In one of his earlier post Mr Money moustache sang the virtues cutting your own hair with the help of a hair trimmer or multigroom kit. Here in Belgium, we usually use the French word tondeuse which does have a nicer ring to it than grooming kit.
ceci n’est pas une tondeuse
Now he makes the bold claim of it saving over 30.000 usd but actually never runs the numbers in detail. If you do that, it is easy to see why he was so excited over such a simple device and an equally simple change in one’s habits.
Going to a barbershop every month would set me back about 300 euro a year.
Paying for this means, I need to amass a stash of 300 x 25 = 7.500 euro.
Replacing it by a device that costs around 50 euro eliminates this need completely! Right of the bat, I have just made a size-able reduction in the amount I need to retire!
However, it gets even better! Factoring 10 euro a year to replace the tondeuse every 5 years I only need a stash of 250 euro to pay for it. Buying it, means that even in the first year I can make a big enough savings to pay for a replacement for the rest of my life! Yeah, that is indeed something to be excited over! I know of very few other things that are such a powerful help in achieving financial freedom. It is unfortunate that this does not scale to other parts of life. If this were possible to do for food, transport, housing, clothes and such everybody would be able to retire after only one year of working!
It off course does not stop with the reduction of 7.250 euro in necessary stash.
If we say you need to work about 20 years in Belgium this will also add another 5.700 euro in savings (19 x 300 if we do not count the first year, as those savings will finance the purchase of a new grooming kit for all eternity).
Savings you can invest and accumulate over the years. So that one time purchase of 50 euro has a value of at least 12.950 euro, not counting any investment gains you will make on your savings…
It might be basics for the more frugally inclined people but with those kind of numbers I found it justified to bring this powerful financial freedom tool one’s more to the forefront! Want to retire early? Cut your own hair! Small things do add up over time.
Check… That is what I do since 2005… My motivation back then was different: I do not like to go to the hair dresser
Good to know I saved already that much in my stash!
I am not really a big fan of the hair dresser either. But it is amazing how much a small change matters over a longer period. Recurring savings, almost as powerful as compound intrest!
It’s amazing how the little things add up over time. My wife has tried to give me hair cuts a couple of different times and it hasn’t turned out exactly how we intended. I’m still looking to figure out the right haircut that my wife can master. I am utterly terrible at cutting my own hair as that was a disaster. So it’s been a mix and match of barber and my wife. Hopefully one day I can ditch the barber 🙂
Ah yes, the right hair cut! Not always easy, especially as with short hair I tend to look as an Albanian mobster (although that look does have its advantages as well!). Luckily the hair grwos back and a month later you get a new change to get it right.
Well I just found a guy that cuts my hair for 6 euro. He is working under the table. I go once per two months. Just not sure how I can shave my hair on my own and have a good result.. ;\
Well, 6 euro every two months is not bad at all. Cutting your own hair is indeed something best avoided. Just keep it in mind when dating 😉
I also have it done with a tondeuse, by my wife. Started about 2 years ago. Reason being the Mr. Moustache post, but mostly because I don’t like making appointments for this nor do I like the waiting time and commute. Ours was 30 euros, so even faster winback. And we also use it for the kids. However, I do agree, you need someone who is willing and able to shave it for you decently, at least as long as you need to work! Or you go for the bald option.
i do not think bald would be a good look for me. Might even scare some kids ..