Frugal Solar Haircut?
When I penned the title for this post, I had visions of my head being tickled by the warm rays of the sun, and my golden locks falling graciously about me.
Well, no. This is not how it happens, really (I don’t have golden locks either). It is just a simple haircut enabled by harnessing the sun’s rays and utilising the electricity generated by it.
I personally groom my hair on a monthly basis. Yes, I cut my own hair which may seem strange to some, and I find it quite easy to accomplish, with minimal fuss. No booking an appointment or having to sit through the endless small talk or having to stare at the vanity magazines that grace those sorts of establishments.
This is because I am a practical man, who is not looking for a fashionable coiffure, just nice clean short hair, cut for comfort.
The faithful hairdressing kit. |
Hair clippers are my weapon of choice, with a 7 mm comb attached. I power this miniature lawn mower by solar power, specifically from the 240 v AC inverter connected to my small solar DC battery bank.
So, let’s work out the savings of my grooming technique over the past 15 years.
If I give myself a haircut once a month, that is twelve times a year. Over 15 years, that is 180 haircuts. If each haircut costs approximately AUD$25, then the total savings, less the cost of the clipper ($50), is a massive $4,450.
My brown and grey locks on the garage floor. |
That is an amazing saving. Over a year it is only $300, but still, that is money in my pocket, not someone else’s. If I add in a twice-monthly haircut for Ben, then the savings mount up even more to $450.
Best of all, the remaining off-cuts of brown and grey trimmings get placed into the compost bins and returned at a latter date back into the veggie patch as part of a rich compost. Talk about the full circle of life!
Well groomed Gav should’ve smiled |
The regular savings go towards paying down the ever reducing mortgage, and is yet another step towards early retirement. This is a frugal and green approach to start saving money and minor CO2-e emissions on haircuts.