Ring‐a‐Ling‐Ding went the register as it displayed my weekly grocery dollar total. What did I get, anyway? I returned my cart to the holding area (a pet peeve) and sat in my car checking the receipt, confident I would find an error. Nope. Next on my list was the weekly gas run. That came in at a third more than usual, even with my loyalty shopper discount.

It’s worth noting a few of the why’s of our high inflation‐‐the war in Ukraine and the undeniable fact that businesses are recouping pandemic losses with a vengeance at lightning speed. The bottom line is it’s expensive out there. You’ve got to eat and keep a roof over your head. Power is indispensable to finding your way to the refrigerator at night. What to do?

I hope you don’t have to diet as I do, but I hope you budget. Even when you’re flush, I hope you still watch your pennies. Money isn’t everything; however, not having cash on hand forces you to make choices you don’t want. Success, therefore, is having a choice of viable alternatives, with or without money. It’s about choices‐‐about mindset, like successful dieting.

8 Ways to Be More Money-Conscious

Budgeting and dieting look simple at a glance. One requires you to burn less money than you take in, and the other to spend more calories than you consume. So simple and yet so complex. With both finance and nutrition, one size does not fit all. Here are the critical items to living with inflation for salon professionals:

1. Keep in mind: clients are also squeezed for money. As are your teammates.

2. Do not discount your services; offer more value.

3. Be super understanding when a regular client hesitates in getting a service.

4. Buy in bulk whenever practical. Team up with others for group purchases.

5. Take a hard look at your spending. Make minor adjustments instead of one big one.

6. Categorize your purchases as Musts, Shoulds, Coulds, and Won’ts.

7. Double down on discounts, coupons, and specials.

8. Pass on the latte and lunch delivery. Bring your food and snacks from home.

Hate me for saying this, but this too shall pass. You will be alright. Every bump in the road in my forty‐five years behind the chair made me a better and more understanding hairdresser.

Carlos Valenzuela is a veteran salon professional of forty-five plus years recently named to the Honor 41Listof Latinx LGBTQ role models and selected for The Faces of Tucson, 2022. An educator of thousands of salon professionals worldwide, he is also the author of the award-winning novella Letters to YoungCarlos,Visit his writings at carlos-valenzuela.com. Read Carlos’ salon career tips on Modern Salon. Plus, find him on Gay Tuscon