If you go to a beauty school, one of the first cuts they teach is a short haircut for men. On my last visit, I got a bonus, step-by-step instructions. The girl cutting my hair was there only long enough to get the first lesson, so her teacher came over and walked her through the cut. The result was not that great, but for someone who cuts three boy’s hair, it was worth it. After all, the only difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is two weeks.
I have saved a good bit of money by giving haircuts at home and have picked up a skill in the process. If you were going to do it on a regular basis, I would recommend getting a good set of clippers.
I too am currently child-less, 27, and a stay-at-home wife. I graduated from college in 2004, married in 2005, and worked full-time until 2006 when I was struck by a major illness that prevented me from working. I have since been diagnosed and treated and have recovered to 80%, but I choose not to work full-time. Yes, I am qualified, and yes, I have more education that 99% of the world's population, but I feel our relationship is much stronger when I am able to take care of the house, chores, pets, bills, errands, shopping, cooking, etc. My husband is hard-working and well-paid, but by no means are we financially well off. We have to plan and sacrifice conveniences to make this arrangement work, and I do substitute teach on a very part-time basis. Our relationship is much stronger when we aren't both dead tired and stressed. I feel thankful that I can do this and don't have to be at a 40 hour a week job. I don't look down on women that do work outside the home, in fact I highly respect their energy and dedication to do so. I just don't have it in me to do it.
My wife's been cutting my hair for 16 years and cuts our kids hair as well. I have gone to other hair places, when I've traveled or when she was to busy but really missed her style. She is fantastic and taught herself after buying a clipper set from the store. We've saved probably over $2,000 over 16 years. It really adds up.
I appreciate you sharing. I've never cut off the fatty parts before, so that's a tip I'll have to try (although I love the flavor of it.) Briskett may be a nice upgrade to the process!
Actually a 2.5# chuck roast is more like a 2.5# chuck steak. So after trimming most of the visible fat I tied it up a bit with some butcher string to make it rounder and thicker.
I put 2 qts of water and about 3tbs of "Better Than Beef" boullion/stock into the pot and set it at "Low". After salt and peppering the roast, and inserting about a 1/2 dozen slivers of garlic into slits in it, I browned it about a minute or so per side, placed a remote temp probe in it and dropped it into the cooker, set my timer for 6 hours.
Checked back around the 2hr mark and the temp of the roast was already over 140F, so our plans for a medium rare roast were gone, and the meat was far from tender. At that point I knew it was gonna be the looooong sloooow roast process :) I checked again around 6hrs and it still was very tough (internal temp by then was about 190F). I pulled the roast from the pot, sliced it, and placed the slices back into the liquid for some more cooking. Gravy/broth tasted great!!!
Set the timer for another 4hrs, taste test passed with flying colors, good taste reasonably tender. I shut it down, let it cool and placed it covered in the fridge overnight. This morning I skimmed off the fat layer and we'll have it tonight.
Thanks guys, all good hints and tips. The process is a keeper, now to find something other than the tough chuck, perhaps briskett will work as well or better?
None taken. However, it is more of a need for me, not her. Maybe I should have clarified that by "stylish" I was referring to a simple, clean, age-appropriate cut that would be easy for her to manage. It is about empowering her to be able to practice good hygiene and self-care skills, while feeling good about herself at the same time. We don't do highlights, drastic shaping, or anything that I wouldn't consider to be very basic. But I also don't saddle her with a homemade bowl-cut or a FlowBee mishap.
I think that there is a happy medium to indulgence and neglect (which if you saw how easily tangled my daughter's hair can get if not cut correctly, you could appreciate.) I pick my battles, and I also know that something as simple as a good haircut can be worth it's weight in gold (or dollars.)
No one is saying which channels they are getting. Can you watch CNN or FOX NEWS? Let me know because those channels are very important to me. I live in Georgia-any one from GA got this answer for me?
Now I fully appreciate the hellish social gantlet that is female pubescence in this culture. Believe me, I remember it all too vividly. Nonetheless, there's no way to construe a stylish haircut as a need for someone that age, unless they happen to have a lucrative modeling contract. Surely this is a ripe opportunity to impart an important lesson that will help her distinguish between basic necessities and optional indulgences. If she wants a stylish haircut, let her earn the money to pay for it. There are ample opportunities, even at her age, to do so. Otherwise, let her cut her own hair or keep doing it for her.
I benefited for decades from a friend who was a hairdresser (we swapped services). Once we moved away, the cost of salon cuts prompted me to experiment. I don't mind paying for good service, but the new salons didn't measure up to my friend and 300 miles is too far to drive.
If my friend could cut hair, than so could I (or so I reasoned...) The first few cuts didn't turn out so great, so I borrowed "how to" videos and books from the library. First, I corrected "toddler scissor experiments." Then I fixed Barbie doll hair with similar "experiments." Ready to conquer the world, I began to cut my families hair. Although not the perfection of my hairdresser friend, people are amazed when I tell them I cut my families hair (including hubby) and my home cuts are better than the butcher jobs we were paying to get from local salons. Still ... it's tough to cut your OWN hair, so find a friend and learn to cut together.
You can dye your own hair, but it's hard to "see" the back of your head, so this is an instance where a trip to the salon a couple of times a year is sensible while you do color touch-ups between visits at home. Watch what your hairdresser does like a hawk, ask questions, and use the exact same professional products from a beauty supply store. Home perms have been disasters as I'm not coordinated enough to get the back hair neatly tucked into the little rolling papers so it doesn't frizz, so I changed my style to long and straight like the teens wear. If you have a friend willing to learn with you, however, don't be afraid to give home perms a try. It's not rocket science. I'm the only tightwad in my social circle, but perhaps you'll have better luck finding a reliable friend?
Department store "hair" scissors and clippers are OK while learning to cut small kids hair, but once you get brave enough to cut adult/teen hair, invest in a pair of professional-grade scissors and clippers. It DOES make a difference (but don't do it until you feel committed to home hair cuts as they are EXPENSIVE). Also, read "Don't Go Shopping for Hair Care Products Without Me" to make sure the products you use are really good. Surprise!!! Many pricey ($20) salon products are garbage, while a few very economical ones ($.79) are actually quite good. No one "brand" is all good or bad, so you have to do your research, know your hair type, and mix and match.
The biggest benefit has been time. When we trek to a salon, it's 20 minutes getting the kids dressed and in the car, 25 minutes to drive, gas, 20 minutes waiting, 10 minutes for each cut (all the while trying to keep the other 2 kids from drinking hair dye), then 30 minutes for a "sit still bribe" of a happy meal before the 25 minute trek and gas home (2 hours + gas + salon + 3 happy meals). Now, I whip out the scissors whenever one looks shaggy, the others continue what they are doing and, in 10 minutes, we're done.
this is why i'm a fan of the straight-hair-with-bangs hairstyle on little girls (well, the ones with naturally straight hair, i guess). all i do with mine is trim her bangs when they hit her eyes. the rest i braid or put in pigtails. my mom left me in that hairstyle until i was a tween and wanted something "stylish." then i went back to it as an adult once the perm-maddened 80s had passed!
We love it and it's a good way to get the kids out of the house. They call it "treasure hunting" and their favorite part is putting a new trinket in. We have quite a few in our neck of the woods (plus, you can always plant your own if you want.) What a great article!
My wife and I tried letterboxing for the first (and only) time a month or so a go and had a great time. The one we found was in a planter in a hotel lobby, so we had to be EXTREMELY discreet. It was great because there was an element of "danger" in it.
Great list with solid suggestions, Linsey. I've used the beauty school thing before when pennies were tight, as well. Ditto for manicures and pedicures when I have inadvertently let things get out of control and need a "starter shaping".
Kiplingers is owned by one of those "8 media conglomerates" mentioned in my last post which have become mouthpieces for large corporations. They are "credible" on economic issues only in the sense that they are "credible" for furthering the big business/free trade/low corporate taxes/Chicago school view of economics. If you happen to represent (or be heavily invested in) big corporations, then Kiplingers reinforces your world view. If you are not part of that 10% elite, then that world view ignores the other side of the story (you know, the one where the less privileged 90% have had their standard of living knocked back to the stone age).
When weighing ANY source of information, you have to ask yourself "what is the agenda of this source?" EVERYBODY has an agenda. Jesus had an agenda (opposition to the excesses of Rome). The question then becomes "in light of this agenda, can this source be considered credible to a reasonably prudent man?" The reasonably prudent man lives at the 50% mark of society, middle class, hard working, 3-bedroom ranch, 2 cars, a modest IRA, and 2.4 children. If you are a reasonably prudent man, Kiplingers is not credible because you are part of that 90% left behind in the past 2 decades.
As for claiming I'm "blaming somebody else for my problems," I don't really have any. I'm in the 10% doing fine and scan green/frugal living columns to get ideas for the town alternative energy board I serve on. We go into senior centers and schools to promote "green" living and people adopt "green" when it saves them money. "Green/frugal" helps me remember my modest roots so I can relate to my clients and resist the urge to consume. It's not fair that, if I die tomorrow, my kids won't have the same economic opportunities that I had 20 years ago. We're also one incident away from the food and energy shortages that brought the Soviet Union to it's knees in the late 1980's (read "The Coming Economic Collapse"). I don't need cheap towels from Walmart. I need to feel secure that if something happens to me, my kids can still live the American dream. That's my "agenda." As for resentment against the legal profession, everybody is welcome to their opinion, but I do clearly recall this forum has a "no personal attacks" policy.
Carrie, my DH has been cutting our twin boys' hair since they were little - I think they have gotten 3 store-bought cuts in their life, and at 14 they are still letting dad cut their hair. Even when they went through a phase of wanting a "tail", which grew quite long and became a braid, he was cutting their hair and braiding it. For a while he even wove UV beads that turned purple in the sunlight into the braids for decoration. He has been cutting my hair for years - I've just had a bob-cut, but last time he asked if I wanted to try something different and gave me a really cute layered cut that I love. It's just something he learned how to do along the way. I cut his hair too - I learned from a book. It's not my favorite thing to do, but I do like to save money. We always watch a movie or TV during haircuts. It's wonderful to have a live-in hair dresser, because I'm the sort who just suddenly MUST have a hair cut or I'll start cutting it myself - not a good thing.
Odd as it seems, canned Crisco is the best makeup remover and night cream ever. Also great on hands and feet. It is odorless and I just bought a small can for $1.98.
Ohmygosh! I'd only ever heard of orienteering! These treasure-hunting exercises are right up my alley. I love, love, love puzzle solving. I mostly do pencil puzzles, but I'm on my way to these three web sites to see what there is locally! What fun...
Anna_esq is a prime example of people that dont want to take responsibility for their actions and even worse, as a lawyers, she convinces others to play the blame game as well. It also amazes me that someone could say that Kiplinger is a not credible source. Ha!
I love the quote by David K, even if its not his own, it makes a great point. I think people would start thinking differently about government spending if we had something like the Fair Tax.
http://www.scape-xp.com/index.php?page=runescape-proxy
that totaly works you just pick a world until it works and you can play at school.
If you go to a beauty school, one of the first cuts they teach is a short haircut for men. On my last visit, I got a bonus, step-by-step instructions. The girl cutting my hair was there only long enough to get the first lesson, so her teacher came over and walked her through the cut. The result was not that great, but for someone who cuts three boy’s hair, it was worth it. After all, the only difference between a good haircut and a bad haircut is two weeks.
I have saved a good bit of money by giving haircuts at home and have picked up a skill in the process. If you were going to do it on a regular basis, I would recommend getting a good set of clippers.
I too am currently child-less, 27, and a stay-at-home wife. I graduated from college in 2004, married in 2005, and worked full-time until 2006 when I was struck by a major illness that prevented me from working. I have since been diagnosed and treated and have recovered to 80%, but I choose not to work full-time. Yes, I am qualified, and yes, I have more education that 99% of the world's population, but I feel our relationship is much stronger when I am able to take care of the house, chores, pets, bills, errands, shopping, cooking, etc. My husband is hard-working and well-paid, but by no means are we financially well off. We have to plan and sacrifice conveniences to make this arrangement work, and I do substitute teach on a very part-time basis. Our relationship is much stronger when we aren't both dead tired and stressed. I feel thankful that I can do this and don't have to be at a 40 hour a week job. I don't look down on women that do work outside the home, in fact I highly respect their energy and dedication to do so. I just don't have it in me to do it.
My wife's been cutting my hair for 16 years and cuts our kids hair as well. I have gone to other hair places, when I've traveled or when she was to busy but really missed her style. She is fantastic and taught herself after buying a clipper set from the store. We've saved probably over $2,000 over 16 years. It really adds up.
I appreciate you sharing. I've never cut off the fatty parts before, so that's a tip I'll have to try (although I love the flavor of it.) Briskett may be a nice upgrade to the process!
OK, here's my results :)
Actually a 2.5# chuck roast is more like a 2.5# chuck steak. So after trimming most of the visible fat I tied it up a bit with some butcher string to make it rounder and thicker.
I put 2 qts of water and about 3tbs of "Better Than Beef" boullion/stock into the pot and set it at "Low". After salt and peppering the roast, and inserting about a 1/2 dozen slivers of garlic into slits in it, I browned it about a minute or so per side, placed a remote temp probe in it and dropped it into the cooker, set my timer for 6 hours.
Checked back around the 2hr mark and the temp of the roast was already over 140F, so our plans for a medium rare roast were gone, and the meat was far from tender. At that point I knew it was gonna be the looooong sloooow roast process :) I checked again around 6hrs and it still was very tough (internal temp by then was about 190F). I pulled the roast from the pot, sliced it, and placed the slices back into the liquid for some more cooking. Gravy/broth tasted great!!!
Set the timer for another 4hrs, taste test passed with flying colors, good taste reasonably tender. I shut it down, let it cool and placed it covered in the fridge overnight. This morning I skimmed off the fat layer and we'll have it tonight.
Thanks guys, all good hints and tips. The process is a keeper, now to find something other than the tough chuck, perhaps briskett will work as well or better?
That while I love the article on Wants Vs. Needs, I tend to subscribe to the Apples vs. Orange theory?
http://www.wisebread.com/choosing-between-apples-and-oranges
None taken. However, it is more of a need for me, not her. Maybe I should have clarified that by "stylish" I was referring to a simple, clean, age-appropriate cut that would be easy for her to manage. It is about empowering her to be able to practice good hygiene and self-care skills, while feeling good about herself at the same time. We don't do highlights, drastic shaping, or anything that I wouldn't consider to be very basic. But I also don't saddle her with a homemade bowl-cut or a FlowBee mishap.
I think that there is a happy medium to indulgence and neglect (which if you saw how easily tangled my daughter's hair can get if not cut correctly, you could appreciate.) I pick my battles, and I also know that something as simple as a good haircut can be worth it's weight in gold (or dollars.)
Thanks for your comment.
No one is saying which channels they are getting. Can you watch CNN or FOX NEWS? Let me know because those channels are very important to me. I live in Georgia-any one from GA got this answer for me?
No offense or anything, but you said: "My daughter is entering tweendom and needs somethings stylish..." This is a want, not a need.
http://www.wisebread.com/what-you-need-vs-what-you-want-and-how-to-tell-...
Now I fully appreciate the hellish social gantlet that is female pubescence in this culture. Believe me, I remember it all too vividly. Nonetheless, there's no way to construe a stylish haircut as a need for someone that age, unless they happen to have a lucrative modeling contract. Surely this is a ripe opportunity to impart an important lesson that will help her distinguish between basic necessities and optional indulgences. If she wants a stylish haircut, let her earn the money to pay for it. There are ample opportunities, even at her age, to do so. Otherwise, let her cut her own hair or keep doing it for her.
I benefited for decades from a friend who was a hairdresser (we swapped services). Once we moved away, the cost of salon cuts prompted me to experiment. I don't mind paying for good service, but the new salons didn't measure up to my friend and 300 miles is too far to drive.
If my friend could cut hair, than so could I (or so I reasoned...) The first few cuts didn't turn out so great, so I borrowed "how to" videos and books from the library. First, I corrected "toddler scissor experiments." Then I fixed Barbie doll hair with similar "experiments." Ready to conquer the world, I began to cut my families hair. Although not the perfection of my hairdresser friend, people are amazed when I tell them I cut my families hair (including hubby) and my home cuts are better than the butcher jobs we were paying to get from local salons. Still ... it's tough to cut your OWN hair, so find a friend and learn to cut together.
You can dye your own hair, but it's hard to "see" the back of your head, so this is an instance where a trip to the salon a couple of times a year is sensible while you do color touch-ups between visits at home. Watch what your hairdresser does like a hawk, ask questions, and use the exact same professional products from a beauty supply store. Home perms have been disasters as I'm not coordinated enough to get the back hair neatly tucked into the little rolling papers so it doesn't frizz, so I changed my style to long and straight like the teens wear. If you have a friend willing to learn with you, however, don't be afraid to give home perms a try. It's not rocket science. I'm the only tightwad in my social circle, but perhaps you'll have better luck finding a reliable friend?
Department store "hair" scissors and clippers are OK while learning to cut small kids hair, but once you get brave enough to cut adult/teen hair, invest in a pair of professional-grade scissors and clippers. It DOES make a difference (but don't do it until you feel committed to home hair cuts as they are EXPENSIVE). Also, read "Don't Go Shopping for Hair Care Products Without Me" to make sure the products you use are really good. Surprise!!! Many pricey ($20) salon products are garbage, while a few very economical ones ($.79) are actually quite good. No one "brand" is all good or bad, so you have to do your research, know your hair type, and mix and match.
The biggest benefit has been time. When we trek to a salon, it's 20 minutes getting the kids dressed and in the car, 25 minutes to drive, gas, 20 minutes waiting, 10 minutes for each cut (all the while trying to keep the other 2 kids from drinking hair dye), then 30 minutes for a "sit still bribe" of a happy meal before the 25 minute trek and gas home (2 hours + gas + salon + 3 happy meals). Now, I whip out the scissors whenever one looks shaggy, the others continue what they are doing and, in 10 minutes, we're done.
This is a fascinating article with lots of new info for me. A great job, Mary!
I have made my own compuond to remove most scratches if you want to know just email me
this is why i'm a fan of the straight-hair-with-bangs hairstyle on little girls (well, the ones with naturally straight hair, i guess). all i do with mine is trim her bangs when they hit her eyes. the rest i braid or put in pigtails. my mom left me in that hairstyle until i was a tween and wanted something "stylish." then i went back to it as an adult once the perm-maddened 80s had passed!
Your family fun activities are fresh and worth forwarding to folks with active families.
Keep up the good work.
We love it and it's a good way to get the kids out of the house. They call it "treasure hunting" and their favorite part is putting a new trinket in. We have quite a few in our neck of the woods (plus, you can always plant your own if you want.) What a great article!
Linsey
My wife and I tried letterboxing for the first (and only) time a month or so a go and had a great time. The one we found was in a planter in a hotel lobby, so we had to be EXTREMELY discreet. It was great because there was an element of "danger" in it.
Great list with solid suggestions, Linsey. I've used the beauty school thing before when pennies were tight, as well. Ditto for manicures and pedicures when I have inadvertently let things get out of control and need a "starter shaping".
Kiplingers is owned by one of those "8 media conglomerates" mentioned in my last post which have become mouthpieces for large corporations. They are "credible" on economic issues only in the sense that they are "credible" for furthering the big business/free trade/low corporate taxes/Chicago school view of economics. If you happen to represent (or be heavily invested in) big corporations, then Kiplingers reinforces your world view. If you are not part of that 10% elite, then that world view ignores the other side of the story (you know, the one where the less privileged 90% have had their standard of living knocked back to the stone age).
When weighing ANY source of information, you have to ask yourself "what is the agenda of this source?" EVERYBODY has an agenda. Jesus had an agenda (opposition to the excesses of Rome). The question then becomes "in light of this agenda, can this source be considered credible to a reasonably prudent man?" The reasonably prudent man lives at the 50% mark of society, middle class, hard working, 3-bedroom ranch, 2 cars, a modest IRA, and 2.4 children. If you are a reasonably prudent man, Kiplingers is not credible because you are part of that 90% left behind in the past 2 decades.
As for claiming I'm "blaming somebody else for my problems," I don't really have any. I'm in the 10% doing fine and scan green/frugal living columns to get ideas for the town alternative energy board I serve on. We go into senior centers and schools to promote "green" living and people adopt "green" when it saves them money. "Green/frugal" helps me remember my modest roots so I can relate to my clients and resist the urge to consume. It's not fair that, if I die tomorrow, my kids won't have the same economic opportunities that I had 20 years ago. We're also one incident away from the food and energy shortages that brought the Soviet Union to it's knees in the late 1980's (read "The Coming Economic Collapse"). I don't need cheap towels from Walmart. I need to feel secure that if something happens to me, my kids can still live the American dream. That's my "agenda." As for resentment against the legal profession, everybody is welcome to their opinion, but I do clearly recall this forum has a "no personal attacks" policy.
Great launch post, Mary!!! Wahoo!!! I KNEW you'd be fabulous here on Wise Bread.
Carrie, my DH has been cutting our twin boys' hair since they were little - I think they have gotten 3 store-bought cuts in their life, and at 14 they are still letting dad cut their hair. Even when they went through a phase of wanting a "tail", which grew quite long and became a braid, he was cutting their hair and braiding it. For a while he even wove UV beads that turned purple in the sunlight into the braids for decoration. He has been cutting my hair for years - I've just had a bob-cut, but last time he asked if I wanted to try something different and gave me a really cute layered cut that I love. It's just something he learned how to do along the way. I cut his hair too - I learned from a book. It's not my favorite thing to do, but I do like to save money. We always watch a movie or TV during haircuts. It's wonderful to have a live-in hair dresser, because I'm the sort who just suddenly MUST have a hair cut or I'll start cutting it myself - not a good thing.
More info on Gram and Gramp camp, please! What a great idea!
Odd as it seems, canned Crisco is the best makeup remover and night cream ever. Also great on hands and feet. It is odorless and I just bought a small can for $1.98.
Ohmygosh! I'd only ever heard of orienteering! These treasure-hunting exercises are right up my alley. I love, love, love puzzle solving. I mostly do pencil puzzles, but I'm on my way to these three web sites to see what there is locally! What fun...
Anna_esq is a prime example of people that dont want to take responsibility for their actions and even worse, as a lawyers, she convinces others to play the blame game as well. It also amazes me that someone could say that Kiplinger is a not credible source. Ha!
I love the quote by David K, even if its not his own, it makes a great point. I think people would start thinking differently about government spending if we had something like the Fair Tax.