Remember how excited I was when I found that coupon online for an $8.88 haircut?

I haven’t had a haircut since.

It wasn’t a horrible haircut, one that would send me into hiding and searching for collections of hats and scarves to wear for the next month, but it was okay… It was even, but quite a bit shorter than I asked for, and really not meant for my hair type, but she did what I asked of her (and then some).

So is my hair down to my knees now? no. I still get it cut. In the bathroom. With scissors. By myself. FOR FREE.

I am letting my hair grow out just a little, but I do keep it neat and trim, and that includes a trim once a month or two, and trimming my bangs every few weeks. Those of us with bangs know that you can get them trimmed for a small fee (around $7 usually) but that can add up! Do that every 2 weeks and you spend $182 a year to have someone take off a quarter of an inch of fringe!

Do it yourself:
*you will need a sharp pair of scissors- ones meant for cutting hair are probably best, but I have this awesome pair of kid’s fiscars I got at a fabric store when I was 10 and they work perfectly.

*A mirror helps with the back of your hair.

*do not attempt to do fancy cuts without learning techniques. I just do a basic trim, and feather the ends. Everyone’s hair is different, every cut is different. I trim my boyfriend’s super curly hair, and it is much more forgiving than my baby fine strands.

*less is more. Especially with bangs. Really really short bangs can be cute, but not always. Always go slowly and evenly. You can always cut more off if it isn’t short enough.

*cleanup tip: take the rug out of the bathroom before starting. Spread a trash bag, newspaper, junk mail, etc. over the sink before starting and make sure your toothbrush is out of range of flying bits of hair. No one likes to brush their teeth with bits of hair.

*to wet or not to wet: I don’t personally- I have a better idea of how it will look afterwards if it is dry. I always wash my hair after trimming. Better yet: shower afterwards to wash all little hairs away.

*research before you start: I found several online sources of amateur hair cutting advice like this, this and this. Take what you need, and experiment (gently).

FREE! you can’t get better than that.