Should I splurge or save?

Edit: Dying my hair is a major past time of mine. Since McD's gave me the okay to dye my hair whatever color I want, I've been doing some experimenting.

I have decided that I am absolutely sick of box dyes. 99.9% of the time my hair turns out anything but the color of the box, therefore causing me to redye it and redye it to the point where I dye it every two weeks.

Instead, I would like to get my hair done from Lytle's beauty college from now on. They do an amazing job with cuts and colors and I've never had a problem with them.

However, I am trying to save up for a new car and my budget is very limited. Let's say I go to the salon once a month. Basic hair coloring, including bleach, is $45. That would mean saving $23 a paycheck to pay for this. It may not seem alot, but $45 total is a lot to not be saving each paycheck.

The Pros: I will be entitled to be pampered once a month, the beauty school always makes sure I am satisfied, it's ONLY $45 a month, I enjoy having my hair dyed, I get to be social with the stylists, my hair gets to stay the same color for a month or more if I particularly like the color.

The Cons: I'm trying to save for a car and every little penny counts, even though it is cheaper than most salons it's still expensive.

What do YOU think?

The school costs $45/month but how much are you spending each month for box dye?

At least that if not more. Sometimes I buy $30 in bleach alone to get my hair the right color.

But the question is whether I should be spending money on the salon or if it should go to saving for a car. I'm not buying box dye anymore.

When do you want to buy a car?

Have you looked at cars to know how much it will cost?

What are you now using for transportation?

I need to buy a car before I head to university. I have my own thread on buying a new car. I'm hoping to have the car by the end of December.

Save for the car. I am a lady of 61 years who no longer dyes my hair because of the expense and the damage it could cause. Grey hair is in!

Think about what color CAR you would like! More immediately, pamper yourself and express yourself in other ways such as buying your own nail polish and doing your nails (if that's allowed).

I tend to agree with Travelinglady. Hair dye is a brief benefit though fun. The car will be a long term item.

Right now I am paid biweekly. I have $25 in gas and $50 for myself, leaving me $325 to put into saving. If I took out $25 for the salon each paycheck, I'd still be putting away $600 a month in savings for the car which is really good.

Also, I just quit smoking. I paid $60+ a month on cigarettes so...I know I'm justifying my reasons but...would I rather be smoking or have a day of pampering every month?

Congratulations on stopping smoking! Whether you splurge or save is obviously your choice. Maybe you could do the salon dye and see if it's worth it. And then find other little ways to save if you want. It is important to get a good quality car and that does cost! And remember the cost for gas, insurance, maintenance and repairs, and car payments, too.

I shop at thrift stores, usually buy store brands, don't own an I-pod or that fancy computer phone, no flat screen TV or the latest in other gizmos. I'm sure you might think of other things.

Note: I was able to buy a new car 4 years ago--I mean a brand new one. But I hope to keep it ten years to get my value out of it. Otherwise, used cars are the way to go, and I have owned them, too.

You sound like you are a smart, responsible person. Happy car hunting in awhile.

You know? You quit smoking - an incredibly unnecessary expense. I know the thing to do would be to save for the car - but you're entitled to a small splurge, one that rewards you for giving up such a bad and addictive behaviour. It's only once a month. Unlike the others, I say go for it. Particularly since you are saving a fair amount a month anyway.

I've done box dyes all my life (I went grey early). It is such a chore for me. I had my hair coloured at a salon at the end of October for a wedding. It cost me R350 which is just over $21. That is expensive in South African standards. But it lasted longer than the 5 to 6 weeks I got out of a box dye - and the colour was just more evenly done (long hair). I just had my hair done again last week. But I didn't pay, hubby is fixing a gate in lieu of payment. But I'm really going to try very hard to save the R350 - R500 for a professional dye once every 2 months or so. I seem to miss out half the grey hair when I do it myself anyway!

Yes, the salon dyes do last awhile. I agree that we need a few pleasures in life. I admit I splurge on things like eating out--and books (but I often buy them used.)

You are doing a fine job of working on your savings. Keep up the good work.

Let us know what color you dye your hair. I'll live vicariously. I was a bright redhead for several years!

You mentioned coloring it monthly, what about cutting back to every 6 weeks to 8 weeks if you want to continue coloring. There is very little root showing at this point and it spreads the cost out over time. My stylist suggested this to cut down the cost, and it is surprising how little the roots show at especially 6 weeks, but makes a big difference cost-wise. Sometimes even with some colors the effect can be be fun at 8 -10 weeks to have your roots show. When I used to do hair shows, they would color me on purpose with roots for specific hair cuts. Some pretty cool effects, less maintenance, and less cost.

You are the one that has to set your own priorities. The less Monet you save toward your car the more you end up having to borrow & the less money you will have for splurging on anything at that point. Sometimes we end up realizing we need to forgo our own pleasures for awhile when we have a higher priority we are aiming for & need to focus on. I always found that when I justified one splurge it was then easy to justify another then another & all of a sudden it wasn't just a little bit I was taking away from my original higher priority.

You know how much you need for the car you are wanting which means you know how much you HAVE to save in that time frame. So the numbers are a given. If having the hair done makes you miss that goal you have set then I would say FOCUS on your highest priority & save the hair & your pleasure for after reaching your goal if you can afford it then. It's called being responsible.....& when we are responsible with our money we don't end up having to justify our spending, we KNOW what the right thing to do is.

You are the one that knows your goal amounts..you are the one that knows what the limits you need to place on your spending to achieve your goal. If the numbers work out that the $ is available for spending then justifying it isn't necessary.

Get the haircoloring.

Is every six to eight weeks possible with the salon school. You're already showing thriftiness there. That was my first thought...

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Or get some chalks and just chalk color your hair when you go out with friends.

Haircuts are cheaper. Get cool cuts and instead of getting all over color, just get streaks. Streaks are usually less.

Have them bleach it platinum then reapply toner yourself. After the roots grow in, start getting streaks

Any or all of the above!

I just got my hair cut like Bob Greene on Biggest Loser, so i looooove extreme hair!.

I'm interested in the beauty school program. I go every few months to get hair dye and partial highlights. + deep conditioning and trimming blow dry. I do it for pampering myself for stress. .. but it's $200. If I can find a school how do you find one?

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Look in the Yellow Pages!

Lark, I'm going to come at this from an entirely different direction. Not long ago you wanted to get a snake. Your parents nixed the idea saying you needed to save money.What would your parents' reaction be to you spending the money at a salon?

That said, others made some really good points. What about stretching out the time between trips to the salon? I know you said you don't want to use box dyes, but what about the stuff for making different color streaks - red, blue, green, purple etc?

Personally, I'd put all the money I could save away for the car, but I've been told I can pinch a penny hard enough to make Lincoln squawk! The more you have for a down payment the less you will have to pay off = paying less for interest in the long run.

IMO not only is once a month hair dye-ing too much but of course every 2 weeks is worse!

Why not go for the salon every 2 months and then do your own touch up on roots in between? Hair generally grows almost a half an inch a month only....

This would save even more money, but would help save your scalp and hair and reduce the risk of cancer from the dye as well.

As a dude (that's what the kids call middle-aged men these days, right?), I probably shouldn't be in this thread (and my hair is so short that it would take a Cat 50 hurricane for it to move).

That said, I really think you should have your hair done ONCE (don't sign any contracts with the beauty parlor). After that, see how you feel about doing your hair on a long-term basis.

I will now quietly crawl out of this beauty-school thread.

Kindness, seems to me a "dude" can have an opinion on the topic.

How about investing in some colored clip in extensions that way you can change them all the time and in the process you are not damaging your hair.

Kindness at least you have hair when I had chemo and list mine my hubby shaved his head. He was already going bald so it wasn't that hard. Thanks to chemo and my disease I have bald spots. So I say protect your hair

I was just kidding.

I've had my hair in a "high and tight" for 30 years.