Problems With Penny-Pinching: The Hair Edition

So, I meant to get a little trim from my favorite stylist before leaving the OC, but between the packing and the whatnot, I sort of forgot all about my hair. Which meant that it was much longer than usual by the time I arrived in DC, and only grew more unwieldy the longer I postponed getting a haircut here.

I don't object to shorter hair in general, but I do have a three-fold problem with getting haircuts:
A) I'm extremely cheap,
B) I don't like products, blow dryers, or any cut that requires effort on my part, and
C) My hair is curly when cut short, which seems to confound a lot of stylists.

So really B and C are only window dressing, and could be dealt with if my major issue wasn't A. In the last couple of weeks I had asked some locals for recommendations, but apparently they aren't quite as Jewish frugal as I am, and thus pay something like $50 or $60 per haircut. As I am both Jewish thrifty and unemployed, I rather unwisely decided that this was out of the question.

So I dithered and avoided any action, until The Pit pointedly asked me if I was planning on getting a haircut this week. This from a man who really doesn't seem to care what I do with my hair, as long as I keep it unclipped* at all costs. If even he had noticed the deplorable state of my coiffure, it really was time for a haircut.

I thus bit the bullet and located a $20/haircut salon near our grocery store, and decided that with pictorial assistance, the stylists there could potentially be trusted.

So I brought in this picture OF MYSELF,** and asked to be made to look like this again..shorter, curly, reasonably away from the face:

Apparently the stylist interpreted this to mean that what I really wanted was hair shorter in the back than the front, lopsided, and somehow cut so as not to curl in front. Observe my displeasure:


After a couple of days of various types of fiddling, including both hair product and clips (thus incurring annoyed and pointed glances from The Pit), I have gotten it to look a little more manageable, although I would not go so far as to say 'good.'


Hopefully it grows out soon, and then I can go squander more money on a real stylist. Local suggestions would be appreciated in the comments. I promise this time I'll listen.

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* The Pit has an unnatural aversion to hair clips anywhere near me, which makes this whole bad haircut styling thing even more difficult.
** So we know this haircut is possible...it's not like I told her "I want Jennifer Aniston hair."