photo by seriously photographic

Tips are sent to me from all over the world. I love the first tip because I’ve never considered getting my hair cut by a barber. I like the whole wash, cut and style I get at the salon. If my hairstyle required clippers, I’d give it a try on a day I was feeling courageous. Maybe there will be more “barberettes” in the future. I’ve sat while my son was getting his hair cut at the barbershop. I love the consistency of his perfect “Princeton” every time. He’s never gotten a bad cut. I’ve noticed the conversations have more breadth than at salons, too. At salons, the stylists talk more to one another. I’ll stay open-minded on this. I can’t say that I feel welcome to hop up on the chair at the local barbershop. Is it just me? Do you think barbershops are boys’ club only?

BE OPEN-MINDED: My salon charges $40 per haircut, which includes shampoo, cut and style. That’s way too much money. I started going to the barbershop. Only $4 to get a trim. And then, once a year, I get a treat at the salon by getting a haircut. — Frugal Girl, Kentucky

REFASHION: My husband’s shirts make great little dresses for my daughter with minimal effort. A little sewing and some embellishments go a long way. I also dye my kids’ clothing when it becomes stained instead of throwing it out. They like getting their favorite clothes back in new colors. — hadc, e-mail

FRESHEN: I regularly use fresh herbs. During the winter, I can’t grow them outside, so I must buy them at the store. But they only come in large bunches. I treat them like fresh flowers at home. I cut off the ends, place in a cup of water and put in the fridge. It extends the life of the herbs. — thepeppers, e-mail

BID: Go to auctions and keep a close eye on “box lots.” Especially auctions held at storage units. I have lots of beautiful holiday decorations that I won for $2. My husband has collected hundreds of dollars of tools and lawn-care items, too. You have to be careful at any auction not to get carried away with the excitement and fun of it all. If you go to enough of these, you get a good feel for the right price to bid and when to walk away. — Busynut, Pennsylvania

COMPARISON SHOP: Buy spices at Asian grocery stores. You will typically get larger packets cheaper. — Leela, e-mail

CREATE A SYSTEM: Only spend money on Thursdays. This has really helped me because I have to plan everything for the whole week: groceries, birthdays, personal items, etc. I chose Thursday because the bakery has cheaper bread that day, and it tastes so much better than factory-made bread. If I see something I’d like to buy during the week, I have to wait until Thursday. Also, as I am not allowed to spend any money on other days, there is no use in going to the shops on the other days. And what I don’t see, I don’t wish to buy. — Siebrie, the Netherlands

ECONOMIZE: If you are a coffee drinker, a thermos is a must! Drinking throughout the day? Transfer it to the thermos and turn off the machine. Saves electricity. Going to work? Fill the thermos and save at least $3 in buying coffee. — Kristen, Connecticut

PLAN AND ORGANIZE: I do a payday-to-payday menu plan for the upcoming pay period and have each of the kids put a check mark if they will be “attending” dinner that night. If they don’t want what I am making, they have PB&J or Ramen noodles they fix themselves. That way, I don’t have to purchase ingredients for a six-person meal if only two of us are eating. My kids like to have a “cereal potluck.” When there isn’t enough cereal in the box for a whole bowl, we have a container into which it gets dumped. On Sundays, each kid eats the mixed cereal from the container. — April P., Texas

CONSERVE: If you need to use hot water for something, say, mopping the floor, put a bucket under the drain valve of your hot-water tank and fill it from there. You don’t waste any water waiting for the hot water to come through the tap, and it helps get rid of any sediment on the bottom of your hot-water tank, prolonging its life. If you are a Slurpee addict, save the promo cups, then you can go back and refill them later for a reduced refill price. — bgilchrist, e-mail

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