 11, 2009)

I get these huge bottles of like 800ml (they used to be 1L) at Super Value for like $2-3 and get a few at a time, to minimize shopping trips. Then I'm set for a few months. I don't waste my money on conditioner. Nobody cares whether my hair has been conditioned or not.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

andrewf said:


> Yes. The dirty little secret is that shampoos are all the same. I'm not really sure about conditioners.


It's close to true but not quite. All shampoos are equally good at cleaning your hair, but they do differ in the amount and kind of residues they leave behind. This is why some shampoos can leave your hair shiny and full of "body" while others leave your hair dull and limp. It has nothing to do with "feeding" your hair, since hair cells are dead. It's just a matter of presentation.

During my teenage years I cleaned my hair with Ivory soap, which did an adequate job but left my hair very dry and dull. Once I switched to shampoo I noticed a difference, and even today I notice a difference between different types of shampoos; I never use conditioner.


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## HaroldCrump (Jun 10, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> the ideal cmfer:
> 
> - homemade self-directed haircut (a bad one)
> - droopy lulus after too many washings
> ...


- keeps house in darkness between the hrs. 7:00 am - 9:00 pm to save TOU electricity


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Don't forget the spouse fixing the off-brand vacuum cleaner with a clothes hanger while a discarded Dyson flyer can be seen nearby on the floor.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

lovable & appealing cartoon character.

keeps his hair, his floors & his truck squeaky clean.


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## 72camaross (Apr 26, 2010)

DavidJD said:


> Go to a barber. $8 plus $2 tip. No apt necessary. Soak up some culture too. Not a place for women either. Conversations are more suitable for sailors...which adds to the charm. The other perk is that it is usually very quick and can be squeezed into my schedule anytime. A salon takes way too long and I don't need a shampoo a few hours after my shower. Of course i have short hair and only require minor attention.


amen.


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## wheel (Jun 22, 2010)

72camaross said:


> amen.


Yeah, for many guys, a barber is all that's required. Still, a salon will give you a better cut in many cases. A salon cut <> a choicecuts discount $10 haircut. I asked my barber about this once (he cuts as well as I've ever had at a salon) and he claims that there's different techniques for cutting hair. You pay cheap, you get the faster, less presentable cuts.


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## Y&T2010 (Dec 29, 2009)

Yeah, I would definitely not be spending the $ on fancy salon products. Who's to say it will work anyway? It's all parabens and stuff that will wreck havoc on your endocrine system 

I go for a haircut twice a year (and I'm overdue but still too cheap to go, hopefully my boyfriend won't notice haha!) but it's pretty pricy.

I pay about $170 for a highlight and hair cut, but the compliments I have been getting from this hair stylist I have finally found have been "priceless".


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Funny - my wife gets her hair "done" once in a while. I didn't know how much it was, but we were looking at the visa statement tonight and I noticed it was $245 for the last session. This is for cutting/styling/highlights etc.

Seems a bit much - although I have to admit it looked pretty good.


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## Sustainable PF (Nov 5, 2010)

I used to use barbers but I found that no matter what I told them I wanted in terms of "style" I always ended up with his standard cut. Now I just use a discount hair style player for $12 and they get it right every time (it's not rocket science!).


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## loggedout (Dec 30, 2009)

I used to get my haircut from the same barber that I had been getting them from since I was a child, but he retired a few years ago, and after trying to find a suitable replacement in the "low-end" market and failing, I go to a higher-end salon instead.

It's one of the few things I splurge on at about $50 per month, but I get an awesome haircut from someone that knows what they're doing, uses scissors over clippers, and a towel skin care treatment, lol.

I used to feel self-conscious about being a guy and going to a salon, but my hair stylist is hot, and most importantly gives an awesome cut...so I'm a loyal and satisfied customer.


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## furgy (Apr 20, 2009)

I cut my own hair , have a good set of clippers with those plastic comb attachments , I use the one with the longest setting and go over everything , head , beard , eyebrows , and I look FABULOUS! (see avatar).

Then I use the same thing on the dog , he looks FABULOUS too.

And best of all , it's free.


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

My wife got talked into a "Brazilian Blowout" a month or so ago by her hairdresser. She got a "deal".... $400. Now, Health Canada has issued a warning that the BB contains unacceptable levels of formaldehyde, and the treatment has been deep-sixed. So, here I am with my $12 men's cut (hairdresser drives to my door) and wifey gets soaked for $400.. (there is a lesson here, but I am not sure what it is)


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## Toronto.gal (Jan 8, 2010)

furgy said:


> I look FABULOUS! (see avatar).


LOL furgy. 

Wow, $400 for a BKT [Brazilian Keratin Treatment]?! I also heard about the possible side-effects of Formaldehyde. Some things in life we do 3 times; once, last & never again!

I trim my own hair every couple of months & go to the salon twice a year.


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## DavidJD (Sep 27, 2009)

I can't say that i am proud of this but it is funny now. When I was younger my friends and I would go to a very high end shop that was mainly for wealthy women. I became very good friends with my stylist (in her wedding etc), She would ask the hottest staff to give us a shampoo, which we did not mind. I asked her about it one day if that was a coincidence and she laughed and called it the shop's 'cheap lap dance' service and said that she always asked the most 'endowed' staff to help us. All the staff knew and made an effort to be intimate/friendly with these shampoos. To be honest some of my buddies probably got their cuts more often because of it.

Oink.


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## Berubeland (Sep 6, 2009)

Ha ha David

You know what now that I think of it the pervy hairdresser had a contingent of senior retired ladies that needed a weekly salon treatment, now I know why. 

My hair is nicer than Furgy's lol look at MY avatar. 

Which I want to point out...I now have, after quite a while of being on here. I have tried multiple times to get my picture up mostly so people would know I'm not a man, I felt like I won the lottery when I finally made it work.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

that's furgy

??

now i'm confused. I thought that was the dog ...


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

DavidJD said:


> She would ask the hottest staff to give us a shampoo, which we did not mind. I asked her about it one day if that was a coincidence and she laughed and called it the shop's 'cheap lap dance' service and said that she always asked the most 'endowed' staff to help us.


It's a running gag at work when someone write's they've gone to the "Coiffeuse" hah

I had a regular barber in Kingston that I will still stop by if I traveling by. It's the only place I know that still uses a straight edge and hot saving cream. It was cheaper than most places but just seemed classier. A buzzer is just not the same

I find the price of haircuts across the country interesting considering my style is pretty darn simply these days. The price ranges from $25 to $5 for the exact same thing, except you wait longer and it takes longer for the $25 job


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## Ihatetaxes (May 5, 2010)

I spend about $0.01 for a haircut - the electricity it takes to run my clippers. They are actually pet grooming clippers, bought years ago at Canadian Tire for about $30. I use the number 2 length attachment and it takes about 2 minutes plus my wife does the back and cleans it up. I have several freinds doing the same thing, all of us don't have much hair to work with anyway!

This all started when I got tired of paying $15-20 inc tip for some unskilled person at Supercuts to give me a 5 minute haircut.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

I see you live in Ontario Ihatetaxes so I hope you remember to cut your hair after 9PM or it's gonna cost $.10


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## michika (Apr 20, 2009)

I feel expensive; I pay $40/month to get my roots touched up and my bangs trimmed. I also go every other month for a proper dye which is $160. I have a lot of hair and it costs a lot because of all the product I use. I consider it a mandatory expense in my budget. My natural hair colour is a terrible mousey grey-brown which constantly looks greasy and disgusting even if I'm fresh from the shower. I probably spend like $60/month in products and services just for day to day upkeep. I suppose that makes me high maintenance, but I don't mind, it makes me feel human.

Shampoos are all similar, but one big difference is the sudsing agent used. Conditioners are very different from one to the next. I'll pay the price for a good conditioner, but I'm a fan of kiddy shampoos actaully; they maintain my dye better. If I didn't condition my hair I'd be lucky to be able to brush it, much less corral it all.


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## Wealthy1Day (Aug 30, 2009)

I'm a guy living in Toronto. While there isn't much to my hairstyle, nevertheless, I've experienced good and bad hairstylists. At the end of the day, it's a skill and some are better skilled than others.

With that said, I'm not convinced that price and quality go hand in hand except in terms of the comment made that at some cheap places it becomes a fast cut over quality.

About 10 years ago, I was paying $15 and as I've gone from salon to salon over time now I'm paying $34. Not sure how much of that relates to inflation, the level of salon, etc., but while I often am in disbelief that I'm spending that much (yes, I realized others charge more), this woman is the best hairstylist I've had. Now I've experienced a lot of good hairstylists that were good at first and then the quality decreased over time. I sometimes wonder if as you become a regular customer if you become taken for granted. So far so good with this one.

Now some of you appear to be frugal yet very good tippers i.e. $20 on a $48 cut is a 40% tip! I've been tipping 5 bucks on $34 (and then a very generous tip at Christmas) and everywhere I read they recommend 10-15% to the stylist and a buck or two to whomever does the shampoo.

I tip servers and bartenders very well, but draw the line at the usual 15% for hairstylists and many others. What do you believe is an appropriate tip for stylists and why?


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## steve41 (Apr 18, 2009)

This may be out of date in the era of unisex, but it used to be that a women's hairdresser couldn't cut a man's hair, but a men's barber could cut a woman's hair. It had to do with 'tapering'.... blending the hair length evenly at the nape of the neck. Hair dressers weren't trained in that aspect.


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## randomthoughts (May 23, 2010)

There's definitely a difference. I'm as cheap as they come (well, my parents are worse) but I have gotten home hair cuts, cheap haircuts and good hair cuts, and there's a big difference. I even did no hair cuts and let my hair grow to my waist.

So now I pay $40 and get my hair cut maybe 2x per year.


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## Siciliano698 (Nov 29, 2010)

I shave my hair twice a year costs me 20$ a year for my hair cut


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## Montrealer (Sep 13, 2010)

Once a month, $23.00 + $5.00 (tip)

Includes:

- Shampoo wash and scalp massage
- Haircut
- Shampoo wash
- Gel or wax

I think that with certain things in life, if you work hard you should be able to take care of yourself and still save money, I know guy's that also spend over $50.00 a haircut because the girl that does there hair look likes a stripper or is the same barber as some NHL players.


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## frugalmini (Feb 19, 2011)

Well, I have straight hair so it's much easier to me. But I permed my hair a few years ago, so I understand how expensive it can be. 

And I give up on expensive hair product, after trying different products, I went back to the regular ones. And I only shampoo my hair once another day, it looks way better than when I used to wash it everyday. 

I like to go to aveda institute and get a student cut. They are very patient and I'm happy with the result every time, except it can be very slow sometimes. 

Overall, I don't think I spend much on the hair cut/product. But my one year old cockapoo's hair cut do cost a lot.


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## LBCfan (Jan 13, 2011)

And here I thought this was about investments?


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