How Spending $400 Saved Me $3,360 A Year

The title might sound wild — “How spending $350 to $400 saved me $3,360 a year” — but it’s 100% real. I’m going to break down how I saved that money by learning to cut my own hair.

How This Came About 

I was doing cardio at the gym with one of my friends and I was telling this person how I get my hair cut every week and I have been doing that for over 20 years. You know I DJ every weekend so I have to make sure I come correct and look presentable. For years, my from boy from high school use to cut my hair, but it was taking to much of time. He was only available in the evenings and I would have to wait till he finished work. This would interfere with my schedule at times as I would work in the evenings and I would have to shift my whole schedule around just to get cut

So I found a local barber shop which did good work, you could book an appointment online which gave me more control of my time. More importantly, It was only 7 minutes away from my place.

When I told my gym buddy that I pay $60 for the cut and tip for $10, they couldn’t believe it. After we the finished cardio session, I came home, had my breakfast and starting searching on tiktok and youtube for videos on how to cut your own hair. After watching a bunch of videos, I said you know what, I could do this!

And here’s the thing — it never felt like a big expense. I’d tell myself, “It’s just a haircut, it’s self-care.” I could afford it, but you know what they say; men lie, woman lie but numbers don’t and $3,360 a year a not a small chump of change

The Investment

So now after watching these videos, I was hyped up and now I needed to the get the tools to cut my hair. 

I spent $350 - $400 in total to get everything I needed 

Typed into google what are come good budget clippers to get cut your hair at home. The VGR clippers seemed to pop up a lot and you could order them from Amazon. I watched several reviews on youtube about them and all the reviews were quite positive. A lot of barbers reviewed them and recommended them for people who want to cut their own hair at home

Because it was Prime week, I was able to save some money on getting the thing I needed. I ordered a clipper and trimmer combo, electric shaver for sensitive skin and most importantly, a 360 barber mirror so you can see all angles of your head when I’m cutting. Everything else was just haircare products and barber accessories 

VGR clipper and trimmer combo

And that’s it. A one time cost. And from there, I decided: no more barbershop visits. I was going to learn how to do this myself — even if it meant messing up a few early fades.

The Learning Curve So Far

So my first haircut I tried took me about 3 hours to finish. I had to have my wife help me out.

One big mistake I made was that I cut my salt and pepper beard to low

Instead of focusing on the embarrassment, I focused on the gain. Every “bad” haircut was still a free one. I was saving $70 every time. 

I watched some more videos the following week on the points I was having trouble with. My tiktok and youtube algorithm was switched to self haircuts and barbers giving tutorials. The following week, I was a lot better as it only took me an hour to to cut my hair. Vast improvement. Just for practice, I gave myself a nice lineup mid week.

The Math That Made Me Do It

So here’s the breakdown that really pushed me towards learning how to cut my own hair.

$70 a week, $280 a month, $3,360 a year. 

I’ve been getting my hair every week for 20+ years. I didn’t always pay $70 but if I was to average it out, it would be around $50. So that means in 20 years, I’ve spent $48,000 on hair cuts !!!

Even just thinking when I started going to this barbershop for the last 3 years. $3,360 a year is $10,080 in 3 years

If I was to put the money into a Total US stock market ETF over the last 3 years, that $10,080 would be $13,416.48.

The Mindset Shift

This experience taught me something powerful about financial freedom: Sometimes, the path to wealth isn’t about earning more — it’s about learning more.

By learning a skill that most people outsource, I not only saved money — I regained control.

Cutting my own hair became a symbol of self-reliance. Every time I line myself up, I’m reminded that I don’t have to depend on someone else for every little thing.

Each small win compounds, just like compound interest.

What Can People Take Away

You don’t have to start cutting your own hair — though I highly recommend trying it at least once!

But ask yourself:

• What are you paying for just because it’s convenient?

• What could you learn once and save for years?

• What skill could make you just 10% more independent?
  
  

That’s how financial freedom starts. Not with huge investments or overnight success — but with small, intentional shifts that build momentum.

Reflection and Challenge

If you’re listening to this and you’re on your own financial journey — I challenge you to find one area this month where you can replace spending with learning.

It might be car detailing, cooking, or fixing something around the house.You’ll be surprised at how empowering it feels when you realize: You can do this yourself.

For me, it started with clippers.
And now, it’s shaping my entire journey to financial freedom.