I was this close to giving myself a haircut when I realized that if I botched it my July spending moratorium prohibits a quick fix at the salon. So I'm putting the challenge off until August. (Plus, my video producer friend is on vacation until then. Very convenient for me).
But it got me thinking, when is Doing-It-Yourself in the name of saving money a really awful idea? A countdown.
10. Cutting your own hair. The opportunities for disaster are as thick as my hair. Not that this is going to deter me. Hair grows back!
9. Butchering your own (wild) animal. I heard on NPR that a grown buck is worth hundreds of dollars!
8. Using bug spray with abandon. One man blew up his home this way.
7. Making your own clothes. Fixing buttons and socks, sure, but princess seams?
6. Car repair beyond the basics. Your safety is important, yo.
5. Trying a bold new hair color at home. You pay your stylist for their skills and a second opinion.
4. Electrical work. There are reasons why electrical work requires licensed professionals and permits. Reasons like fires and explosions.
3. Making your own fireworks display. This is sure to get you a Darwin award.
2. Repairing your microwave. The cost of new parts will likely cost more than buying a new one, and fixing the broken involves handling very dangerous parts.
And the No. 1 activity that is a stupid way to save money is…
1. Nipple piercing. One hapless gal from “Lower Indiana” tried this at home and concludes, “I still have trouble believing how tough the skin was to pierce.” Ouch.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve done to save money?
More Resources:
Julia Scott writes the savvy-spending blog BargainBabe.com. She just launched BargainBabeLA.com, which helps Angelenos find deals in their neighborhood using Google Maps.
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DIY haircuts are never a disaster thanks to The Flowbee - http://www.flowbee.com/ Just $99.90 for the super-vac. Or, for those with a lighter mane, $39.95 for the super-vac mini.
I use mine everyday!
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I imagine anyone reading this article will challenge at least 1 of 10 things on this list. I challenge following:
1. Cutting your own hair. #1 buzzer saves time, money, shampoo, and it's quite refreshing.
4. Electrical work (or any kind of home improvements not involving excavators, bulldozers, etc...). Beeing able to say "yeah, i did that" when people stop by is priceless.
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I agree, going to a professional stylist for a hair cut is well worth it. I say save money by doing the simpler things on your own like giving yourself a manicure but leave cutting and coloring to the professionals.
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What's the stupidest thing I've done to save money?
In high-school I routinely drove around town with the gas gauge below empty. Inevitably, I ran out of gas miles from the nearest gas station. But, I am convinced it frightened me into driving less, thereby saving money on gas!
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But what is the line between 'saving money' and plain, old, cheap?
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#1: Cutting my own hair! It didn't work out.
#2: To save money on plane tickets, I at one point booked an outgoing flight from a nearby airport. That airport was 3hrs away by greyhound. All said and done I saved maybe $50 but my travel time went from 5.5 hrs to 10.5 hours end-to-end. Saving $50 but adding 5hrs to my travel time left me exhausted and only a few bucks richer. Not worth it.
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Doing your own plumbing, unless you really know what you're doing, is a really bad idea.
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Just as one man/woman's tey rash is another's treasure,
one man/woman's DIY can be treasure hunting and be fine for them, and vice versa. It all depends on the specific individual and their skills, temperament, and overall personality traits and what they find satisfaction in.
I cut my hair with a normal clipper and about half of the various hair guides and I'm rarely told I botched it.
I know people who are extremely handy and knowledgeable when it comes to home repairs, improvements and renovations.
In fact, I am legally blind, visually impaired and when I was in high school a couple of years at the Ohio State School for the Blind, our Industrial Shop instructor taught us how to build from scratch room additions including a kitchen, and bath with both electrical and plumbing which we (about 6 of us blind students build from scratch with our hands). You never know what is going to be stupid for one person and not for another. It's not good to make such blanket assumptions.
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