A Tale of Two Hairdressers | brokeGIRLrich
The other day I got my bi-yearly haircut (it’s true) and since I’m not particularly chatty, my hairstylist struck up a conversation with the neighboring hairstylist that was fascinating to me.
Hairstlyist #2 enters salon and drops a half a dozen shopping bags on the floor next to the neighboring chair (that salon is in a mall).
Please read with strong New Jersey accents.
HS#1: “What’d you buy?”
HS#2: “There’s a sale in Macy’s, so I picked up some shoes. And grabbed lunch in the food court. American Eagle had some great tops too. Look at this one!”
HS#1: “Aw, yeah, definitely cute.”
HS#2: “You should check out the store today. There’s lots of great sales. Don’t you need anything for your new apartment?”
HS#1: “Maybe. How do you buy all this stuff every day? You’re negative today. You haven’t even had a customer.”
HS#2: “I figured, what the heck? Might as well make today worth it.”
HS#1: “Ugh. I’m so cheap. Mike [boyfriend] comes to pick me up and grabs a box of Raisinettes and a coke from the Dollar Store every day. I’m all, why are you buying that every day? You don’t need Raisinettes every day. It’s a waste of money. He’s all – it’s 2 bucks babe and I’m all – it’s 2 bucks babe right back at him.”
HS#2: “That’s ridiculous. It is just 2 bucks. I mean, I managed to pay my rent this month. The rest of that’s shopping cash. You get it, I mean, you’re gonna furnish your apartment aren’t you?”
HS#1: “Yeah.”
HS#2: “There are plenty of cheap ways to do it. I got everything at Ikea.”
HS#1: “I don’t really like Ikea though. I like the stuff in Pottery Barn, but it’s so expensive. It’s gonna take a while. I walk in, look around, but I don’t just love it. So I’m not spending that kind of money until I do.”
HS#2: “Well what’re you gonna use until you get real furniture?”
HS#1: “Our old furniture. It’s fine. We just need a few more pieces. They can wait.”
HS#2: “It’s not like you can’t afford it.”
HS#1: “Yeah, I just don’t want to spend that kind of money, you know. I want to make sure it’s right. But I think I’ll definitely get the furniture at Pottery Barn.”
Lessons Learned:
- Only buy what you love.
- Don’t buy Raisinettes and coke everyday.
- Then you too can afford a Pottery Barn couch on a hairdressers salary when you really want one.
She did a pretty good job, too.
*Part of Financially Savvy Saturdays on Femme Frugality*
I love overhearing other people’s conversations about money. Way to go hairdresser #1. I can’t believe the other one thinks everything after rent is spending money. She has no other bills? I can only shake my head. We’ve kept old furniture and I plan on either having my dad build us things or getting them off craigslist. Cute haircut, too!
E.M. recently posted…Being Grateful: Twentieth Edition
I know! Hairdresser #2 was definitely making me twitch. I was like “omg, where is your emergency fund?!?! How are you ok if you haven’t had any clients today?” I think I was hyperventilating for her, but I kept it to myself.
I too am a snoop. Hairdresser #1 is going to make it, but #2… I forsee a lot of credit card debt.
save. spend. splurge. recently posted…In the world of Save. Spend. Splurge.
Agreed.
Ha! I love the new hair cut and the fun conversation you got as a bonus. Raisinettes and coke every day just sounds crazy, but more crazy than that is the comment that it’s just $2 and they paid their rent. If he is really going every day, that is $40 and almost a cell phone bill in savings, not to mention the calorie savings.
Shannon @ Financially Blonde recently posted…Top Ten Inspirational Women
Also, raisins are disgusting… it’s like a mummified grape.
Haha love this. I totally overhear convos like this all the time! It’s hard for me to sit there quietly. ps. love the hair!
Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life recently posted…THE MONEY DIET
Thanks! I started silently cheering on my hairdresser with everything she said. I was almost like “yeah, you get the Pottery Barn couch, girl” as I left, but I chickened out. 😛
I’m like you I’d rather get items that I really like than to go shopping and get things I don’t really like. Hope you have a great day!
heidi recently posted…My Sweet Tooth’s Delights
Funny thing: I always thought hairdressers made a lot of money here, since it’s so mad expensive to get your hair done 🙂 Good for her though, I would have cheered too! (inside. Silently)
Since I’m not the biggest chit-chatter either, next time I [can afford to] go to the hairdresser, I’m gonna keep my ears open for a lesson or two!
Debby recently posted…Day 165 – Time is Precious.
Yeah, you would think they do better! Granted, I’m totally a budget, strip mall hairdresser type person. I’m sure the salon takes a big chunk of that money too.
PF eavesdropping is fun but I can certainly understand it making you twitch too! I’d be clenching my hands under the smock to stop myself from grabbing HD#2 and shaking her. Don’t wanna be judgmental though … I’ve done my share of “I deserve its” in the past.
debT debS recently posted…Throwing up a Blog Time Capsule
I also love overhearing conversations about money. Sometimes it takes a lot for me to not offer my opinion…like others said though we’ve all made mistakes and learn from them, hopefully….
Catherine recently posted…Snowball? Avalanche? or Neither? Which is the Best Debt Payoff Strategy For YOU? Maybe Neither!
Yeah, people are gonna do what they’re gonna do. Sometimes unsolicited advice just makes them angry. And by sometimes, I mean most times.
Interesting! I love eavesdropping while getting my hair cut (and she did a super cute job!)
Anna Belle recently posted…Travel Memories: Play Ball…
Love hearing stories like this… a close family member of mine was a hairdresser (some do make lots of $$$). Usually it is the other way around – the hairdresser hears all the gossip from the customers. You would not believe what some people tell their hairdresser. Cheaper than a therapist maybe…..
May recently posted…The Hindsight Budget – Transportation
Dude, raisins are totally revolting *fistbump*.
We finally gave in this week and replaced our couch with a $30 set from the Salvation Army. All the seats had sunken in so it was like sitting in a hole basically.
NZ Muse recently posted…Link love (Powered by lasagne and validation)
I think you did pretty well if you picked up a $30 set!
*fistbump* right back at you!