Cutting My Own Hair or Not - WFMW

It's been a year since I started cutting (not trimming, but actually cutting!) my own hair. To my surprise and amusement, it seems to be working for me.

Before I took such a drastic action, I was spending over $100 on my regular visit to my favorite hairstylist. As much as I felt that her fabulous work was worth more than $100, I just thought that $100 expense did not go well with our newly structured budget. Besides, I've been cutting my hubby's hair for almost a decade (ever before we started going out & I made him cry on my first attempt...). I figured if it works for him, why not for me?

When I first cut my own hair a year ago, everyone thought I finally went lolo ("crazy" in Hawaiian). Well, I admit my first attempt was not so pretty - I looked like wearing a helmet. But then, I discovered my secret weapon - hair clips & thinning scissors! Thanks to them, I think my hair now looks decent.

My problem is that I have a lot of hair - my hairstylist sometimes sighed over just the sheer amount of my hair. So in order to avoid looking like wearing a helmet, I need to thin my hair out (that doesn't sound somehow right...).

First, I divide my hair into 6 ~ 8 sections using hair clips. Then, I just start cutting (rather randomly) with thinning scissors each section little by little. I sometimes use a styling razor to shorten my hair to a desired length before thinning (see below).

To trim my bangs, I cut vertically (never horizontally) with a pair of regular scissors. Check out this great tutorial on How to Cut Your Own Bangs @ YouTube.

I don't think my method works for everyone. But there are a lot of great resources that provide tutorials and tips for cutting one's own hair.

* How to Cut Your Own Hair @ How to Do Things.com

* How to Cut Your Own Hair/Tips @ YouTube

* How to Cut Your Own Hair (Or Anyone Else's!): 15 haircuts with variations

: MY FAVORITE HAIR CUTTING TOOLS:






Don't feel like cutting your own hair, but still want to save some serious money on your hair maintenance? How about getting haircut & other pampering services at beauty schools. Here are some of beauty schools in Hawaii that provide a wide range of hair styling & other cosmetology-related services.

* Hawaii Institute of Hair Design, Honolulu Downtown. Call 808-533-4326 for more information. They relocated recently, so also ask for a new address. Read a review @ Aloha Update

* Honolulu Community College, Honolulu (Near Costco). Call 808-845-9132 for more information.

I have never tried getting services at beauty schools. If you've ever done it, I really want to hear about your experiences.

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Converting to Roth IRA - WFMW

We are being hit by a hefty tax bill this year.

One of the biggest reasons is that we EARNED SO MUCH MONEY last year. Nah, just kidding, only in my dream...

The true reason is that we converted all of our traditional IRA accounts into Roth IRA.

We started contributing into traditional IRA accounts several years ago & were feeling pretty good about it. That is until... last year. As the recession's gone deeper & deeper, our account shrank & shrank.


After some denial, anger, bargaining, depression, & acceptance, we decided to take advantage of this disastrous situation. Thus, converting our traditional IRA accounts into Roth IRA accounts.

Why we decided to do this?

Unlike traditional IRA, our money in Roth IRA grows tax-free (we are not taxed on withdrawals (including earnings) from Roth IRA as long as you wait until 59.5 & have had the account for at least five years). Plus, there is no minimum distribution requirement @ the age of 70.5.

We are optimistic that the economy will recover by the time we turn 60. We also do not expect our income tax bracket to decline after we retire (we are pretty much at the bottom right now... & I do plan to get back into workforce in a near future.). So we thought, tax-free withdrawals sound pretty good!!

The downside is that we cannot deduct our Roth IRA contributions. Converting does not come cheap, either. When we convert Traditional IRA into Roth IRA, the conversion is considered as a (penalty-free) withdrawal from Traditional IRA, and would be taxed on the withdrawal.

The good thing (& the main reason why we decided to convert right now) is that taxes are based on the value of our IRA on the day we make the conversion. This means we would be taxed on our pathetically shrank IRA, instead of our initial contributions.

We thought it would work for us, but what works for us may not work for you. We researched and planned hard before taking this action - thankfully, I am a bit of tax code freak (how nerdy is that?).

Some things to consider before converting to a Roth IRA include;

• Your tax bracket after retirement - if your tax bracket would considerably decline, losing an opportunity now to defer tax would not make sense at all.

           Here is a great calculation site to figure out how much you would save by converting.

• Can you afford to pay extra taxes on the IRA withdrawal now?

• Would the IRA withdrawals (which would be included into Gross Income) hoist you into a higher tax bracket or disqualify you for some important tax credits?
  

* Be sure to pay estimated tax on the withdrawals at the time you convert in order to avoid penalty for underpayment of estimated tax.

A recommended reference article (includes case studies) - "To Convert or Not to Convert, That is the Question" by Robert S. Keebler & Stephen J. Bigge.

I am no financial expert & it is always a good idea to consult your financial advisor before making any big financial decisions.
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Buy Organic? - WFMW

Photo Credit: blprnt_van

In addition to buying local and in-season vegetables & fruits, I am trying to buy organic products as much as possible. Buying organic groceries, however, can be DIFFICULT & EXPENSIVE. So I sometimes cheat & just ignore my worries over the risks of pestcide intakes and buy the conventionally grown produce just because they are cheaper & more convenient.

While recently reading The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why, I found out that the degree of contamination greatly varies depending on the type of vegetables and fruits.

Now I try to avoid the so-called "12 dirtiest vegetables & fruits." On the other hand, I feel safe buying "Clean 15" vegetables and fruits, even if not organic.

*** Here is a list of "Dirty Dozen" & "Clean 15."***



DIRTY DOZEN

1. Peach

2. Apple

3. Sweet Bell Pepper

4. Celery

5. Nectarine

6. Strawberries

7. Cherries

8. Kale

9. Lettuce

10. Grapes - Imported

11. Carrot

12. Pear

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CLEAN 15

1. Onion

2. Avocado

3. Sweet Corn - Frozen

4. Pineapple

5. Mango

6. Asparagus

7. Sweet Pea - Frozen

8. Kiwi

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Papaya

12. Watermelon

13. Broccoli

14. Tomato

15. Sweet Potatoes

Source: "The Full List: 48 Fruits & Veggies" by Environmental Working Group.  

Download Free Shopper's Guide to Pesticide for your easy reference.

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