Trimming Hair Care Costs

When my children were younger, I could get away with trimming their hair myself. As the years went by and the desired styles were more complicated, I looked for ways to save on the cuts necessary to maintain the desired "looks." A local cosmetology school offered the solution. One day a week they offered free hair cuts. The students were able to practice on real clients under the watchful eye of experienced stylists. The cost for a cut was $5 the other four days, which was still more than reasonable. Other services were as deeply discounted. I checked their website today and although the free cuts have been eliminated, the $10 charge for a hair cut is half the cost of a low end cut in our town. The school is 50 miles away, but it should be relatively easy to schedule appointments when we know we will be in the area, thus saving $4o on hair care costs.

The Cell Phone Dilemma

I have shied away from this post for a while due to the extremely confusing plans and coverage offered by cell phone providers. In this area we have two options-Verizon and Unicel. The plans offered by these two companies are nearly impossible to compare. Verizon charges for incoming calls and text messages, whereas incoming calls and texts are free with Unicel. Verizon offers free nights and weekends and Unicel doesn't, however, they do offer the free incoming calls. Thus, I can downgrade my current Verizon plan or switch to Unicel for approximately the same cost per month, right around $50, a savings of about $25 over what I am currently paying. There is one caveat here, though. I don't have a Verizon signal in my home, and coverage is rather spotty around town. By switching to Unicel I would have free incoming calls and a signal too, thereby negating the need for a secondary phone line. This switch would increase my savings by $32 for a total of $57/month. Cell phone plans differ so greatly it is nearly impossible to make comparisons. I had to scrutinize each plan and analyze my own usage to arrive at these figures. In all honesty, I put it off even knowing I could save considerable money by switching companies. Comparing apples and mangoes has never been my cup of tea, but obviously sometimes it pays to push beyond that comfort level and challenge the unknown.

Food for Thought

Leo, over at Zen Habits, has a wonderful post, 6 Questions to Ask Yourself to Get the Most Out of Life. What does this have to do with living simply and frugally? For me, the answer lies within my responses to the questions he poses. I want to be a positive influence in the lives of others, I want to see beyond the materialism of society and look at the bigger picture of humanity. One of my favorite quotes by Gandhi has become my own personal mantra over the years. "Be the change you want to see in the world." Check out Leo's post and be the change.

About Free Rice

Some of you may have noticed the Free Rice banner on my blog, or perhaps on another blog that you read. When I first heard about the Free Rice game I was so excited that I emailed the link to my colleagues with the challenge to play for 5 minutes a day. Again and again I have repeated that challenge, and now I offer it to you. Give a gift to a stranger, give 5 minutes a day to help those less fortunate. Imagine, if you will, what we as bloggers can accomplish together, in the effort to end world hunger. It won't cost anything but time, what do you have to lose?

The Insurance Game, or How to Save Money In Less Than an Hour

Recently I reviewed my homeowners insurance and began shopping around for a better deal. I was paying over $900 a year for homeowners through a local agency. I knew there had to be better deals out there. A chance conversation with an acquaintance sent me to another agent and soon I had a quote for $400 less per year, not mention additional savings on car insurance which will yield an overall savings of about $600/year. My goal has been to trim $150/month from my bills and this certainly put me on track for accomplishing that goal.