Money Saving Monday: Giving Haircuts

If asked 10 years ago, I never would have thought that I would be cutting hair for my husband and sons. Never. But I guess it only makes sense. You see, my husband is the 2nd in his family of 9 children. Of the 9, there are 8 boys. Including my father-in-law, can you guess who cut all 9 boys' hair growing up? That's right, my mother-in-law, Diane did! And it's a pretty cute story how she started cutting hair during medical school for her friends. Looks like that skill came in handy having 8 sons!

Christopher and I dated from senior year in high school and all through undergrad. Fortunately for him, we went to Newman University, which was local so he could still have Mom cut his hair during undergrad. When we got engaged junior year of undergrad, I knew I had to learn...and fast! I didn't have that much time to learn. We were getting married after undergrad graduation and moving that same week to Kansas City for Christopher to start medical school and for me to start my first RN position. Only a few hours away, we would still be able to travel "home" to Wichita fairly easily, but as his wife, the hair-cutting responsibility would soon be mine. So, basically I started sitting in and asking Diane to teach me as she cut his hair from our engagement on. I was thrilled when the Christmas before we got married, my mom and dad gave me a hair cutting kit! It wasn't a super expensive, big name-brand kit. However, it has been well loved and survived going on 7 years! The only thing we have replaced is the "beard trimmer" (or what I use for trimming side burns, neck hair, etc) because the original wasn't cuttin' it (pun intended). Honestly, it was apparently painful for my boys when I trimmed neck hairs and side-burns. We got a Wahl. It is well worth the money to upgrade and really wasn't too expensive considering all the money hair-cutting has saved us over the last almost 7 years.

My haircutting experience has been overall, pretty good! Luckily, my husband is very forgiving and pretty laid back and my boys are luckily too little to care what their haircuts look like. Christopher has NEVER made me feel bad, guilty or lousy from a bad haircut I've given him. The first solo haircut (without my mother-in-law looking over my shoulder or taking over when I messed up or gave up) was a little scary. I vaguely remember thinking it sort of resembled the bowl haircuts from the 90's.

I promise this isn't one of Christopher's worst ever haircut from me. Look it up. it's stock!

I don't think it was really that bad, but you get the idea. Thankfully, I didn't give up because it really has been a way for us to save some $$$ by the end of the year. I'm not even sure what a men's haircut would cost. But for those of you who do know, the savings only increases the more boys you have! I haven't had to cut Gianna's hair yet because she's only 3 and I'm letting it grow as long as it can for now. And besides trimming bangs, I'm not brave enough for my own hair yet, although I might try it in the future.

This is more likely one of the worst first haircuts ever given by yours truly, and of course it was right before Gabriel's baptism. 

This haircut ties for worst haircut ever given by me...and Gabriel's haircut isn't too wonderful either...

So, I just gave Gabriel a haircut and decided to do a tutorial for my adaptation of a crew cut. I leave the front a little longer, just because I was taught that way and my boys prefer it that way. Cutting a child's, or better yet a baby's hair is MUCH more challenging than cutting an adult's hair. These tips may help when considering cutting your little boy's hair for the first time.

Tips for Child Haircutting:

• Cut their hair when they are in a good mood. Well rested. Well fed.
• Bribe and bribe heavily. Usually, I give my boys a few chocolate chips or candy as a "reward" for sitting still during the haircut. Or I let them paint or do some fun activity afterwards.
• Put some aprons on them or cut their hair while they are wearing underwear or diaper only. I can't stand the little, loose, itchy hairs post-haircuts and I know my boys don't like them either. It just makes things easier afterwards for clean up.
• Distraction, Distraction, Distraction. Get out the iPads, laptops, iPhones, etc. I gave Gabriel a broken clothespin during his last haircut and asked him to fix it for me. It gave him something to fidget with during his haircut and helped him stay still.
• Choose an appropriate location for cutting their hair. I like to sit Gabriel up on a high stool in the kitchen so I don't have to bend over to cut his hair. But when my boys are babies, I cut their hair in the bathtub. That way, they can move around and play. I like to give the babies combs to play with during their haircuts. For some reason, they get so distracted with them and love chewing on them!
• Prepare them well ahead of time for what you will do next while cutting their hair. Gabriel just hates the "buzzer" (trimmer) and he knows it's always the last part of getting his hair cut, but I still warn him and take breaks with it if he is stressing about it too much.

Cutting Hair, the Tutorial

Step 1: Wet their hair and comb it out as flat as you can.

I like to use a wet towel for getting their hair wet. It's more controlled than a spray bottle and I can make it warm so it's not so traumatic. I also use the flat side of the comb (opposite of the teeth part) to get it flat against their forehead. It makes it easier to cut in a straight line.

Step 2: Cut bangs/front.

Remember that it's better to start of cutting only a 1/4 of an inch or so at first and do more if necessary than to cut too short and be stuck. Cut as straight as you can. Cowlicks make things a little more interesting. Gabriel has a cowlick on his right.

Step 3: Cut side-burns and hair around ears.

Again, remember with the side-burns that it's better to cut just a tad at first and then cut more if you like them shorter. I tend to accidently cut them too short right off the bat and then I'm left waiting for them to grow back in. When cutting the hair behind their ears, be sure to comb it over the top of the ear so it doesn't lie flat against their skin and accidently stay longer than the rest.

Just comb out the side-burns and cut it.

This is what I mean about combing the hair out on top of the ear. I usually trim it so it barely touches the tops/outside of their ears and go straight down to the neckline from there.

Step 4: Cut the back of the neck hair.

This is pretty straight forward. Just be sure to cut it as straight as you can.

I usually have them look down while cutting their neck line.

Step 5: Layering

Layering is my favorite part up to this point. You basically pull a strip of hair between your fingers parallel from their head and snip about a 1/4 of an inch (or whatever you cut for the rest of the hair around the front, ears, back of neck). You do the same for the cowlick on the back of their head, the side of their head (by side-burns), back of their head, and top of head towards the back of the neck. The only area to leave alone for now is the bangs and top of their head.

Just snip the hair sticking out on top of my fingers.

Again, cut the hair on top of my fingers, not under my fingers.

This is showing his cowlick at the back of his head and how you still layer around it.

Step 6: Layering the side-burns.

For this part, put your comb vertically between his ear and side-burn and comb out the hair towards his face/nose. Then just cut it vertically close to where the vertical part of the side-burn is.

Comb out the hair towards his nose/eyebrows.

Cut it vertically.

Step 7: Layering the top/bangs.

For this part, I pull the strip of hair between my fingers like I did when layering the rest of his hair, but I pull it in horizontal strips (from ear to ear) instead of from front to back. I do this so I can basically leave the bangs un-layered. I've had too many bad experiences with trying to layer the bangs too close to the front of the hairline and you end up with a super short, un-even haircut!

Pull the hair in horizontal strips (from ear to ear instead of front to back strips) when layering the top. This is also the farthest up towards his bangs I go. Any closer and you start messing up your straight line you cut on Step 1. 

Step 8: Trimmer for side-burns and neck hair.

This is the least favorite part for my boys but probably my most favorite part. Just hold the trimmer and touch it to their skin. Easy peasy. Trim under side-burns, next to side burns, and neck hair.

Using the dreaded trimmer.

I also use the trimmer to go up vertically along the side burns to even out any lines made from cutting the bangs in step 1.

Step 9: Shake off the hair, give rewards, and look at your handsome little guy!

Before....

After!

And after giving the haircut, there is one more trick that my mother-in-law taught me: the person receiving the haircut always sweeps up the hair. I guess I have a couple more years before I can reap the benefits of that one with Gabriel and definitely with Benjamin. But I will say I have never swept up the hair after Christopher's haircuts.

So, I highly recommend considering learning how to cut your loved one's hair. It's really not that hard and it is an investment! Especially if you end up having 8 sons some day. Happy Money-Saving-Monday!

I did all the guys' haircuts here and they don't look too shabby!

More of some better haircuts for my boys.

 

 

Money saving Monday: Homemade Powder Laundry Soap-5 X's cheaper than store bought!

 

I remember the days I despised buying laundry detergent at the store. Literally, I dreaded the day we ran out and I would inevitably go over our budget by at least $20 buying detergent that would maybe last me a couple months. Store bought laundry detergent seemed like the only option: it was convenient and it cleaned my clothes. Honestly, I never knew that people still actually made their own soap. At the time, that sounded like something people did during the Great Depression because there was no other options. And besides that, I was working full time, Christopher was in medical school, we had 2 little ones and there was no way I had time for slaving away making laundry detergent in my spare time. So for the first 4 years of our marriage, I bought Tide Free from Babies R Us, or something similar, with some store ad to save any money I could. I used these all the time.

During my first year as a stay at home mom in Spokane, something magical happened that opened my eyes to a whole world of money-saving, Do-It-Yourself, crafty goodness: Pinterest. After I saw some of my friends pinning "Do-It-Yourself (DIY) homemade laundry detergent", the task didn't seem quite as daunting and I started reading blog after blog of homemade laundry detergent recipes. I finally came across this one and I decided it looked easy enough. 3 incredients. I could handle this. I gave it a try and have never looked back.

I've shared this recipe with anyone who wants it. After my in-laws stayed for a couple weeks, my mother-in-law was asking for the recipe and now she uses it and loves it! That says something because she is a retired pediatrician and her husband is a farmer (she is very educated, as is her husband, but his work clothes are usually very dirty). And I can speak for myself that having 3 little ones, 5 and under including 2 rambunctious boys, we have lots of dirty laundry that stands as proof that this works.

5 Common questions:

1. Does it really work, even on really soiled laundry?  Yes. Yes. . . And, Yes. I've been using this recipe for going on 3 years and it works great. I do pre-treat my really dirty stuff by scrubbing the spot immediately. For example, if the kids get ketchup or something on their shirt, I IMMEDIATELY soak it, scrub it with stain remover, etc by hand and then toss it in the hamper to wash later with the rest of the clothes. My clothes come out smelling great and clean every time.
2. Does it smell bad? No, actually, I prefer the smell of the homemade detergent over store bought. It is more airy and lighter than the majority of soaps I've used. Plus, you can apparently add essential oils to get any desired smell like lavender, though I've never done this.
3. Can you use it on an HE front loading washing machine? Sure. This is taken from This Frugal Life Blog which I sited earlier, "Homemade laundry detergent does not contain sulfates so it will not suds up like ordinary detergent but don’t worry, your clothes are getting clean. Plus, because this formula is low-sudsing, this is safe for you folks with front loading HE washers."
4. Does it take a long time to make? Do I really have time for this? Recipe only takes about 15 or 20 minutes to make and lasts much longer than a store bought box. The only real time consuming task is using a cheese grater to grate the bars of soap.
5. Is it safe for children and babies? What about sensitive skin? Though the Fels-Naptha bar of soap does warn that it is a skin and/or eye irritant if directly touching skin or gets in eyes for a long period of time, I have found the soap is kid-friendly. Gabriel has occasional eczema and this soap does not irritate or cause any flare ups. In fact, I haven't noticed any flare ups while using this soap. I also have sensitive skin and rashes are common and most times come with unknown etiologies. This detergent has not caused me any trouble either. As for newborns and babies, I decided to use store bought (think Dreft or Tide Free) for when my little ones are newborns and switch to the homemade once they hit the 1 year mark. I haven't done enough research to see if is gentle enough for them. But I have no problems with them after the year mark.
6. Will it gunk up my washer? Does the soap really dissolve? Like it says above, it does not suds up like normal store bought soap, but it really does clean your clothes. I have NEVER noticed any undissolved soap in my washer or anything like that.
7. How much do I use per load? 1 Tablespoon for a small load, 2 Tablespoons for a normal - large load, and 3 Tablespoons for a heavy or extra large load.
8. Can you use extra stain remover with your homemade detergent, like bleach, etc? Yes. I add bleach for my towels and whites (I always have) and it's fine. I also sometimes add some Era detergent to especially stinky laundry (like if my kids wet the bed or something), though it isn't necessary. (It's just what my mom always used so it's habit.) 
9. Where can I find Fels-Naptha soap? I've always found it at Wal-Mart, in the laundry detergent aisle. Birmingham people, I've found it off Lakeshore, off Lorna road, and I believe off Highway 150 Walmarts.
10. What's the difference between using Fels-Naptha soap and Zote soap? I honestly can't tell a difference and the last batch I made I mixed both a batch of Fels-Naptha and Zote and used a combination of the two. This blog did a comparasion on the two soaps and she had some helpful insight and noticed a big difference between the two. She recommended Fels-Naptha for heavier, greasier stains and zotes for more sensitive skin, and more everyday laundry. The price is a difference, however. Zote is $0.97 at walmart for more than twice as much (14 oz) soap as Fels-Naptha (5.05) for the same $0.97. It's still super cheap, but you get more than twice as much soap with Zote than with Fels-Naptha. Check out her blog for more details on the differences between these two soaps.

DIY Laundry Detergent-the Tutorial

You will need:

1. 1 cup of Borax (Found in the laundry detergent aisle)
2. 1 cup of Washing Soda (not to be confused with Baking soda-they are NOT the same thing. This is also found in the laundry detergent aisle)
3. 1 bar of Fels-Naptha stain remover soap (the blog above says you can use Ivory bar soap but I've only ever tried Fels-Naptha and Zotes soap). For this particular tutorial, I tried something new by combining 1 bar of zotes soap (also found at Walmart in the laundry section) because it's twice the size of Fels-Naptha and is the same cost. Zote is pink and Fels-Naptha is yellow. You'll notice the pink and yellow in the picture below. If you do the recipe with just Zote soap, it will be pink only. If you do the recipe with Fels-Naptha only, it will be yellow only.
4. Cheese grater and food processor (optional food processor just to mix the powder and the grated soaps to a very fine texture)

This is what the Fels-Naptha looks like. (wrapper on bottom and soap is gold colored)

Step 1:

Grate the Fels-Naptha soap. It doesn't matter large or small chunks, but this is the part that takes awhile. Maybe 15 minutes.

Step 2:

Mix the Borax and the Washing Soda with the grated bar soap.

Step 3: (Completely optional)

Add the grated soap/powder mixture to your food processor until it's all combined and is a fine consistency, sort of like the powder detergent you'd buy at the store. In the picture below, the bowl on the right has the powder and grated soap and the bucket on the left has the finished product. FYI, the first two years or so I made this soap, I always just stopped after mixing the grated bar with the powder. So my detergent looked like the bowl on the right and it worked just fine. I just prefer to use the food processor because I like the consistency better. It's a little easier to scoop up a Tablespoon of the detergent that is more unified rather than trying to make sure you get enough pieces of grated soap and powder.

 

Step 4:

Put your finished product in a handy little container with a measure spoon (1 Tablespoon) and that's it! 1 Tablespoon for a small load, 2 Tablespoons for a normal - large load, and 3 Tablespoons for a heavy or extra large load. Easy, right?

Price Breakdown and Comparison: Homemade Powder Detergent VS. Ultra Tide Original Powder Laundry Detergent

Ultra Tide Original Powder Laundry Detergent:

At Wal-Mart, Ultra Tide Original Powder Laundry Detergent costs $17.97 for 102 loads. See for yourself. That comes out to roughly $0.18/load.

Homemade Powder Detergent, a quadruple batch:

4 bars Fels-Naptha soap-$0.97 a bar, or  $3.88 for 4 bars.
Borax- $3.38 for the entire box, the quadruple batch used about 1/2 the box or $1.69.
Washing Soda-$3.24 for the entire box, the quadruple batch used about 2/3 of the box, or $2.16.

Fels-Naptha      $3.88
Borax               +$1.69
Washing Soda    $2.16

Grand Total:      $7.73 for 220 loads. That comes to roughly $0.04/load.

This means it is 4.5 times cheaper to use homemade laundry detergent than it is to use store bought! It's even more savings if you use Zote soap because you get more than twice as much soap as Fels-Naptha for the same price. That's why I did a combination batch last time I made it with both Fels-Naptha and Zote. Using the combination of 1 Zote bar (I basically substituted 1 zote=2 Fels Naptha)  and 2 Fels Naptha for a quadruple batch, it comes out to $.03/load.

What are you waiting for???

Almost 3 years ago, when I first made this soap, I was really excited and telling my mom how I made my detergent and how much money is has saved us. After telling her the 3 simple ingredients, she said, "So, you're making soap from soap...?" And I guess, in a way she's right. But hey, it works, it's easy, it's safe, and it's CHEAP! So I ask you, "What are you waiting for?"

Happy money-saving Monday!