I Spent a Year Trimming My Family’s Hair at Home: Here’s What Actually Happened

Ever wondered if cutting hair at home is worth the hassle? I tried it for a year—and lived to tell the tale (with savings to prove it!).

Hey friends! So last year I did something that probably sounds crazy to some of you. I started trimming my whole family’s hair at home instead of going to the salon every few weeks.

How to Trim Your Family’s Hair at Home (Without Losing Your Mind)

I know, I know. You’re probably thinking “girl, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.” But hear me out! I’m a working mom with two kids (ages 6 and 9) and a husband who absolutely hates sitting in salon chairs. Between work schedules and kids activities, booking four people for haircuts was becoming this whole production that ate up entire weekends.

Plus, lets be real here. Salon costs were getting out of hand. We weren’t looking for dramatic makeovers or anything fancy. Just keeping everyone’s hair neat and trimmed so we didn’t look like we lived in the woods.

The Breaking Point

It all started when I calculated what we spent on haircuts in 2023. Are you ready for this? Almost $900! For basic trims! That’s when I decided to try maintaining our styles at home and only go to the salon for actual cuts or color.

She was actually super supportive and said lots of her clients do maintenance trims between appointments.

Getting the Right Tools (This Part Matters!)

Here’s where I learned my first lesson, you absolutely cannot use kitchen scissors on hair. I tried it once on my son’s bangs and created these weird choppy layers that took weeks to grow out.

My stylist recommended getting a proper hair cutting kit with Japanese scissors since they stay sharp longer. I ended up ordering from Japan Scissors and got a whole set with different scissors, clips, and even a little oil for maintenance.

The kit cost about $150, which felt expensive at first. But when I think about it, that’s like three salon visits for just me!

What came in our kit:

Finding Our Rhythm

Through trial and error (okay, mostly error at first), we figured out a schedule that worked:

• Kids: Every 5-6 weeks for basic cleanup around the ears and neck My husband: Every 4 weeks to keep his fade looking decent
  Me: Every 7-8 weeks for split ends and shape maintenance

The American Academy of Dermatology actually says regular trims prevent damage, so we were on the right track.

Our Simple Routine

I’m not gonna lie – the first few attempts were pretty rough. But after watching some YouTube tutorials and practicing, it got way easier.

Here’s what works for us:

1. Prep everything first – towels on the floor, good lighting, hair slightly damp
2. Start small – like seriously, tiny little snips
3. Use the clips to section hair so you can see what you’re doing
4. Take breaks if the kids get fidgety (which they will)
5. Check your work from all angles before calling it done

For washing between cuts, I found this Cleveland Clinic guide super helpful for figuring out how often each family member should shampoo based on their hair type.

The Money Talk

Let me break down the actual savings because this was honestly my biggest motivation:

Family Member	Salon Cost	Cuts Per Year	Annual Total
Me	$65	6 times	$390
Husband	$35	8 times	$280
Son	$25	7 times	$175
Daughter	$25	7 times	$175
TOTAL			$1,020

Our scissors kit was $150 and I spent maybe $20 on extra supplies throughout the year. So we saved around $850! That’s a family vacation right there.

What I Learned (The Real Talk)

When We Still Go to the Salon

I’m not trying to replace professional stylists completely! We still go for:

Is Cutting Hair at Home Worth It?

Honestly? If you’re just trying to maintain styles between salon visits and you’re willing to go slow and be patient, yes! Start with small trims and see how it goes.

Just remember that hair grows back, so don’t stress too much if it’s not perfect. My family’s hair definitely survived my learning curve, and we’re all still looking presentable a year later.

The biggest tip I can give you is to invest in decent scissors from the start. That cheap kit from the drugstore will just frustrate you and potentially damage hair. Get something quality and take your time learning how to use it properly.

If you’re thinking about trying this, start small and don’t expect perfection right away. But honestly? After a year of home trims, I can’t imagine going back to the old way of doing things.