Australians are forking out hundreds of millions of dollars every month on a common grooming habit, but I have been doing it myself for years and saved a bucketload doing so.
Finder data exclusively provided to Yahoo Lifestyle showed that a fifth of Aussies spend roughly $90 every 30 days on hair appointments and other grooming offers.
That works out to be $346 million each and every month nationally.
Some love their regular trip to the salon for a haircut, blow-dry, or colour, but others feel overwhelmed and spend far beyond their means to keep up their looks.
Finder’s personal finance specialist, Taylor Blackburn, told Yahoo Lifestyle some Aussies are even cutting back on savings and essentials in their quest for “perfection”.
But I don’t think you need to go into debt for your hair appointments if you do them yourself at home.
You just need to have a bit of confidence and patience.
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Why did I start doing my own hair?
I’ve been dying my hair on and off since I was 13, but it was during the 2020 lockdown that I really committed to honing my hairdressing skills.
It’s been relatively smooth sailing ever since my hair went green from swimming in the pool too much, and I was able to correct it.
It’s nowhere near salon quality, but I’ve never been truly unhappy with my hairdressing attempts.
Do you have any horror salon stories to tell? Email claudia.poposki@yahooinc.com
When lockdown ended, I could have gone back to my hairdresser, but I am extremely impulsive about my hair, and I change it at least every two months.
Sometimes it’s even more frequent.
If I went to the salon every time I wanted to change the colour or length, I would be bleeding cash.
The biggest challenges of cutting my own hair
Many would shudder at the thought of doing bangs or layering themselves, but I’ve learned how to do both and even sort out the back without many issues.
I’ve watched maybe two YouTube hair-cutting tutorials in the last six years to get a feel for what I wanted to attempt.
But mostly, I just go all in and hope for the best, and I learn something with each and every cut.
For instance, you can’t commit to too much hair being lopped off at once. It’s much better to take smaller snips, check if you’re happy with the direction of it and repeat.
The other is don’t tug your hair too taut when cutting anything — but especially a fringe. It will bounce back up and be far shorter than you anticipated, and not everyone can pull off a mini fringe.
But honestly, the main ingredient is just accepting that sometimes it won’t always go to plan, and you just have to roll with it.
I learned how to cut my own hair during lockdown and I’ve experimented with plenty of styles and colours.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)It’s not easy, but it’s better than paying $750
I am probably making it sound like it’s simple to do an at-home haircut.
There have certainly been some doozies over the years.
I am purposefully not including the green hair era pictures in this piece, or when I cut my bangs too deeply and accidentally gave myself a bowl cut.
But I’ve experimented with purple and pink dyes, learned to cut a semi-decent full fringe, and bleached my hair, and it’s still relatively healthy (although my mother is convinced I will go bald one day).
I’ve done everything from cut a full fringe to dying my hair a multitude of colours.
(Yahoo Lifestyle)
It’s not for the faint-hearted, as once you cut or dye, it’s hard to go back.
But it can be worth learning the skill, especially if you can’t afford regular appointments.
My most recent hairdressing appointment was more than $750 and a good six hours of my time. I loved it, it looked amazing. It was done by a premium salon known for high-end clientele.
However, I just kept staring at it, thinking… all that time and money just for this?
How much am I saving by doing my own hair?
The most I’ve spent on an at-home job was $60, which went to buying bleach, toner, and a mask.
My most recent box of hair dye was under $25.
If I were to use Finder’s average cost of a grooming appointment, I’d be paying $1,080 every year.
However, many women spend hundreds of dollars in a single appointment.
While it’s understandable that looks matter a lot to some, it’s worth thinking about what you’re spending your money on.
“The danger is that Australians end up spending hundreds every month trying to meet beauty standards that aren’t even real,” Taylor said.
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