Money Saving Tips - Cut Your Own Hair

Many knows that trips to hair salon can sometimes be expensive. Many then opt to local barbers because simple hair cut are harmless and mostly affordable. But my husband never goes to the barbers because he can cut his own hair, nice and clean. He learnt to do this during his first year of study and had done this for more than 6 years. He saved a lot from this, especially when his hair grows at quite a fast pace. 

So, because I can't and don't know how to cut my own hair, I turn to people who can cut my hair for free. My mother has been my personal hairdresser since I was small, then it was my flatmates during my university years and when I got married, done by my own MALE hairdresser. A couple of months ago, I asked him to chop (some of) my hair off because the weather became too hot and I became all sweaty under the hijab. And that was my first time my hair was cut by a man, the experience was a bit weird, yet eventful. 

Thanks to him cutting his own hair in the bathroom yesterday, I finally able to capture some personal moments such as doing personal stuffs in the personal space. Rephrase: I always wanted to take photos of people doing routines (such as cleansing face, shampooing, brushing teeth, shaving etc) in bathrooms (which is very personal space) but because I used to live with female flatmates, aurat is a big concern to me, so I was never able to upload the pictures.  

Back to the topic, my husband and I always talk about how can we save money. So I thought I might do some series on money saving tips done by our little family. With some pictures, of course. Enjoy.

Of Our First Desk

We should have bought a bigger table top, the one with the tracing glass, but it wouldn't fit in Biru. InsyaAllah, when we have rezeki, we'll get that one, so we would be able to work on his drawings together. I promised him that I would do the backgrounds, I hope I won't forget that.

Sketch#4 Of Missing Someone

Dear husband,

I want to be your backbone. I'll be your PA, your secretary, your financial advisor, I'll arrange all your missions. InsyaAllah.

p/s: I miss you already

Of Living It First Hand

A few times during our travel back from our parents houses, my husband asked if I wanted to visit the National Zoo. During all that few times, I said no. It was because I know I am not too fond of animals like a friend of mine does. That friend of mine would love to go to every zoo in every town she travels to. My love for animal however extends only to supporting their rights and telling my husband if I ever see a bird, a chicken or a biawak on the road so that he would not run them over. 

Having said this, I'd like to be my husband's third eye while he's driving and tell him what's catchy along the road. Sometimes I do "Hey look there, what kind of advertisement is that?" while he was telling a story he said I never pay attention to what he says (-_-) That's okay, I believe my eyes will benefit us later, so does my GoogleEarth memory. 

Anyway, the reason I'm not so keen to the zoo-but I'd love to jungle-track- is because I have some of them at my grandparents' and my parents' house.

To be exact, just outside my father's porch.

Mother monkey and baby monkey in the house. Took this picture this afternoon at my parents' place, where I am gonna stay for the next two weeks while my husband is away for some courses. I don't know where the monkeys come from, but they have been here since I was a kid. Perhaps, it was because of the abundance of coconut trees in my village, and also bananas, and rambutans, and mango plums.

Anyway, maybe when we have kids, I might be going to every zoo and conservation centre and park and jungle, because I want our kids to KNOW animals by seeing it first hand and not just from books or televisions.

I might raise some chicken in my lawn so that they know how chicken poops look like. 

Of Being a Breadwinner

Is it true that it is hard to support a family when there is only one breadwinner? I have a long wishlist and it makes me angry thinking that it's all about money. Can I at least control myself and be patient about it?

Sometimes I can, other times I can't.

I want to eat sushi, I want to decorate the house, buy some furniture. I want to do some gardening, but it needs money to buy the pots and plants. I want to cook something special but the ingredients are not in my ordinary grocery list, and they are expensive. 

Is it because I dream a lot of things for my future before? 

My husband said, being patient is not about being quiet and dream less, but it's about good planning and waiting the right time for it. He said, it's about taking steps by steps.

Definitely not an immediate gain.

Salam

Resting after a hard day work at the office

I've been blogging before, mostly about my personal life. And then, I got married to my husband. Few months before that, I did a research about Muslim Malay women in the domestic environment. One of the topic I studied was the responsibility of the women towards their husband and their family; which is to protect the virtue of their husband and to maintain the welfare of the family.

Keeping one's virtue is considered a challenge in the blogging world. Which is why I want to remain low and anonymous now. It is not my attention to hurt anyone's feelings, most importantly when I feel the need to protect my family.

Nonetheless, I still want to leave something to be remembered in the future. Something personal, and something treasured: my feelings. My feelings which are sometimes irrational, childish and selfish. These feelings need to be healed, and corrected because everyday, I seek to be a better person than yesterday.