How to Save Money on Haircuts

Haircut expense ranges from Php 50.00 to 360.00 depending on the type and location of the barbershop or parlor. The cheapest haircut is of course in the neighborhood and it is particularly expensive in malls.

If you have a child and the kiddie barbershop is inside the mall, it will cost around Php 360.00. That’s very expensive! That amount is more than enough for a simple lunch out of a family of 3. Can you save money on haircuts? Yes, of course! The next question is ‘How?’

For many years, I have been having my haircut in malls. The price is around Php 150.00 or more. I normally also give a 20-peso tip for the service although that is not required. I justified at that time that the price is alright considering that the staff there are well-trained and the place has a very good ambiance.

Added to that justification is that barbershops in malls are air-conditioned and magazines are available in case the queue is long. Another reason is hygiene. Barbershops in malls never re-use the towels – they go straight to the towel bin for washing.

Save on Haircut
Photo by Thgusstavo Santana from Pexels

1. Have your haircut in your local barbershop or salon

When the time came and I needed to save more, my best option was to go to the neighborhood barbershop. Here, a haircut costs only Php 50.00. It’s very cheap – just a third of the price in malls. It could be higher if the barbershop is air-conditioned which could be around Php 60.00 or Php 70.00.

Just like in malls, the barbers are also well-trained. Just a few neighborhood barbershops have magazines to read but who reads those materials nowadays anyway. You can just browse using your smartphone if the queue is very long. Since you belong in the neighborhood, you can talk with the other people waiting for their turn.

Hygiene is a concern in local barbershops. The white towel used for the first customer in the morning might be the same towel used for another customer after lunch. With many people having their haircuts, that same towel will not be anymore white at that time. So if you’re that concerned about this, the best thing to do is to have a shower right away when you come home. That’s what I do all the time. I never had any skin problems caused by those towels as far as I know.

2. Save money on haircuts by hiring a mobile barber or stylist

When I was a child, I remember having my haircut done by a barber who usually comes to our neighborhood on weekends. His primary clients are young children. He brings his own stuff and the task is normally done outside our home. There are still people in this business today. However, they now advertise in Facebook groups and you can contact them through SMS or Messenger.

The cost of having a haircut with mobile barbers is slightly higher than in the local barbershop. However, you have the luxury of time since you don’t need to wait in line for your turn. Since you’re just home, you can do household chores while waiting.

3. Trim your hair between your visits to the barber or stylist

This is more applicable to women. They can trim their hair between their visits so that the interval will become longer. When visits to the salon are less frequent, more money can be saved. However, this can be a matter of preference. Some women may not like the idea of cutting their own hair or may not be confident in doing so.

Instead of trimming hair, men can opt to wait a little longer between visits to the barbershop. This is what I have been doing before except during summer when it’s uncomfortable if your hair is longer than normal.

4. Save money on haircuts by doing it yourself in the comfort of your home

The secret to ultimately save money on haircuts is doing it by yourself in the comfort of your own home. This is the strategy that we do at present. My wife does the haircut for me and my child. We usually do this on weekends.

To be able to do our haircuts at home, we bought a Phillips trimmer for around Php 3,000.00. This is more expensive than other similar products out there. However, I highly considered safety and quality when I purchased this product. I expect to spend safe haircuts with this trimmer not only for months but for many years to come.

It is a rechargeable type so it provides added flexibility. You can use it anywhere you want – in the living room, in the restroom, or even outside your home.

What if you don’t know how to cut your own hair or your family member’s hair? The best way is to search the internet. There are so many resources such as blogs or YouTube videos that you can watch to know about haircutting. This is what my wife did as she didn’t know a thing about doing this task before.

What’s the advantage of having a haircut in your own home?

  1. As mentioned, it’s very economical. I only spent Php 3,000.00 for the trimmer but my child’s and my haircuts are now free.
  2. There is lesser stress since there is no need to go to the barbershop anymore and wait for our turn if there are many customers.
  3. Haircuts can be done anytime. It’s your own house. You own the trimmer. No need to have a strict schedule for this task. For our family, we usually do it in the morning after having breakfast.
  4. Having haircuts in your home is a great opportunity for memorable family bonding moments. While having a haircut, you can watch your favorite TV shows or videos or simply have a chat together as a family.

Final thoughts

There are a lot of ways to save money. We just have to look around and be creative. One of the areas where we can save is haircuts. This is a monthly expense and everyone spends on it.

Imagine just saving a few hundred pesos monthly. Compute the savings for one year and the succeeding years. That’s a great deal of money that you can add to your emergency fund or to an investment opportunity. To know more about emergency funds and why we need it, you may check this post: What is an Emergency Fund and Why is it a Priority?

How about you? How do you save money on haircuts? Please leave your response in the comments section below.

You may also like...

1 Response

  1. July 11, 2020

    […] When you commit yourself to the goal of achieving financial freedom, you become conscious not only of financial leaks but also of the various ways to save money like carpooling and haircuts. […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.