Making extra income

Turns out I have two jobs. Both of them happen to be income that allows me to make more some weeks and less on others.  Turns out summer is normally a bit slower for me, which allows time to go on vacation, etc. But I also like to try and find unique ways to make extra income in the summer.

That being said I've been thinking hard about different things I can do in the summer. So, I was curious, what ways (if applicable) do you make a little extra income?

My frugal hair

One thing that I have learned through my life so far, is that hair is the best way to give yourself a fresh, new look. Although, that comes with a price, am I right ladies?! It's the cuts, colours, the deep conditioning treatments and anything else you can think of.  It's extremely expense now to go to a salon and get your hair done. It's not like a $30 cut a man can get!

I actually just booked a hair appointment for myself earlier today.  Now before you get mad at me, I've gotten my hair done at a salon maybe 3 times in the last 6 years, and I've gotten it coloured maybe once in those 6 years.  To be honest, I'm totally against salons.  Its crazy expensive, and for the most part, I can maintain my hair by myself and still be happy with how it looks. Which is what matters right?

I started to do the math and was blown away with my results.  I averaged out 5 salons in Edmonton and wanted to see how much the typical women spends on their hair in a year.

Just to get your hair cut, it's about $65.  Most women like to get their hair cut (trimmed) about every 3 months or so.  Then you add dying your hair which is about $75.  So plus tip, the average salon visit is about $160, if you are lucky!  Then times that by 4 visits a year = $640. Just for hair?!  I just can't rationalize that for myself. 

That being said, what I've done since junior high, is box dye and trim my hair myself. It is definitely a daunting task, and obviously it isn't even in the same ballpark as salon treatments.  But you know what? I did a pretty darn good job with the box dyes and it didn't ruin my hair at all.  A box of hair dye costs about $13 give or take a few dollars. I normally dyed my hair about twice a year which equals $26.

Now $640 - $26 = $614 a year that I save by doing my hair myself.  That is also the amount I spend in gas on my car in a year!

It all seems like a pretty easy decision to me.  I have also been growing my hair out, which means I don't really need to get it cut. I have been trimming it on my own which is surprisingly easy. I have bangs as well, and I learned an awesome way to trim them and keep them looking Hollywood.  Check out the YouTube video below which I followed to learn how to do it.

How to cut perfect side swept bangs at home
Props to Rosebud143 on YouTube. She has a ton of great hair videos and this video is very easy to follow along with.

That being said, I know it is important to some women to get their hair done regularly. Just for me, it's an expense I am totally okay with cutting back on... Haha sweet pun Keens.  So, it was about time for a hair cut and colour at a salon as a treat to myself.  The next one will happen a few years from now. 

What do you think? Would you ever considering taking your hair into your own hands? Is it worth it for you?

Excessive unplugging disorder

Since this journey started, I have found so many ways to save money.  Although lately, I have found that I have a new money saving habit that is going a bit overboard; or maybe not.

In the place that I live right now, I am lucky because 2 of my 3 utilities are covered by my rent.  The only one that isn't is electricity. Now, this is not a huge bill for me every month, but every nickel counts right?  My bill used to be $35- $45 ish a month, which might be a lot for some people, I'm not sure though because I don't have any other place to compare it too.  So, I did what any almost normal person would do, I tried to stop using so much electricity to cut down my bill.  Little did I know, it would be a little more excessive than I thought!

Since then, I literally unplug every possible thing in my apartment before I leave for my day. I unplug my microwave, which is a hassle because I to have to reset the clock every time I want to use it, but long term benefit outweighs convenience for me. I also unplug my toaster, my apple wall plugin, my lamps, my hair tools, and my other misc chargers. But lately, I have been unplugging my entertainment system as well! Which has made a big difference. If you think about it, that system has 8 different things plugged into it! To me that is crazy. Even though things aren't on, there is a bit of electricity that flows through the device, thus costing you more money.

Just to compare, I got my last month electrical bill the other day, and it was $30.96. Saving even $4 ish a month is a win to me.  Now will making this little change in my daily habits be the reason I become a millionaire? Probably not, but it is part of the road to get there. It is also another step for me to be more financially aware and continue to find areas to save money.

What do you think, is unplugging worth it?