How much time and money do you spend on your hair?

It is easy to take things for granted, yet the little things we do can add up in many ways. As I’ve simplified my life, I began to pay attention to even the simplest of routines. I’d ask myself why I performed the routine, how long it took, and if that routine could be modified or (even better) eliminated.

To my surprise, I spend almost an hour a day just fooling with my hair. It’s rather long, so each morning I have to comb out the tangles and treat the ends before I place it in a bun for my day. During the day as the bun shifts, I have to recreate the bun. In the evenings after work I have to scrub it, occasionally giving it a good soak to eliminate the dust that has caked in spots, afterwards taking time to dry and comb it before bed.

One hour a day. Over a week, that’s seven hours. Over a month, that’s over a day just spent fooling with my hair.

I’d allowed my hair to grow out because I thought it would save me time. Less time at the hairdresser. Less time styling it since I perpetually wear it up. It hasn’t worked out as well as I thought it had, but I’d taken the results for granted.

I ran a few calculations on the subject after the discovery. If I get it cut short, I’ll still have to invest time into styling it, plus I’d have to count the hours worked at my job to pay for the trips to the hairdresser and the additional products needed to style it. There isn’t much savings between long and short hair in this situation, which surprised me.

So what should one do? An hour a day is a lot of time over the course of a year. What would you do if your time was important to you?

14 responses to “How much time and money do you spend on your hair?”

  1. John Grebe Avatar
    John Grebe

    It sounds like once time as money is taken into consideration that any difference is trivial. I think the better quality to ask is what hair style to you enjoy more? It sounds like the main reason why you have long hair was to save money on haircuts and styling products, but do you actually enjoy having long hair if you wear it up pretty much all the time outside of work? If all you care about is time and money, then buying a set of clippers and buzzing all your hair off once a week would save you lots of time and money as at that point you would not need to buy any hair products. I know it is not that common but I know of a few women that keep their hair buzzed off for the convince of not having to deal with it. But please don’t read this as me telling you that you should shave your head to save time and money, especially since I am speaking from the perspective of a man with increasingly thinning hair. At the moment my hair routine is a lot more minimal as I only use a boar hair brush (faster than a comb) which takes less than a minute; and I wash my hair and towel dry it around 2-3 times a week, so I am guessing at most 5 minutes a day. I will admit that I did give some thought about if I should consider start shaving my head given my growing male pattern baldness, but I realized that it would be a lot more work, as I hate the look and feel of stubble so there is no way I could handle using only clippers if I were to go that route.

    Reply
    1. Annie Avatar
      Annie

      Actually John, we’re thinking along the same lines, so I’m not offended at all.

      At this point in my life my hair has become a burden. I’ve never really liked how it looks and gets in my way when it’s long, but I dislike the expense and the trouble of getting it professionally cut.

      I am debating quite hard on it. I mean, I’ve been bald before. That was too much work to maintain and gets itchy if you don’t. But a buzz…a buzz would be unique and eliminate the fuss entirely.

      Reply
  2. Erin Avatar
    Erin

    I cut my own hair when it is wet. There are lots of videos on YouTube. Pull all to the front and snip.

    Pull it into a barrette…done.

    Over night it is in a soft b band so doesn’t tangle.

    Tales almost no time.

    Reply
    1. Annie Avatar
      Annie

      Good idea, Erin. Thanks for the suggestion!

      Reply
  3. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    My hair is cut very short a few times a year in a very easy to maintain style. It takes just a few minutes to air dry. I trade with a friend who cuts my hair at my house in exchange for a ” take out ” dinner I prepare for her and her family. I don’t like going to hair salons and she loves having a night off from cooking.

    Reply
    1. Annie Avatar
      Annie

      Nice!

      Reply
  4. Carla Avatar
    Carla

    Hi Annie from up here in Northern Ontario! Nice to see you are back to blogging more.
    Have you thought about making youtube videos again some day? I was scrolling through those old videos about how folks would make laundry soap, with Fels Naptha and Borax etc….and remember that was many years ago, when I have first discovered your online writing. Remember you did a tutorial about how to make soap on the stove?

    Ok, now back to the subject at hand. My hair is naturally curly. That means on a good day…it actually looks like I spent a lot of time on it….but on a bad day….YIKES!!! a real cry for help 🙂

    The thing about cutting it short, is that yes it saves tons of time and costs less to shampoo and blow dry or air dry…..but there’s that pesky thing about being a gal. As much as I am a feminist, I also really enjoy looking and feeling feminine, and there’s nothing like a longer hair style to make a gal feel like a lady. Do ya’ll agree?

    Anyway, hope this autumn season is doing well for you Annie. God bless 🙂

    Reply
    1. Annie Avatar
      Annie

      Hello Carla!

      We’ve been having that same conversation at work. It’s been quite interesting.

      I will ask you the same question I asked a coworker who said long hair was feminine:

      What is the difference between a woman with short hair and a man with long hair? Is one acceptable and the other not?

      Reply
      1. Carla Avatar
        Carla

        Good point Annie. Tbh…I´ve always like longish hair on guys too…..but I recall this very long haired dude who lived in our community, and his hair was very long and perfect and really nice color too…but you know what? It was a tad too pretty for a dude.

        Maybe that´s selfish to say, but some things I just want to keep for us gals. Let us keep the really pretty hair do´s and let the guys cut it at least at the shoulders….you know like ancient Shakepearean actor length. Win win ….lol.

        Reply
        1. Annie Avatar
          Annie

          What do you think of pink shirts then?

          I was raised in a world where guys did NOT wear pink, so when I see it, I cheer inside. It throws me off to this day due to the conditioning I received as a child about what a guy should wear.

          The thing is…if people are happy and aren’t hurting anyone does it really matter what colors they wear or how they choose to style their hair and wardrobes?

          Reply
  5. Linda Sand Avatar
    Linda Sand

    My hair is short. I get it cut at Great Clips twice a year using a #4.5 guide on the sides and back then leave 2″ on top. In between cuts I use small scissors to cut around my ears and across my bangs. I was surprised to learn the less you wash it the less oily it gets. I only have to wash it once or twice a week and I just use soap, rather than buy shampoo, then let it air dry. I comb it every morning and am done for the day. I do, however, have to use wet hands to smooth my cowlick every morning.

    Reply
    1. Erin Avatar
      Erin

      I have hair past my shoulders. I cut it myself by pulling it all to my chin (when it is wet and combed) and chop off the excess.

      I wash it once a week with a shampoo bar. It is never oily or smelly.

      I usually pull up the back into a clip

      I use a curling iron to hide any ends that are not perfectly even.

      I get lots of compliments.

      Reply
      1. Annie Avatar
        Annie

        Nice!

        Reply
    2. Annie Avatar
      Annie

      Nice! The only reason I have to wash mine frequently is the concrete dust I work in. Between that and the sweat, I end up with a mess at the end of each day.

      Reply

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