The news is full of ways to save money these days. Together with eco-friendly tips (a few decades late) on how to protect the environment: recycle, re-use, etc. The trick is how to do this, in some cases, without giving up certain luxuries that one cannot do without. When you get right down to it, most of what we consume we could do without or do with less. Except for maybe certain things... My weakness is going to the hairdresser. Which isn't even a luxury in a certain sense, since I cannot cut and style my hair myself. I know this for a fact since I tried this years ago during a phase of abject poverty. And of course I ended up having to crawl back to the beauty salon and suffer a thrashing from the stylist who asked me if I thought she was the Miracle Worker when I asked if she could, uh, "even it out a bit."
No, we don't cut our own hair anymore. But dying it... yes, that I have done for years. Much cheaper, even buying the top shelf hair dye. Except it is also a pain in the butt. And no matter how careful you try to be, the ends always look a bit darker. And you get hair dye stains everywhere. So a few months ago... I decided to ask my hairdresser how much she charged to perform this odious task. And it was actually less than what Fantastic Sam's charges, and she does a better job. Sold! This is now on my list of Sacred Expenditures Which Shall Not Be Eliminated From the Budget. (And not that I need to justify it, but I don't spend a cent on manicures or pedicures, so I figure it evens out, because I know women who spend a king's ransom on that.)
What about you? What's the one luxury you won't give up until the wolf is at the door?
P.S. Below is a fuzzy freeze frame from the university video of my graduation. A very bad hair day, since that hideous cap does not suit any short hair style. Being hooded, however, totally makes up for it.
6 comments:
Congratulations on your graduation! You may have been having a bad hair day, but the color is great! :)
I, too, refuse to give up visits to my stylist. But I have stretched them out a bit, and I do still get highlights about every four months (which really should be done every three months). It would be tough to give that up.
I get about three pedicures a year--June, July, and August. And other than that? I don't care.
Not sure what else I'd give up, as I don't spend a lot on "luxurious" items anyway.
SHARKEY: Hi! How the heck are ya? (I do pop over to your blog now and then, but haven't seen anything in a while. I hope that means you are still taking great photos!)
According to my hairdresser, "stretching out the visits" is what a lot of people do. She said she has been lucky, though, and still gets a lot of business in spite of the current economy. No doubt because she's really good at cutting hair.
1. My haircut
2. My internets
3. Heating my home comfortably FOR ME
#3 means I will NOT keep my thermostat on 68 or something ridiculous during NE Ohio winters and freeze my ass off. I will set it up to 74 if I need it. I will NOT be bundled up like a Boy Scout on an Arctic Campout in my own home. Forget it. There is only so much polar fleece one can don and still be reasonably mobile and flexible to do household tasks.
MUCHO CONGRATOS (that's NanceSpanish) on your grad. I never doubted it and you worked plenty hard. Enjoy the laurels.
NANCE: No, I cannot really see you wearing a Snuggie, lol. I'm that way about the cold, too. I don't mind a thick sweater to keep me warmer, but not a ski suit. If I have to wear something to stay warm that impedes normal movement, it's time to kick up the thermostat.
I couldn't think of anything until I read Nance's comment. Me too. 68 is not a comfortable temperature. Anything less than 71 makes me shiver. And I live in Montana.
What else... babysitter time. Yeah. Can't do without 4 hrs a week of time off. That's my scheduled time-period to be spontaneously creative.
MIGNON: I hear you on the heating. I could never live in Montana!
And the babysitting: hardly a luxury. I would say that has to be essential to your basic sanity, lol.
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