Posted on 02/26/2009 6:05:22 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Home Economics of Anxious Times: Dyeing Your Hair in the Kitchen Sink
By Ylan Q. Mui
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, February 26, 2009; A01
The economic downturn is forcing America's households to learn a tough lesson: how to fend for themselves.
Sales of starter sewing kits have shot up by 30 percent at Wal-Mart as families forgo the tailor. Landscaping companies have suffered a 7 percent drop in revenue over the past year. Procter & Gamble said that it has noticed more questions from customers about how to dye their hair at home to match salon coloring.
The recession has had a powerful effect on the American state of mind. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday shows Americans have grown increasingly insecure about their finances since mid-September, as fears about making mortgage payments have spread and more believe the economy is in a long-term, serious decline.
These feelings have helped set off a change in behavior so pronounced marketers and businesses have coined a name for it. They call it "insourcing": doing yourself what you once gladly paid others to do.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Ping!
American women have colored their hair at home for years. This is not news.
As far as the writer knows only certain people of a certain class he wouldn’t know about the rest of us coloring our own hair. Doing our own nails, and actually giving our kids a home haircut now and then.
“Do I perceive the service that I’m getting as an added pampering, or do I need it?”
Perception IS reality these days; that much is true. I manage a garden center and every trade mag I’ve read in this past year has told me that every living thing in my sales yard this season needs to scream, “BUY ME!” or people won’t.
I believe it.
Sales, however, are up on seeds (14% over last year) and I know veggie plant sales will be through the roof this season.
I’m ready, and I’m making sure my staff are, too.
As for coloring my own hair? I’ve nearly always done it, except in the mid-80’s when I was married to a rather wealthy man who treated me like his pet poodle, LOL!
Hey, GG! How are sales by you so far this season?
Personally, I’m investing in a new hoe, shovel, rake, and lots of seeds....
I have always done my own hair and nails.
We have a rustic sign in our kitchen that says “Simplify.”
We have tried over the last several years to do that and honestly, our lives are better for it.
I just received my seed order from www.seedman.com yesterday!
But it fits the capitalism is dead meme.
At the same time the MSM ignores the government’s role in all this.
Non-news news keeps the meme running.
The Leading Lipstick Indicator
Anyone heard how sales of pricey lipstick are doing?
So have some American males....
Ah yes, Just for Men, and A Touch of Gray!
Uh... he took you to the vet for a sheering?
Hair is hair, does it matter? (Never colored mine, prefer the “distinguished” graying, and fear any chemicals might make what’s left fall out!)
Now, OTOH, that's bad for the businesses that supplies these goods and services, and that's probably going to affect the economy even more. I believe it will all level out eventually.
Does this mean that there are more "jobs" that Americans WILL do ?
/sarc
ping
I’ve also done my own at home ever since it started getting annoyingly gray.
I use a plastic lawn and leaf bag with head and arm holes cut in it. Remove clothes, don bag, mix up color in bowl, (easier to apply than with that little squirt bottle), apply with dollar store latex paint brush.
Wait required amount of time, get in shower, rinse hair, remove bag, shower as usual.
Easy and cheap (especially when you use discount stores or coupons to buy the color), and not too messy using the bag method (even though you will look like a complete freak while wearing it LOL). A plastic rain poncho would probably work just as well.
A color job is about 70$ each time here, and my hair grows over an inch a month. There is NO WAY I could afford to keep up with it paying someone else to do it, not to mention the time and inconvenience. And it comes out great, I’ve even had people ask me who did it.
As for nails, forget about them. Mine get so destroyed by chores that I don’t even bother.
LQ
My wife, who can be a very shrewd observer of human behavior had two interesting comments re what we saw yesterday and ads on evening tv this week re women and their hair:
1. More women with non professional hair styles are out in public each day. It was very obvious in the various places we were at yesterday. In her words, “We are seeing a lot less high maintenance babes re their hair!”
2. A deluge of Pantene and Head and Shoulders ads on tv showing incredible and great hair. Those ads are apparently being aimed at the women cutting back on getting their hair professionally done and against the expensive high end hair products sold in saloons and high end stores.
Similiar actions are happening re men and their hair. Our two sons, early 40 something, are getting basic active duty military hair cuts along with their friends. The younger son is an avid bicycle rider, and he says that in his hard core riding group, all of the guys have gone to military style hair cuts. Even the gals who ride have gone to shorter and easier to maintain hair styles.
Many of the guys are going back to barber shops instead of hair style shops. Our older son is now going to a barber shop with his 8 year old son. Besides saving big bucks by going to a barber instead of a stylist, they are saving money by using less shampoo and conditioner with their shorter hair. Now every boy in their cul de sac has short hair and goes to a barber. We pick him up once a month at the end of the school day, and his short hair style is probably the number one cut.
LOL!
After I remarried, I have continued to dye my present wife's hair, although it's too short to need a perm.
------------------------------------------------------
RESISTOR
Swear allegiance to the flag, whatever flag they offer;
Never hint at what you really feel.
Teach the children quietly for, someday, sons and daughters
Will rise up and fight while we stood still.
Der Elite Møøsënspåånkængrüppen ØberKømmändø (EMØØK)
You might have a new career,doing hair at the offices and homes of those dropping out professional hair care.
Hey!
Sales are UP! That’s why I haven’t been on much lately. LOL Planting/transplanting as hard as we can. We’re already almost out of potatoes. Course, it always picks up this time of year, but still, more people are planting. A lot who’ve never planted before. ;)
Had a couple come in the other day. We just got our sweet onion plants in—vidalia’s/yellow—Texas sweet/white—and red sweet. They asked for a bag, so I gave them one. Didn’t pay much attention. Came back in and asked for a couple more. Okay. When they came back in to pay, they explained to me they wanted separate bags so they could tell them apart, as they got one bundle of each. Okkkaaayyy.
Have fun! I’ll prob be awol for a good bit. LOL
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