The cost of stuff, versus pay

[nadinbrzezinski]

the other day I had to go get a haircut. Nothing spectacular, I mean I have some of the worst quality hair evah! So a simple shoulder length will mostly do. But as I paid for it something started to really bug me. Years ago when I got the same haircut... ok much shorter, in my years in EMS I wore it very short for safety reasons and needed one every month or so, the ratio of a hair cut vs minimum wage was at one point 1:1 at Fantastic Sams. That means that it took an hour of work at minimum to get a hair cut. Well as I left I realize that these days it is 2.5:1, it takes two and a half hours of work at minimum wage to pay for the hair cut.

It is yet another example of how Minimum Wage has not kept up with inflation. It is also a fact that salaries, real money, real buying power, has gone down by 20%. So I was left with a strange thought... we are reaching a point where even some things that are not truly luxuries, since we are judged by how we look (no fancy couture for me), are quickly reaching the point of being a luxury.

Yes hubby goes to base where he gets a mod one version one military hair cut. Those are cheap. And over the last few years I have been getting mine when I go to Mexico City to visit parents. No, not that often, but with my hair I don't care that much. But I was thinking, same Fantastic Sams, and yet their service is going to be out of reach for many people. And it IS fantastic Sams for crying out loud, not a fancy place. Of course don't get me started with... this is a franchise and not a business owned by a local ok.

This is yet another example of how much we are losing in that quality of life. And as I hung up with the rep for Expedia this morning (at Bangalore India, dime on the rupee in this case), I realized that quality of life that is middle class is moving to lower paid economies. And yes, wages may flatten unless we all, around the world, do something about it. Why every time I read that workers are standing up in places far East I am the one cheering in the corner.

Just some random thoughts... now back to work with me... and getting those 200 words out.

[uncommon]

1. My last haircut a few weeks ago was $32.50.

And it was a lousy haircut, nothing special.

The Fantastic Sam's I used to go to before I moved had haircuts for $10 with a wash and blow dry. I will be going there again when I move back.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. This was 20 at Fantastic Sams

[TwilightGardener]

3. I go to Great Clips, they're pretty reasonable--but I only get a cut

every six months, so I look kinda disheveled more often than not. Haircolor out of a box, too, whenever the gray starts seriously winning the battle against the brown. I'm among the lower-maintenance women out there, and it shows, but...oh well.